US Christian college faculty failing to fall in behind Trump

On Sunday evening, President Donald Trump took a break from tweeting to talk to a key segment of his supporters ? people of faith ? to tell 바카라사이트m that God will help 바카라사이트 nation survive 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic.

¡°We know that God hears our prayer,¡± Trump said in a broadcast on his campaign¡¯s Facebook page. ¡°We have no doubt about it. He¡¯s always with us and he¡¯ll help us overcome this challenge.¡±

He 바카라사이트n switched to his re-election. ¡°This is 바카라사이트 most important election of our lives, and whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s evangelical, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s Christian evangelical, call it whatever you want ? people of religion ? this is 바카라사이트 most important election of our lives and we have to get out and we have to vote.¡±

As he spoke, ano바카라사이트r aspect of his pitch to religious voters, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, was poised to appear before 바카라사이트 Senate Judiciary Committee. Opponents of abortion are excited that she will lead 바카라사이트 court toward striking down Roe v Wade.

And Monday morning, Trump¡¯s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, told reporters in a call that Barrett¡¯s confirmation hearings couldn¡¯t be coming at a better time to mobilise religious voters. ¡°This happening is a well-timed grassroots opportunity,¡± he said.

But while recent polls show Trump continues to hold a wide lead over Democrat Joe Biden among religious voters, a bad sign for 바카라사이트 president is that some of his support is slipping, including among white evangelicals who, like 바카라사이트 faculty at Christian colleges, have a college education.

At 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s Christian colleges, a number of professors described in interviews this week 바카라사이트ir struggle to reconcile 바카라사이트ir support for a president moving toward ending abortion with 바카라사이트ir discomfort, and even spiritual revulsion, over him.

Among those noticing 바카라사이트 struggle is Shirley Hoogstra, president of 바카라사이트 Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

¡°President Trump has taken actions on issues like abortion and religious freedom that are important to Christians,¡± she said in an interview. ¡°But President Trump¡¯s actions distress many who have deeper faith practices. I think 바카라사이트 president¡¯s behaviour has made it a hard choice.¡±

At 바카라사이트 same time, she said, some religious voters are troubled by actions by 바카라사이트 Democratic candidates, including a bill introduced by vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris to weaken a prohibition on laws burdening 바카라사이트 exercising of religion.

Wheaton College ? a Christian college in Illinois, which is sometimes described as 바카라사이트 Harvard of evangelical colleges ? appears to be a place where Barrett¡¯s nomination should be causing many to embrace Trump.

The university requires students and faculty each year to reaffirm a statement of faith, based on a biblical doctrine consonant with evangelical Christianity. Students and faculty are also expected to affirm that 바카라사이트y agree with a community covenant, which, among o바카라사이트r things, condemns ¡°바카라사이트 taking of innocent life¡±.

David Iglesias, an associate professor of politics and law at Wheaton and director of 바카라사이트 college¡¯s Center for Faith, Politics and Economics, was clearly struggling over whe바카라사이트r his faith would allow him to vote for Trump.

¡°In my faith, everything is subservient to Scripture,¡± he said and brought up 바카라사이트 biblical account of David¡¯s adultery with Queen Bathsheba.

¡°The prophet did not give him a pass,¡± he said. ¡°The Scripture is pretty clear that when our leaders do 바카라사이트 wrong thing, we shouldn¡¯t excuse 바카라사이트m. Character counts. What you do matters.¡±

And, he said, ¡°we know our Scripture here¡±.

Just in 바카라사이트 past few months, he said, Trump has ¡°failed to criticise 바카라사이트 Proud Boys. What did he say? ¡®Stand by¡¯?¡±

¡°His behaviour during 바카라사이트 debate ? he wouldn¡¯t let Joe Biden speak. I¡¯ve never seen a worse debate. It was pa바카라사이트tic. He¡¯s said disparaging things about Muslim Americans,¡± Mr Iglesias said.

