The Catholic Defender: My Response To An Anti-Trump Believer

I must confess that this has been one of the most unusual Presidential campaigns I have ever seen. The Republican Presidential Campaign originally began with 17 Candidates that were competing for the job. I began supporting Ted Cruz first because I had been in Texas for 10 years, retired from the Army at Fort Hood, and I respected Cruz for fighting Obamacare as he promised he would do.

Unfortunately few other Republicans in Congress had the backbone to fulfill their promises that they had made to their people and in the end, the Republicans caved in to Obama once again.

From the beginning even though I was a strong Cruz supporter, I made the same promise that the Candidates pledged, I would support the eventual nominee. Because I had made this promise, I soon had people, mostly good friends that I love, began sending me anti-Trump memes by the hundreds. At first I tried to look at them and investigate them. The more I researched the more I began taking issue with all the anti-Trump propaganda being sent to me.

It took the Iowa Caucas before I began changing my mind and supported Donald Trump for President. I always maintained my pledge even after several of the other Candidates turned from their pledge. That told me how solid their word really was as Trump won by the largest vote in the history of the Republican Primary.

Even now, the anti-Trump continue to push their agenda to stop Trump at all cost, right, wrong, it matters not, their agenda was the only thing that mattered. If I started a rumor today that Donald Trump supports killing puppies by throwing them in lakes and drowning them, it would be pushed out as fact like all the other misinformation being thrown out. Being the Catholic Defender, I know the Technic employed by anti-Catholics to push an agenda, I began seeing people using the same exact kind of Technics to push their agenda.

Today was no different. Being off from work today, I found myself in yet another Facebook debate with a lady who felt supporting Trump would be a sin. Here is her talking point, mostly coming from the established Never-Trump groups. They have standardized their opposition so people just keep repeating the same rhetoric. Here is the sample with my response:

"First, it wasn't months ago that he declared he had never once asked God for forgiveness because he had never done anything wrong. I suggest that I am not obligated to *absolve* (which is closer to the word you want, not forgiveness) the entirely unrepentant--the person so empty of morality, the person who is so fully his own huge god, that he doesn't even understand the concept of repentance, never mind desire it."

I remember when Donald Trump said that he had not asked God for forgiveness. That was early on in the campaign. But as the campaign approached the debates, Donald Trump began getting support from Conservative Catholics and Protestant Evangelicals. I believe he has asked God for forgiveness, even so, that is not something I can judge. I can't judge his heart. When you accuse Trump of being "empty of morality", you place yourself as spiritual judge. Trump does not make himself his own god? I've been watching Trump in the campaign and I went to one of his rallies. You are misjudging Trump terribly.

"Sure, I can forgive him in Christian charity, and pray for him, and wish him happiness and well, and maybe a visit or two from the Holy Spirit. I do."

That is a good thing, remember 1 Timothy 2:1-2, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way." I will join you in that petition and I bet you would be surprised that Donald Trump is thankful for your prayers for him.

"But that doesn't mean he would make a good POTUS. That doesn't mean that in the public sphere, where a man can and should be judged by his actions, those actions suddenly become null and void and "forgiven" because you wave a few Christian platitudes at me (that don't mean what you imply they mean here.)"

I believe that what Donald Trump is putting forth comes from his core beliefs, he has grown a lot in his life, I think he has grown considerably since the beginning of this campaign. Running for president is not an easy thing, but I believe Donald Trump loves America and he wants to give something back to his country. Plus, how many people have we sent to Washington who betrayed us? 60% of the primary voters claimed they were betrayed by those sent.

"Second, he is CURRENTLY a Planned Parenthood booster."

You obviously have not seen Hillary Clinton attacking Donald Trump in commercials because Trump will defund Planned Parenthood. Trump is not a Planned Parenthood booster, he has pledged to defund Planned Parenthood repeatedly. He told me personally that he will defund Planned Parenthood. He told Bill O'Reily on the Factor that he would defund Planned Parenthood. He is pro-life. What people purposely misrepresent is that he felt there were some items PP did that helped women's health care. He wants to assure women that he will support women's health care. He will defund PP and use our tax dollars to support women's health care with clinics that do not do abortions, even Catholic and other clinics. Father Pavone, President of Priest's for Life, is supporting Donald Trump. I support that very much!

