Reed's Opinion | Trump and Christianity Exposed

I was raised Christian. Lutheran, to be exact. My faith was born in a small-town church where people genuinely tried to live by the values they professed: kindness, humility and compassion. However, as I grew older and saw Christianity at work beyond the borders of my hometown, something started to feel off. The contradictions were glaring. The louder and more public the proclamations of faith, the less those people seemed to embody anything I was taught Christ stood for.

So I started researching. I had already read the Bible cover to cover multiple times as a believer—long before I ever began to question my faith. I wasn’t looking for loopholes or an out, and I wasn’t trying to justify disbelief. I was genuinely searching for answers that would support and justify my belief in Christianity. What I found instead were contradictions, inconsistencies and manipulations I could no longer ignore. My understanding of the text—what it actually said—began to conflict with what I saw in practice. The more I tried to reconcile the two, the more my faith unraveled. Religion, I came to realize, is not often used as a path to peace or enlightenment. Instead, it’s a tool, a mechanism of control --- nothing more than a branding iron.

What I came to realize is that this has always been true. Take the Roman Catholic Church which emerged after Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. It transformed once-personal spiritual practices into institutionalized control systems. Confession, for example, was not part of early Christianity. It was introduced centuries later, not for spiritual growth, but as a means of surveillance. What began as communal repentance evolved into a private ritual used to gather information — sometimes passed along to authorities, sometimes weaponized against dissenters. It wasn't about salvation. It was about submission.

When you understand that religion has historically operated more like a governing body than a spiritual guide, it's easier to see the parallels in today’s world. The MAGA movement behaves more like a cult than a political party. Its leader is followed blindly, its beliefs are accepted without evidence, and dissent is treated as betrayal. Just as emperors once ruled by divine right and used religion to legitimize their grip on power, Trump (and the Republican Party) has weaponized Christianity to mask authoritarianism and too many churches have gone along with it.

Myself, I identify as agnostic, I believe in what I can prove. I believe, most likely, when we die, things just go dark. I also believe the world most likely was not created by accident and life is too incredible to be accidental. But I’m not dismissive. I support every American’s right to choose faith for themselves, even if I personally believe many will be disappointed in the end.

Which brings me to Donald Trump and Easter. (That was hard to say in the same sentence.)

Easter is a celebration of the life, death and resurrection of a man who stood for radical love, humility, sacrifice and truth. Jesus flipped tables when the temple was used for profit. He lifted the poor, healed the sick and welcomed the outcast. He taught that what we do for the least of us, we do for Him. Donald Trump represents the exact opposite and I don’t say that lightly. I say it because it is demonstrably true. Christians who claim to worship Jesus while supporting Trump aren’t just following a flawed candidate. They’re supporting a worldview in direct conflict with the teachings of Christ. The record is public. It’s not about interpretation. It’s about the fruit and Trump’s fruit is rotten.

Do you realize there is no documented record (that I could find) of Donald Trump feeding the hungry. There are no stories of him visiting the sick or imprisoned, comforting the grieving, helping the poor or performing acts of humility without cameras present. His "generosity" is transactional, his charitable claims often proven false and his public gestures done only when they serve his brand. Unlike Jesus, who gave without expectation, Trump gives only when there’s something to gain.

Here is a timeline of Trump’s most un-Christlike behavior, every entry verifiable with a simple Google Search:

• 1973: The U.S. Department of Justice sued (twice) Trump and his father for racially motivated housing discrimination practices. Trump’s company refused to rent to Black tenants.

• 1973–1991: Trump's racism toward Black and Jewish Americans was well-documented over decades. From being sued by the DOJ for discriminatory housing practices to documented quotes expressing disdain for Black people handling his finances and preference for “guys with yarmulkes,” his language and behavior repeatedly revealed deep prejudice.

• 1980s–90s: Trump repeatedly bragged that he never asked God for forgiveness and didn’t need to.

• 1989-Present: Trump took out full-page ads in New York newspapers calling for the execution of the Central Park Five — five Black and Latino teenagers wrongfully accused of assault and rape. Even after they were fully exonerated by DNA evidence and a confession from the actual perpetrator, Trump refused to apologize and insisted they were still guilty.

• 1990: In a recorded interview, Trump joked that if Ivanka weren’t his daughter, he’d date her.

• 1992: Trump divorced Ivana Trump following an affair with Marla Maples.

• 1998: Trump began an affair with Melania Knauss while still married to Maples.

• 1997: Paid out a divorce settlement to Maples after years of cheating.

• 1997–2000: Trump was accused by former Miss Teen USA contestants of walking in on them while they were changing, some as young as 15. He later bragged on Howard Stern about doing so.

