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We should not pit virtues against each other

By Scott Tibbs, September 19, 2018

The fact that Donald Trump is a poor role model does not matter because his policies are good, says Dennis Prager. Politics is often a den of false choices, and this is another of those. Why can't we hope for a President who has good policies and is a good role model? Why do we have to pit one virtue against another?

When Republicans say that personal character does not matter because we are getting good policy, we sound just like the Democrats did in 1998 - including one journalist who said she wanted to suck President Clinton's dick to thank him for keeping abortion legal. As someone who went through the impeachment battles, it is dispiriting to see Republicans become the enemy we were fighting twenty years ago. I feel personally betrayed when I see the people I supported and defended turn against the principles we defended in the 1990's. This is one of the reasons that I refused to vote for Trump in 2016.

This should not be an either/or situation. Republicans love to compare Trump to King David, but this comparison is outright heresy. King David did sin in a terribly wicked way, but he was a righteous man. God describes him as a man after His own heart. Writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit and preserved for us as Scripture, David repeatedly talks about his righteousness and faithfulness to God. In the matter of his sin, King David repented and submitted to God's punishment without whining or complaining.

There is no evidence that Trump has ever repented of his decades of sexual depravity. He is still a petulant, quick tempered and impulsive man who holds grudges and refuses to forgive. You can feel the pride radiating from Trump, and the New Testament is filled with doctrine about how pride is opposition to God and will be judged by Him. Trump is not a man after God's own heart.

Trump is surrounded by good people. There are many good people who support him. For Trump's own sake, both his inner circle and his millions of supporters should urge him to be a better person and to repent. We can and should support his good policies while also publicly calling him on his worst personal behavior - and making it clear that we should not emulate that bad behavior. We should do this not just for the good of the country, but for the sake of Trump's eternal soul. Publicly brushing aside Trump's personal wickedness shows a hatred of the President and a willingness to damn him to eternal Hell fire because he is politically advantageous to us and pushes our policy agenda. That is pure evil.