In 2005, Donald Trump was recorded describing his attraction and attempted sexual advances toward a particular woman. In this conversation, he and the interviewer traded laughs as they spoke of the woman’s anatomy and how they would like to handle her if given the opportunity.
This newfound audio recording is not new information. Mr. Trump’s licentious lifestyle and perverse views toward women are well documented.
Apparently, Mr. Trump heard that some people were offended by his 2005 comments, so he offered this response:
“This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course – not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended.” –Donald Trump
The 2005 comments are so wrong on so many levels, but Mr. Trump’s verbal groping ten years ago is not the biggest problem.
Many evangelicals have rallied around Mr. Trump with eyes wide open to his moral track record. The conventional wisdom is that under a Trump presidency the unborn will be protected, government overreach will be reversed, economic prosperity will return, the military will be rebuilt, and religious freedom will be championed. And then the granddaddy of them all, the Supreme Court will be filled with conservative Constitutionalists.
Mr. Trump promises such things, and many people believe he can deliver. Even those who are not so sure remain convinced that a Clinton presidency would be even more devastating to our country.
On the same day this new audio of Mr. Trump surfaced, a number of Hillary Clinton’s previously undisclosed emails hit the front page. On a cursory glance, these emails simply confirm Mrs. Clinton’s duplicitous, self-serving character. Every negative caricature of a politician is fulfilled in Mrs. Clinton.
When Mrs. Clinton’s incriminating emails were disclosed, she neither defended nor denied them. Instead, her campaign clicked the mute button. She said nothing. It is as if her thousands of comments over many years have no consequence at all.
No one wants to be date-stamped and judged by things we said or did ten years ago. Hopefully, we grow, we learn, and we change. But Mr. Trump’s recent statement about what he said in 2005 shows at least three things:
- Trump was not embarrassed by his vulgarities. Instead, he said his words were not inappropriate but were just spoken in an inappropriate location. He suggested that this is just how men talk when they are together.
- Trump compared his comments to the comments of former President Bill Clinton. Children also take this approach with their parents. When caught doing something wrong, they minimize their offense by comparing it to the perceived greater offense of their sibling.
- Rather than confessing the inappropriate nature of his comments, Mr. Trump gave the ole “If I offended you, I’m sorry” line. It could be translated, “You’re just too sensitive, and I’m sorry about that.”
Both Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton demonstrate a track record of foolish words and actions, but the point here is not to scold them. I will leave that to others. Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton’s shenanigans are not our biggest problem. Even their refusal to see their foolishness, take responsibility, and rebuild the trust of the American people is not the biggest problem.
What should grieve us most about this campaign is what it reveals about our nation. When America looks in the mirror, she sees Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton.
These candidates are not a strange phenomenon. This is a representative government, and these two candidates represent who America has become. Mr. Trump is partially right. Some men do talk like that about women. Bill Clinton, along with other men, has likely said worse things on the golf course. The language of sexual perversion is commonplace in homes, schools, entertainment and media, the boardroom, and the locker room.
Mrs. Clinton’s approach to politics and public service is normative. If the Golden Rule is not out, it is the exception. The practices of servant leadership are not championed enough in the private or public square.
There are exceptions. There are many imperfect, but hard working, God-loving people who are trying to do the right thing. There are people who serve their families and communities well. There are Good Samaritans out there who represent what is good about America.
But the dropped jaws of evangelical Christians over the moral realities in our country must close. The American reality shows and we should no longer be surprised.
Our biblical anthropology tells us that while we bear the image of God, we are all depraved. We all may not be as sinful as we could be, but we are all sinners. And sinners do sinful things.
Whatever she once was, America is no longer a Christian nation. The influence of our Judeo-Christian heritage lingers, but we are a nation of humans who apart from revival and awakening will continue to sin more and more. What was once said in the privacy of the locker room is now celebrated on Netflix, social media channels, in the public schools, and in the everyday life of regular people. This decadence is most often expressed in the arena of sexuality, but unchecked sin ultimately affects every part of our lives.
The American reality shows who we are, and it is not a pretty picture of hope and change.
What is worse is that many evangelicals continue to place confidence in candidates who give no current indication that they will act any differently in the future than they have acted in the past. Mr. Trump calls this latest audio recording a “distraction” from the real issues that face our nation. Does anyone believe this distraction is the last one of its kind? The Clinton legacy is one of scandal. Does anyone believe that will change?
Good ideas and a winsome personality are not enough to govern well in an environment of pervasive evil. One must also possess the moral fortitude to push against the tide and to win the confidence of those following. The Supreme Court is important. Protecting life is important. Religious freedom is important. Economic and military strength are important. Yet there is no reason to believe, either from past or present performance, that we have a top tier candidate who has what it takes to deliver on these vital issues.
America has a great future, but our greatness will not be realized in our loyal compromise with small politicians who promise big things. Our greatness, whatever that may look like, will be realized when the people of God face the American reality, repent of our enamor with worldly power, and return to God by showing and telling that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.