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Is Donald Trump a Christian? Given the classic definition in the words of Jesus: "Repent and believe the gospel" or "I tell you, you must be born again," does this allow us to lump Trump with Christians? Given the defenses of Trump by folks like Robert Jeffress, does that give a fake picture of our faith to the world?

You had two questions:
1. I'll let him self-identify as he wishes and leave the final word to God.
2. No. Did Obama give a fake picture of our faith to the world? To some, yes.

My question comes around what Trump has said that he had never needed to repent. I did not plan a judgment, but the question was asked of me by a layperson. I wondered how others would answer.

Trump does not exhibit Christ-like behavior. He does not love his enemy, instead he picks fights with them. He does not forgive people; instead he holds grudges. He never asks for forgiveness for his sins; instead he is arrogant. He winks at white supremacists while calling people of color derogatory names - be they black athletes (SoBs with real words) or immigrants (rapists and criminals). He treats women crudely and brags about it. He lies habitually. He has stiffed many workers. He does not stick up for the poor, sick, and otherwise marginalized; in fact has not done a single thing explicitly for the middle class yet as he ran on.

Does he exhibit the fruits of the Spirit?

God will do the final judging, but my judgment is that he is not a Christ follower.

I'm rather less concerned with discerning a politician's spiritual condition than I am with their positions on issues. In that regard all of them fall short of the glory of God, some more than others. Obama is appallingly unchristian in some areas, as is
Trump. Good Christians support either or the other, and the Clintons. There's a lot of irony here. My con friends liked the non-born again McCain over the declared follower of Christ, Obama. They greatly disliked the two Southern Baptists, Gore and Clinton, in favor of their opponents and like the thoroughly worldly (best I can see) Trump over the Methodist Clinton. It's the politics, not whose pew they sit in on Sundays.

It has been amusing to see some of my mod/lib friends embrace the concept of 'who is the most Christian' politician, an area formerly condemned by them when practiced by the Moral Majority and other rightist religiously based groups. That and the silly, self-serving moralizing based on a few issues has severely undermined the credibility of the new mod lib political activists.

Dave brought that legitimate question that pastors get asked, "Is X politician a Christian?" My answer would be, "God knows, not I, but I like/dislike some of their political positions, etc. etc."

I believe only God can really answer that question. I always get nervous when we try to use our own judgement as to who is and isn't a Christian. If someone comes right out and says they aren't, well then that is clear. Otherwise, I think we are getting into God's territory.

Since I started this, I'll give my answer.

"Only God knows, but always keep looking at the fruits."

An old pastor I knew growing up used to say, "God said not to be judges, but he told us to be fruit inspectors."

Lots of stuff here to go on to decide if Trump is a Christian. The usual divide is operative, i.e., that conservatives say “judge not that ye...”. The mod-lib approach is that “if it quacks like a non-Christian and walks like a non-Christian, it (Trump) is a non-Christian. So...that's settled. The obvious question now is whether or not a practicing homosexual is a non-Christian, an adulterer is a non-Christian, two same-gender marriage partners non-Christians? Catch: In this forum (at least supposedly) those questions need answering in light of the pronouncements in the scriptures just as in the case of Trump—that “classic definition” thing. What about prostitutes as non-Christians and the preacher who runs off with a choir soprano or makes millions off his TV activity, and the heretic who says there's no hell for anyone's incumbency? Or, there's the minister who doesn't count his “housing allowance” or parsonage occupancy as personal income regardless of what the law says and in light of what the poor guy in the pew has to fork over to Uncle Sam? All bets are off for those who consider the Bible as mostly myth and certainly non-binding in any way. Probably lots of other non-Christian types but these may be good for starters.