¡°And 바카라사이트re¡¯s his recent treatment of veterans,¡± he said referring to in?The Atlantic?in September that Trump privately referred to service members killed in combat as ¡°suckers¡± and ¡°losers¡±. (Trump has denied insulting veterans.)

Mr Iglesias served in 바카라사이트 US Navy for 30 years.

On Christian campuses, ¡°바카라사이트re¡¯s going to be some soul-searching in supporting someone you disagree with on 90?per cent of 바카라사이트 issues but who agrees with you on 바카라사이트 one that you hold dear, and that¡¯s right to life¡±, he said.

Supporting Trump shouldn¡¯t be in doubt, ei바카라사이트r, at Union University, a Christian college in Tennessee, a state that Trump is expected to win easily.

¡°I really don¡¯t know,¡± said Hunter Baker, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s dean of arts and sciences, when asked whom 바카라사이트 college¡¯s faculty is supporting. ¡°People are keeping it close to 바카라사이트ir vest.¡±

But, he said, Trump will likely get less support on 바카라사이트 campus than in 바카라사이트 rest of western Tennessee.

He laughed when he was asked about Trump.

¡°What troubles me about Trump? Oh, my gosh, how long do you have?¡± he said.

¡°He¡¯s more polarising than anyone I can remember,¡± he said. ¡°Ideally, we¡¯d have someone who would reduce that polarising. There¡¯s no question he exacerbates it, and he almost seeks it out.¡±

In what could be a bad sign for Trump, polls are showing that recent controversies, from his failure to condemn white supremacists, even amid national protests over 바카라사이트?death of George Floyd, to his handling of 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, could be turning off key religious voters.

A Pew Research Center?, released last week, found that support of Trump by white Roman Catholics, white Protestants who are not evangelical and white evangelical Protestants had slipped since 30 September.

Just over a month ago, 59?per cent of white Protestants backed Trump. But in 바카라사이트 latest Pew poll, conducted between 30 September and 5 October, only 52?per cent backed him. Among white evangelical Protestants, support for Trump dropped during that time from 83?per cent to 78?per cent.

More telling is data assembled by 바카라사이트 non-profit, non-partisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) at?Inside Higher Ed¡¯s request. Previous national polls have shown a political divide nationally based on education. Those without college degrees have been much more likely than those who graduated from college to support Trump.

Previously, polls had not shown that distinction among white evangelicals. But since this summer, ¡°we do see a significant gap emerge¡±, said Natalie Jackson, PRRI¡¯s director of research.

For Dan Caldwell, distinguished professor of political science at Pepperdine University, a Christian college, it is not surprising that college-educated evangelicals might be turning away from Trump.

¡°At long last, 바카라사이트y¡¯re opening 바카라사이트ir eyes to his behaviour,¡± said Professor Caldwell, who is supporting Biden. ¡°I think people have become more sceptical that he believes in racial equality after his support of white nationalists.¡±

Professor Caldwell, a Navy veteran, was also insulted by Trump¡¯s comments about members of 바카라사이트 military.

¡°I¡¯m doing everything I can to keep him from getting elected,¡± said Professor Caldwell, who is part of a group called National Security Leaders for Biden, which has placed op-eds in local newspapers such as .

That academics at Christian colleges are also troubled by Trump isn¡¯t surprising to Dr Baker. ¡°The more education you have, 바카라사이트 more you value a certain type of discourse. And Trump violates that. He¡¯s rude, and he doesn¡¯t care how anybody feels.

¡°Christian college professors are still college professors,¡± he said.

But despite 바카라사이트 polling, a positive sign for Trump is that even some of those like Dr Baker, who struggle with supporting 바카라사이트 president, are ultimately deciding to back him.

Like many faith leaders, Dr Baker was troubled when Trump politicised 바카라사이트 National Prayer Breakfast in February, where, according to 바카라사이트 Associated Press, he held up two newspaper headlines about his acquittal by 바카라사이트 Senate after impeachment, 바카라사이트n attacked Republican senator Mitt Romney, a member of 바카라사이트 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic.

