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[Little Dock]

Why are so many Christians willing to believe Trump is among them, but that Obama was not?

Back in 2012, I recall reading multiple stories in which Christians were trying to 'prove' that Obama was merely trying to deceive and manipulate Americans by claiming to be Christian. Their 'proof' was that his use of "my brother's keeper" did not match up with their interpretation... and, therefore, he wasn't really Christian. They also used 'Deceiver in Chief' on multiple occasions.

Flash forward to today, and it seems that Christians are more than willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt despite his past being filled with very non-Christian behavior—and no proof that he's ever been a God-fearing man. He even admitted that he's never asked for forgiveness because he couldn't think of anything he'd need to ask for forgiveness for.

From my perspective, it seems that it's merely his willingness to cater to American Christians by propping up Christianity and establishing a kind of Christian-exceptionalism. Also, Christians seemed to really love his willingness to bring up Christianity during his Easter address.

And we can't ignore the fact that his anti-Muslim rhetoric plays well with Christians who are seemingly defensive and convinced that, even in the US, they're being 'oppressed'.

I realize my phrasing may sound loaded, but that is not my intent. I honestly want to hear earnest and honest ways Christians have reconciled Trump's behavior vs Obama's.

I'd also love to hear from some Christians that fit neither of these molds.

[jimwalton]

I don't fit that mold. Based on everything I see, I don't think Donald Trump is a Christian. As you say, his behavior has been noticeably non-Christian, and there is no proof that he has ever been a God-fearing man. I agree with you, and I don't think he's a Christian. I think he's been pandering to the religious demographic for political gain, but I haven't seen anything that tells me he's a Christian man. I take any of his references in that regard as hypocritical. I don't give Trump the benefit of the doubt. He has to prove what he is by his character and his actions.

I feel that his anti-Muslim rhetoric plays well with Americans who are afraid, but not necessarily with Christians per se. Muslims, like every other human, are a people group that Jesus tells us as Christians to love, not to hate or to fear.

By the same token, I never saw anything in Barack Obama that suggested he was a Christian either. There seems to be more evidence that Obama is Muslim, but he dances around any direct statements, probably also for political positioning.

[Ray a Lot]

What indications? Obama strikes me as far too left to be Muslim.

[jimwalton]

I agree that Obama may have been too liberal to be a Muslim, and I don't particularly have specifics about suggestions that he was more possibly Muslim than Christian. In some sources he says he's a Christian (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2010/aug/26/why-do-so-many-people-think-obama-muslim/).

If I'm remembering right, his administration seemed to favor religious Islamic expression in the schools and communities while suppressing religious Christian expression. He was very soft in his Middle Eastern Arabian policies and dealings, and not supportive of Israel in the least. He refused to identify Islamic terrorists as Islamic (though they themselves self-identified that way: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/28/politics/obama-radical-islamic-terrorism-cnn-town-hall/index.html).

It's all very shaky. Obama is a slippery persona.