Christian Entertainers Speak Out Against Evangelicals for Supporting Trump Presidency
Evangelical Christians proved to be a driving force behind Donald Trump winning the 2016 presidential election, but some high-profile Christian entertainers have voiced their disagreement with fellow believers who supported the candidate.
According to the Fox News exit polls, white evangelical voters helped seal the deal for President-elect Trump. Similarly, a study conducted by WPA Research and commissioned by Family Research Council, shows that 1 in 3 Hispanics and a significant number of African-Americans also voted for him as well. And that 59 percent of Trump voters were impacted by the Republican Party's pro-life and pro-religious liberty stand.
For Yolanda Adams, the gospel music singer and host of "The Yolanda Adams Morning Show," Trump's big win is a symbol that there are still issues in the nation. She took to social media to warn evangelical Christians that she would be keeping a close eye on their decision.
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"The #Election is OVER!! I'm convinced now more than ever that #GOD is MY SOURCE," Adams wrote. "If it showed us anything, it's that 'we have YET to overcome.' So let's watch and see if a #Republican controlled #government is the answer that all our Evangelicals told us it would be.YES WE ARE WATCHING YALL!!"
It seems Adams is not the only person keeping watch. Best-selling Christian author Mandy Hale of titles like I've Never Been to Vegas But My Luggage Has and Beautiful Uncertainty warned Christians that they were being duped by Trump.
"Wonder how long will it take for 'Christians' to realize just how gravely Trump duped them," Hale questioned on Twitter. "Honestly I don't even feel stoked about identifying as 'Christian' anymore. I'll just call myself a follower of Jesus."
Hale added that she was so affected by Trump being named president-elect of the United States that it shook her faith.
"This shatters parts of my faith in humanity, in my own faith, and in this country that I don't think I'll ever get back," she wrote.
Hale went on to rebuke Christians whom she said weren't allowing her to grieve in a moment in which she was hurting.
"Ppl telling me how to feel today: Stop. Ppl telling me that I just need to focus on God: Stop," she wrote. "I'm allowed to grieve. I'm allowed to mourn."
After sharing a comment from Lecrae, the author further expressed her own feelings.
"I know God is in control. But so did Jesus when He wept for Lazarus," Lecrae wrote in a message that Hale retweeted, adding, "This is the perfect expression of what I've been feeling today but have been unable to put into words."
Kirk Franklin had different words to express his disappointment in the election results.
"Our division should be an embarrassment," tweeted Franklin, the gospel music recording artist, executive, songwriter and producer who previously expressed his issues with Trump on social media.
"The reason why I'm praying for [Vice President-elect] Mike Pence, is because he's connected to this fool Donald Trump. That's a disaster in itself," he wrote.
When people questioned if Franklin was endorsing Hillary Clinton, he denied doing so. Still, he explained that he disapproved of Trump disrespecting women.
"I never said I'm voting for Hillary [or] anyone. But when a man disrespects women and we say nothing, is that Christ-like?" Franklin asked his followers last month. "I'm not discussing his confession, but his fruit. Scripture says that's how people know who we are."
After 2005 video footage of Trump saying that his fame allowed him to exhibit vulgar behavior toward women and "do anything" surfaced last month, a dozen women stepped forward to bring sexual misconduct allegations against him. That was enough to make Franklin speak out.
"I'm speaking of the disrespect he showed to you, my daughters, and my wife today. That's all, but my brother Jesus spoke out against injustice didn't he," Franklin said, when explaining his reason for calling Trump "a fool." "Please show me where I'm not in line with scripture?!?"
After the election results were determined, Franklin expressed his love for the country and called for other people to also walk in love.
"This is all I that I care about ... a country where everyone in this picture can be loved and protected. HATE won't do that, RELIGION won't do that, only a love that surpasses human knowledge and global ideologies," Franklin wrote on Instagram. "The love that flows from Heaven downward, that makes every human the same: in need of a savior that cares about the WHOLE world. How could any Christian disagree with that?"