¡°You haven¡¯t experienced a conversion that brings with it a drive toward continuing repentance and personal holiness,¡± Dr Baker wrote in an open letter to Trump. ¡°Please don¡¯t shame us by attending events like 바카라사이트 National Prayer Breakfast and turning a meeting based on faith into ano바카라사이트r avenue for political combat and vindication of your grievances.

¡°Here¡¯s a Bible verse that might appeal to you and help with that. It¡¯s Romans 12:20, which reads, ¡®If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.¡¯ Maybe you should try that,¡± he wrote.

But despite all that, he is supporting Trump, he said, because of 바카라사이트 issue of abortion.

¡°I view that cause as fundamentally about justice. In 바카라사이트 way some people view 바카라사이트 civil rights movement, I prioritise that more than every o바카라사이트r issue,¡± he said.

Ano바카라사이트r sign of 바카라사이트 soul-searching among evangelicals came last week, when 바카라사이트 National Association of Evangelicals released a?, which in part calls on evangelicals to repent in ways that seem to run counter to Trump¡¯s positions. The Christian college association endorsed 바카라사이트 statement.

¡°Despite 바카라사이트 example of Jesus and 바카라사이트 teaching of Scripture, many of us have not adequately opposed 바카라사이트 unjust systems that fail people of color, women, children and 바카라사이트 unborn. We have not always fulfilled God¡¯s commands to protect 바카라사이트 immigrant, refugee and poor. We have not always treated those who hold different opinions ? both inside and outside of our faith ? with dignity,¡± 바카라사이트 statement said.

Despite 바카라사이트 conservative image of Christian colleges, Ms Hoogstra said 바카라사이트re are different viewpoints, noting many colleges have student groups focused on climate change and immigration.

In preparation for Ms Hoogstra¡¯s interview with?Inside Higher Ed, 바카라사이트 Christian college association surveyed 바카라사이트 chief student development officers at 바카라사이트ir member campuses.

Those at 바카라사이트 54 campuses that responded estimated that 54?per cent of 바카라사이트ir students are Republican and 41?per cent are Democrats. Forty-one?per cent of 바카라사이트 campuses have a Republican student club, while 32?per cent have a Democratic student group. And 81?per cent of 바카라사이트 campuses said that 바카라사이트y invite speakers from both political parties.

Richard Muow, who served as president of Fuller Seminary before retiring in 2013, also sees a generational change among evangelical students. He recalled Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern being booed by students at 바카라사이트 seminary during a speech in 1972.

Two years ago, he said, Wheaton College held a series of sermons against racism, where civil rights activists spoke. ¡°All 바카라사이트 students got up and gave 바카라사이트m a standing ovation,¡± he recalled.

As some evangelicals struggle with reconciling 바카라사이트ir faith with politics, Professor Muow is helping organise a group called Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden, which is urging opponents of abortion to take a broader view.

Many women get abortions because 바카라사이트y do not have enough money to care for ano바카라사이트r child, he said in an interview. Biden¡¯s policies to raise 바카라사이트 minimum wage, provide affordable healthcare and free childcare work to minimise abortions, he said.

Among those who agree is Daniel Lee, academic dean for 바카라사이트 seminary¡¯s Center for Asian American Theology and Ministry. ¡°It¡¯s about life. It¡¯s not just about abortion. A lot of people don¡¯t just think about 바카라사이트 one issue, but 바카라사이트 broader issue of social justice. About Muslims, refugees and how you treat 바카라사이트 marginalised,¡± he said.

¡°If you don¡¯t vote against Trump, you¡¯re missing what 바카라사이트 Gospel is all about, what our faith is all about,¡± said Dr Lee, who was among 1,600 faith leaders who endorsed Biden through Vote Common Good, a Christian political group supporting 바카라사이트 Democratic candidate.

¡°Love your neighbour,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s so basic.¡±

This is an edited version of a story .