Evangelical crisis
Re “Evangelicals show their true colors,” Opinion, Aug. 23
Randall Balmer shines a light on the scandal embroiling white evangelicalism: President Trump and some evangelicals found one another by mutual resonance with toxic white supremacy. There are white people in America who call themselves evangelical yet demonstrate complicity with a white supremacy that scandalizes the gospel — and there are other white evangelicals in America who categorically disagree with them. Balmer points out what many evangelical leaders have been decrying for years and what this election made apparent: that culture sometimes overshadows the gospel in determining the evangelical political vision. Evangelicalism is a movement dedicated to the primacy of faith in the way of Jesus, so this confusion of priorities is a crisis.
The word “evangelical” has morphed from being commonly used to describe a set of theological and spiritual commitments into a passionately defended, theo-political brand. Worse, that brand has become synonymous with social arrogance, ignorance and prejudice — all antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Balmer’s claims, while not new, are deservedly painful for millions of white evangelicals who are deeply offended by racism, repelled by Trump, and who vocally deny the false theo-political brand that co-opts the faith we hold dear.
The call now to these white evangelicals is to subvert the racism within and around us. This must be fueled by honest self-examination and lead to an understanding that we are far more complicit in white supremacy than we might understand. Then, we must repent our guilt.
Repentance is not the seed of shame; its fruit is to empower the repentant ones to actively change course toward justice, both personal and systemic. Mark Labberton, Pasadena The writer is president of Fuller Theological Seminary.
What a hatchet job Balmer’s piece is.
Evangelicals partner with churches around the world, sponsor programs for the needy around the country and world, and cheerfully coexist in congregations that include whites, Asians, Latinos and African Americans — but our “true colors” are racist?
Shame on The Times for showing its own bigotry and bias by publishing such tripe. Patrick Goodrich Brea
I have Protestant relatives who say they voted for Trump so they could get Vice President Mike Pence.
These pious souls have hoped that Trump will be ousted ere long, leaving “I’m a Christian first” Pence to take over. They’ve reasoned that Pence will learn from his tenure and enhance his appeal as a future presidential candidate.
They deemed Pence far more likely to advance a faith-friendly agenda than either candidate on the Clinton-Kaine ticket might have. As much as racism might have played a role, the Republican ticket’s shrewd playing of the “God card” proved pivotal. Sarah S. Williams
Santa Barbara
Why do evangelicals stick with Trump when Proverbs says a guilty man is devious and runs when no one pursues him? Herman I. Morris
Plano, Texas