Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Iowa Statesman.
By Jon the Southern Baptist
On the Front Lines of the Culture War
I apologize for not jumping on this sooner, but I was a little under the weather last week, so I’m playing a little catch-up now.
During the now-famous exchange between Frank Luntz and Donald Trump at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, the question and answer that received the most media scrutiny was Luntz’s attempt to kneecap The Donald over what was, at the time, an ongoing squabble between Trump and John McCain.
We all know how that turned out.
But the issue the lamestream media should’ve jumped on was the question Luntz asked Trump with regard to his faith and whether or not he has asked for forgiveness. Trump said it was a “tough question” and ultimately answered he wasn’t sure.
You could already hear a pin drop at that point in the auditorium, but after his response, you could also hear more than a few in the audience sigh and begin shaking their heads. While Trump actually saw a bump among voters in general after his McCain comments, it was an absolute fact he lost a lot of potential Christian voters with his response.
Following up on that exchange, CNN’s Anderson Cooper very smartly (hey, you have to give the broken clock credit for the two minutes it’s correct every day) asked Trump to clarify his answer to Luntz. In typicl fashion, Trump doubled down:
“I try not make mistakes where I have to ask forgiveness … Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes? I work hard, I’m an honorable person.”
Now, Trump didn’t just blow off the notion of repentance. He said it’s “terrific,” but also suggested it’s completely unnecessary for him. Mind you, this is a guy who’s made a number of big “mistakes” in his life, both in terms of his marriages and his business dealings.
And, yes, even yours truly has made more than his fair share of “mistakes” in his lifetime. That’s not my point.
My point is that we’re all broken, sinful creatures, living in a broken creation that was broken by our own sinfulness. There is nothing you can do, no accomplishment great enough, to wash the stain of sin from your life, except one: repenting your sin and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Jesus said so Himself (John 14:6 NKJV): Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
We are all created by God, and as a result, He wants us all to have a relationship with Him through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who took the form of man in order to pay for our sins. We cannot have that relationship if we refuse to accept the gift of His immeasurable grace.
So, sorry, Donald. But, yes, you do need to repent. The sooner, the better.
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Jonathan Montgomery Harrington is the pseudonym for the anonymous author of Jon the Southern Baptist, who is fighting on the front lines of the culture war on a daily basis. If you have a suggestion for his contributions to The Iowa Statesman, write to him at jonsouthernbaptist@outlook.com.
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