Donald Trump was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday. It was only the third time in our country’s history that a president has been impeached. The first time, our country impeached a terrible sociopath who worked to undo many of the human rights victories won during the Civil War. The second time, our country impeached a philanderer who didn’t break the law, but sure seemed crummy. And on Wednesday, the House impeached another sociopath and human rights opponent who sought foreign interference against his political opponent in an American election.
Christianity Today is the non-secular magazine started by famed evangelical leader Billy Graham. Its editor in chief, Mark Galli, published an editorial opinion on Trump and impeachment on Thursday, Dec. 19. Titled “Trump Should Be Removed from Office,” Galli explains that if Christians—specifically those who write for and follow Christianity Today—are going to be able to reserve any integrity, they must call for the same impeachment they asked of Bill Clinton back on Oct. 5, 1998, when they wrote:
The President's failure to tell the truth—even when cornered—rips at the fabric of the nation. This is not a private affair. For above all, social intercourse is built on a presumption of trust: trust that the milk your grocer sells you is wholesome and pure; trust that the money you put in your bank can be taken out of the bank; trust that your babysitter, firefighters, clergy, and ambulance drivers will all do their best. And while politicians are notorious for breaking campaign promises, while in office they have a fundamental obligation to uphold our trust in them and to live by the law.
Galli quotes the above from that 1998 issue of Christianity Today, then writes that “Unfortunately, the words that we applied to Mr. Clinton 20 years ago apply almost perfectly to our current president. Whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next election—that is a matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.”
Galli admonishes evangelicals who continue to support Donald Trump, saying, “Remember who you are and whom you serve.”
It’s very telling that fundamentalists like Galli are attempting to save their flock after reserving judgement for so long. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and the question now for God-fearing Trump supporters isn’t whether or not Trump can be saved: It’s whether or not they can be saved.
Friday, Dec 20, 2019 · 4:39:29 AM +00:00 · Walter Einenkel
I’ve updated the diary to correctly identify the second impeachment as Clinton and not Nixon. Nixon, of course, resigned before being impeached for being a criminal (in addition to being a war criminal). Thanks to the commenters for the catch. While I was not a huge fan of Clinton or his lame personal failings, I don’t believe his offenses are on the same level as Johnson, Nixon, or Trump.