One week from today, Donald J. Trump will be elected the 45th president of the United States of America, and joining him for the festivities will be 6 prominent American faith leaders (including a Catholic cardinal, a rabbi, and 4 evangelical pastors). Trump experienced a turbulent campaign among believers, having his past behavior and comments brought to the surface by the media and the Clinton campaign, but a few faith leaders came forward to vouch for him — including a combination of Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family) and megachurch pastor Paula White, claiming that Trump recently gave his life to Christ. Take a look at Dobson’s statement back in June of 2016:
“Only the Lord knows the condition of a person’s heart. I can only tell you what I’ve heard. First, Trump appears to be tender to things of the Spirit. I also hear that Paula White has known Trump for years and that she personally led him to Christ … Do I know that for sure? No. Do I know the details of that alleged conversion? I can’t say that I do … But there are many Christian leaders who are serving on a faith advisory committee for Trump in the future. I am among them. There are about 45 of us that includes Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, Jack Graham, Ben Carson, James Robison, Jerry Johnson, and many others whom you would probably know … How will that play out if Trump becomes president? I don’t know. It is a good start, I would think … If anything, this man is a baby Christian who doesn’t have a clue about how believers think, talk and act.”
Here is the official tweet from Trump’s team including the faith leaders that will be speaking at the inauguration in just one week’s time:
We are excited to announce our list of faith leaders who will be participating in the swearing-in ceremonies. More: https://t.co/NeVV85s0ZY pic.twitter.com/sjVjmxXvOU
— Trump Inauguration (@TrumpInaugural) December 28, 2016
What do you think? Is this diverse group of pastors meant to represent the breadth of religious belief in America, or perhaps Trump’s personal spiritual values? Let us know on Facebook or in the comments below.
