The Normalization of Vulgarity and Mean-Spiritedness
Why, as a Grandfather and a Christian, I Can't Vote for Trump
I have friends and family members who are voting for Trump. I’m not. On my better days, I don’t hate him. I believe we are called to love everyone, even our enemies. But I do hate what he is doing to our country by normalizing vulgarity, mean-spiritedness, and belittlement. While those who support him are not bad people, I believe they are misguided—and their votes contribute to the spread of this normalization. Trump speaks of "the enemy within" America, referring to those who oppose him. In my view, the real enemy within is a poisoning of the national spirit —a degradation of kindness and decency that spreads like a disease. A conservative friend recently asked me why I’m not voting for Trump and why I’m supporting a movement called Christians Against Trump. This page is part of my answer. I'm trying to stop the disease.
Vulgarity
"Former President Donald J. Trump on Saturday spewed crude and vulgar remarks at a rally in Pennsylvania that included an off-color remark about a famous golfer’s penis size and a coarse insult about Vice President Kamala Harris... His monologue culminated in lewd remarks about the size of Mr. Palmer’s penis. Moments later, Mr. Trump gave the crowd an opportunity to call out a profanity. He went on to use that four-letter word to describe Ms. Harris.
“Such a horrible four years,” Mr. Trump said, referring to the Biden-Harris administration, as he surveyed the crowd of hundreds of people in front of him. “We had a horrible — think of the — everything they touch turns to —.” Many in his audience — which was mostly made up of adults but included some children, infants, and teenagers — eagerly filled in the blank, shouting, “Shit!”
Minutes later, Mr. Trump urged his supporters to vote, telling them that they had to send a crude message to Ms. Harris: “We can’t stand you, you’re a shit vice president.”
- NY Times, October 19, 2024
Why this Grandfather can't vote for Trump
As I reflect on story above, I think of my mother and father, now deceased. They would be appalled to know that a presidential candidate speaks in this way. They expected dignity.
I also think of my grandchildren, age ten months and one, respectively. I think about the cost to children of having a president who acts in this manner and sets such an example. On reading of his rampage in Pennsylvania, I realize once again that I can't vote for him... not as a grandfather and not as a Christian.
I know there are some people who will vote for Trump because they support whatever policies they think he will bring about if elected, even as they are inwardly troubled by the example he sets. The anticipated policies count more to them than the example he set. Actually, they are wrong about this. "Let's Take the Republican Policy Challenge" by David French shows how misguided they are. There's a very good chance that his policies will make things much worse for many Americans, especially the middle class and the poor.
And there are some who think of him as "strong" and want a "strong leader." For them, strong leadership counts more than moral example. Indeed, some of them even think of themselves as Christian, which I find hard to understand. But for me, as a Christian, the kind of strength I admire is one that I see in Jesus. It combines competence with compassion, efficiency with generosity of heart—the kind of example my mother and father set for me, that I try to set for my children, and they try to set for their children (my grandchildren). The kind of strength I look for in an elected leader is not one that leads crowds in cheers using vulgarities, much less speaks of large penises. This is the alleged "strength" of a dictator, of a Mussolini.
As a Christian I place my trust in another kind of strength - more Christ-like. It is a relational power; a power that is receptive as well as influential, empathic as well as effective. It loves the world enough to forgive seven times seventy times, to build bridges not walls. It does not hate enemies, it prays for them and seeks their well-being. This kind of power is expressed, not in selfishness or an obsession with flattery, but in a special love for the vulnerable and the desperate of our world. I want elected officials who partake of this spirit and who help create a culture of care. They don't have to be Christian, but they do need to be caring.
This is why, as a grandfather, I can never vote for Trump. Some people say "It's the economy, stupid!" I say "It's the culture," Do we really want a culture shaped by such mean-spiritedness, such vulgarity, such hatred?
Trump speaks of America as having an "enemy from within." I think the real enemy within our country today is hatred. If this makes me an enemy, I don't mind being arrested for love's sake. I think Jesus was arrested for this reason, too, although, of course, I am not Jesus. But I do want to follow him. This is why I can't vote for Trump.