"Third, he is a CURRENT adulter. (Though I realize that's a small point of interest only to a few Catholics and others who take the Sacramental view of marriage seriously, and is of no interest to the secular, consumer-driven, current marriage culture. Which is to say, it's only an argument I'm making here because you assert your defense of Catholic understandings as proof of your conservatism.)"

Calling Donald Trump an "adulterer" would be calling just about all Protestants who are divorced and remarried "adulterers". Even within the Protestant clergy all across the board nearly 50% are divorced and remarried. In the Catholic Church, in order to remarry, there has to be an annulment (Matthew 19:7) granted before a remarriage. Donald Trump currently is not a Catholic so no one can hold him to that.

"And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, (except for unlawful marriage), and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced woman, commits adultery."

Who decides what an unlawful marriage is? The husband? The Wife? No, it would be investigated by the Church (Matthew 18:15-18). Because Protestants do not normally have a tribunal like the Catholic Church, they do not know or have a means to dissolve a marriage other than a civil divorce.

"Fourth, Trump U is not a long past wrong and immoral scam, even if is within the boundaries of the law (which is not yet known.)"

I think it is interesting that the chief person the prosecution wanted to bring about a law suit against Donald Trump actually said great things about the school and the prosecution had her taken out of the hearing? There are thousands of responses giving Trump U a positive learning event. I think that the Judge involved in the case does have a political bias against Trump because of their support for Clinton and their opposition against the wall. You wanted to make Trump out to be racist because he felt this Judge had a bias himself. Clearly the Judge should have recused himself.

"There's a fifth, and a sixth, and an nth, but my children are getting irritated with this discussion taking my attention. : )"

I can do this all day long, your fifth, sixth, and seventh issues I would be able to answer as well, I could probably raise them up myself because your simply repeating what your hearing from the anti-Trump crowd.

"Nth+1, he does not understand what it takes to be a civil human being and civility, acting with decency and generosity of spirit, matters a great deal to me. He isn't doing that now. You want me to give Trump a chance? Have him go two weeks without acting like a vile human being--and yes, his, "I told you so, it's all about me, post Orlando" tweet was vile. --Gosh, you predicted another Islamic terrorist attack? Aren't you the visionary. But, please, tell us more about you."

I was Army nearly 27 years, I can't say I've seen Trump act vile, he has used language that has offended some, and he took hits for it, but I think he has moved forward. He spoke with hundreds of ministers today (6/21/2016), and he won them over. I believe that Trump is wanting to put an end to the threat imposed on America. He has been right about his concern. I had rather have a leader who has a vision to what is happening than one who is leading from behind. Most Veterans are supporting Trump because he is saying what they are thinking. What I consider vile is letting our men die on a rooftop in Benghazi then lie to the families when their bodies came home.

"Yes, he's right to say it was Islamic terrorism--but he's not the only one who can carry that message, and he wasn't the only "conversation starter" on this subject. Heck, forget a week. Let him go three days without making a mess of things."

Donald Trump began with a million dollar business and he has grown this to over 10 billion dollars with many jobs and much cash flow. He has not made a mess of things, I would say that Obama and Hillary have certainly made a mess of things, they are being protected by the media and the Democrats.

"What are you going to say when he's at 20% in the polls in the week before the convention? You going to say, "Go Trump!" Because you want Hillary to win? Because if you want Hillary to win, you're all in for Trump. What are you, some kind of closet Hillary supporter?"

The liberal media will do what they can to create an environment to help Clinton and try to hurt Trump. The Primaries are over so now the media will get on board to support their candidate. The race is much tighter than you will think.

Friends have asked me if it was really important for Christians to get involved and vote in politics. I have to say most certainly as Donald Trump would say, "Huge" importance. Consider Matthew 14:1-12 tells the story how St. John the Baptist got involved in politics in his time. It cost him his head, what will it cost us today if we refuse to get involved? Trump for President!