Todd Starnes, Fox News & Commentary host and author of "God Less America: Real Stories From the Front Lines of the Attack on Traditional Values," took on the leading evangelical question about the ongoing race to the White House – whether or not Christians ought to vote for Donald Trump or sit on the sidelines – and concluded, after interviewing several of faith in leadership roles: Not voting is actually a vote, in and of itself.
Starnes wrote: "For many Christians – Donald Trump is like a bucket of store-bought chicken at a Wednesday night church supper. It may be a culinary heresy – but folks will still eat it. That's the best case scenario for the Trump campaign as they try to woo wary Evangelical Christians. Many are still not convinced that the man who has had more wives than there are letters to the Corinthians shares their view from the pew. It's not just the #NeverTrump crowd that is causing the campaign to worry. It's the unknown number of Evangelicals who may stay home on Election Day."
Starnes then cited a quote from one of the leading pastors studied by Christians, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who said: "Of two evils choose none."
But as Starnes asked: Is that the only option for Christians this campaign season?
"The idea of not voting, you're sacrificing your Christian worldview on the altar of political expediency," said Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, to Fox News. "It is silly to talk about not voting for either candidate. Every single Christian should vote."
Starnes also referred to Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, who's currently making a nationwide tour to speak to Christians about the political election and need for them to get more involved in the day-to-day, from a godly perspective.
"You don't just stay home and not vote," Graham said, to Starnes. "You vote. ... You may have to hold your nose and choose of the two."
Richard Land, president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary, said similarly.
"Can a Christian vote for Donald Trump running against Hillary Clinton? I would say yes," he said.
And from Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and recent candidate for president, who served as a pastor before he went into politics, this: "I'm not going to try and suggest that Donald Trump is in any way the reincarnation of the Apostle Paul. But he's been very open to not only dialogue with, but listen to and understand where many people in the faith community are coming from. Donald Trump could well be a great president for those of us who are Evangelicals."
Land also said Trump could help his cause among Christians by picking an Evangelical as his vice president, or by vowing to nominate Sen. Ted Cruz to the Supreme Court seat previously held by Justice Antonin Scalia.
Starnes wrapped: "To be honest, though, Donald Trump could walk the aisle at a Billy Graham Crusade, while waving a King James Bible and singing 'Amazing Grace' and it still wouldn't be enough to convince the holier-than-thou club. And for all you folks quoting Spurgeon – I would offer this rebuttal: not to vote is to vote."
Starnes wrote: "For many Christians – Donald Trump is like a bucket of store-bought chicken at a Wednesday night church supper. It may be a culinary heresy – but folks will still eat it. That's the best case scenario for the Trump campaign as they try to woo wary Evangelical Christians. Many are still not convinced that the man who has had more wives than there are letters to the Corinthians shares their view from the pew. It's not just the #NeverTrump crowd that is causing the campaign to worry. It's the unknown number of Evangelicals who may stay home on Election Day."
Starnes then cited a quote from one of the leading pastors studied by Christians, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who said: "Of two evils choose none."
But as Starnes asked: Is that the only option for Christians this campaign season?
"The idea of not voting, you're sacrificing your Christian worldview on the altar of political expediency," said Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, to Fox News. "It is silly to talk about not voting for either candidate. Every single Christian should vote."
Starnes also referred to Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, who's currently making a nationwide tour to speak to Christians about the political election and need for them to get more involved in the day-to-day, from a godly perspective.
"You don't just stay home and not vote," Graham said, to Starnes. "You vote. ... You may have to hold your nose and choose of the two."
Richard Land, president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary, said similarly.
"Can a Christian vote for Donald Trump running against Hillary Clinton? I would say yes," he said.
And from Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and recent candidate for president, who served as a pastor before he went into politics, this: "I'm not going to try and suggest that Donald Trump is in any way the reincarnation of the Apostle Paul. But he's been very open to not only dialogue with, but listen to and understand where many people in the faith community are coming from. Donald Trump could well be a great president for those of us who are Evangelicals."
Land also said Trump could help his cause among Christians by picking an Evangelical as his vice president, or by vowing to nominate Sen. Ted Cruz to the Supreme Court seat previously held by Justice Antonin Scalia.
Starnes wrapped: "To be honest, though, Donald Trump could walk the aisle at a Billy Graham Crusade, while waving a King James Bible and singing 'Amazing Grace' and it still wouldn't be enough to convince the holier-than-thou club. And for all you folks quoting Spurgeon – I would offer this rebuttal: not to vote is to vote."
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