Jesus not Trump
For those who are confused…
Jesus didn’t talk about “shithole countries.” He talked about God’s love for the entire world. (See John 3:17)
Jesus didn’t boast about grabbing “women by the pussy.” He treated them with compassion, tenderness, and respect. (See the stories of “The Woman at the Well” (John 4), “The Woman Caught in the Act of Adultery” (John 8 ), and “The Woman Who Washed Jesus’ Feet with Her Tears and Dried Them with Her Hair” (Luke 7)
Jesus didn’t counsel us to put ourselves, our families, and our countries first. Nor did he ask us to build walls to defend ourselves from the needy and the desperate. He asked us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, comfort and heal the sick, and visit those in prison. (See Matthew 25)
Jesus didn’t advise us to follow those who will “fight for us.” He asked us to be peacemakers, to be merciful, to be willing to be persecuted for the cause of righteousness (which he didn’t define as shaming, castigating, or condemning but as lifting up, caring for, and protecting). (See the opening part of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 and see the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.)
Jesus didn’t ask us to lie about the value of our belongings so that we could avoid taxes or to inflate their values so we could secure huge loans. He instead warned us about the futility of the pursuit of wealth. (See the Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12.)
If you need someone to fight for you because you are a Christian, you might want to remember that Jesus told Peter to put away his sword (see Matthew 26) and that while dying gruesomely he asked God’s forgiveness for his torturers (see Luke 23).
We don’t follow Jesus because he will protect us from tragedy, defeat, humiliation, harm, and persecution. We follow Jesus because he shows us what divine compassion, love, mercy, and justice look like AND because he was willing to accept any amount of suffering in order to show us.
* written by Doug Corbitt, Lecturer in Philosophy, Honors College, The University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR 72035, 2001-Present.
Christians Against Trump
a quiet movement of the heart
The "Christians Against Trump" movement is a quiet, growing movement rooted in the hearts of many Americans who, guided by their Christian faith and the teachings of Jesus, feel compelled to oppose Donald Trump. The movement is non-partisan, including people from various political backgrounds who prioritize their faith over political affiliation. It is not based on hatred towards Trump as a person but rather on a belief that his public persona and actions contradict core Christian values, such as love, humility, and respect for all people.
The movement goes beyond policy disagreements, emphasizing that politics is about more than just policies—it's about moral leadership and setting an example for how life should be lived. The participants believe Trump's character and style damage the nation's soul and contradict biblical teachings. Therefore, they cannot support or vote for him in good conscience. This movement is deeply personal, with no formal organization, membership, or public declarations required. It is a movement of the heart and conscience, centered on love and the refusal to hate, even while standing firmly against Trump. Participants are encouraged to share their beliefs as they see fit, always seeking healing and reconciliation, especially in a divided nation. The movement aligns with the values of love, respect, and the common good, advocating for a better future for all, including those who support Trump.
If you are part of this movement and seek additional biblical reasons for opposing Trump's influence in America, you may find another organization--Christians Against Trumpism—helpful. We support it fully and it has many helpful resources.
However, Christians Against Trump, as described here, is different. It is a spiritual movement of the heart and conscience, one that says no to hatred and yes to love. We are against Trump not because we think we are superior to others, not because we hate Donald Trump as a person, and not because we believe we have all the answers, but because, with Jesus, we believe in generosity of spirit and in love. Jesus is our window to God, and, through the light we receive from him, we refuse to hate anybody, and that includes Donald Trump, his supporters, and those whom they oppose. We are all children of God, made in God's image, who fall short of that image every day of our lives. Cognizant of our gifts and our sins, we can move forward together, with help from those in positions of power.
We seek moral leadership in public circles to help point us in this more kind and loving direction. That is why we will not support or vote for Donald Trump. He is a child of God, as are we all, liberal and conservative, rural and urban, Christian and Jew and Muslim, brown and black and white, over-privileged and under-privileged and desperate. We are in it together. We are all equal in God's eyes. There is a better way.