• 2002–2003: Trump flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane multiple times and praised Epstein’s social life, saying, "He’s a lot of fun to be with... he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."

• 2005: Trump married Melania. The same year, he was recorded in the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape bragging about sexually assaulting women.

• 2006: Alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels while Melania was recovering from childbirth.

• 2006–2007: Alleged affair with Playboy model Karen McDougal.

• 2015: Trump launched his presidential campaign by descending a golden escalator and immediately vilifying immigrants, saying: "When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists."

• 2015: Mocked a disabled reporter during a rally.

• 2016: Trump University found to have defrauded students and agreed to a $25 million settlement.

• 2017: Instituted the Muslim Ban, targeting people solely based on their religion.

• 2017: Following the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, VA — where one counter-protester, Heather Heyer, was murdered — Trump infamously refused to condemn the rally organizers and instead said: "There were very fine people on both sides."

• 2018: Ordered the separation of migrant families, putting children in cages.

• 2019: Said he “fell in love” with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

• 2020: Used military force to clear peaceful protesters so he could pose with a Bible in front of a church.

• 2020: During the first presidential debate, when asked to condemn white supremacists — specifically the Proud Boys — Trump responded: "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by."

• 2021: Incited the January 6 insurrection, an act of violence against lawful governance.

• 2023: Suggested mass deportations, even of American citizens, and refused to comply with Supreme Court orders.

• 2024: Promised pardons for January 6 rioters, calling them “hostages.”

• 2024 (Ongoing): During his second term, Trump has pushed for extreme anti-immigrant policies, dismantled judicial norms, promoted authoritarian tactics, and continued to lie about election integrity.

Jesus would not support these actions. He would not mock the disabled. He would not brag about assault. He would not partner with dictators or party with pedophiles. He would not separate families, ignore the poor or stoke division and hate. He most certainly would not defend lies, cheat for power or cage children in His name. To support Trump and claim the mantle of Christianity is not just hypocrisy—it is heresy. It's a betrayal of the man whose resurrection you claim to celebrate.

So on this Easter, ask yourself: If Jesus walked into your church today, who would He speak truth to? Who would He call out? Who would He flip tables on?

You cannot honestly and faithfully follow both Trump and Christ. One leads by truth. The other by fear. One lifts the broken. The other breaks the lifted. One gives everything for the powerless. The other takes everything for himself. This Easter, choose. Not with your party. Not with your pride. But with your soul.

Just in case you think this is all about the past—look at who he is now. These aren’t distant mistakes. This is the current state of a man worshipped by millions wearing his mark on their foreheads (in the form of a MAGA hat) claiming Christianity. Lets take a look:

• Mass Deportations: Trump continues to push for the mass deportation of migrants—including American citizens—defying federal court orders.

  • What would Jesus do? Jesus taught us to welcome the stranger, not exile them. He was a refugee himself. He said, "Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me."

    
    

• Weaponizing Religion Through Project 2025: His administration promotes Christian nationalism, seeking to install loyalists and use faith as a tool of government power.

  • What would Jesus do? Jesus separated himself from political power. He rejected the throne, choosing humility and sacrifice over dominion.

    
    

• Rolling Back LGBTQ+ Protections: Trump has targeted transgender individuals, stripping rights and promoting cruelty under the guise of law and fairness.

  • What would Jesus do? Jesus didn’t discriminate. He dined with sinners, outcasts and lepers—never judging, always loving.

    
    

• Creating an 'Anti-Christian Bias' Task Force: Framing Christianity as under attack, he’s instructed government agencies to monitor dissent and punish non-alignment.

  • What would Jesus do? Jesus never demanded cultural dominance. He asked his followers to lead with love, not legislation.

    
    

• Pardoning Rioters While Prosecuting Enemies: Trump has already pardoned January 6 rioters and continues to promise future pardons while pushing to use the DOJ to punish critics.

  • What would Jesus do? Jesus rebuked violence. He healed the servant of the soldier arresting him. He chose mercy.

    
    

• Using the Bible as a Prop: Trump cleared peaceful protestors with military force to hold up a Bible he’s never read.

  • What would Jesus do? Jesus lived the Word. He didn’t need props or photo ops. His hands were calloused from service, not soft from privilege.

    
    

• Eliminating Civil Rights & Diversity Protections: Under Project 2025, Trump’s team is dismantling efforts to build equity and fairness in education and government.

  • What would Jesus do? Jesus taught that the last shall be first. That the meek shall inherit the earth. He didn’t fear equity—he embodied it.

    
    

There’s no sugarcoating this. This is who he is. Now. Today. Right in front of us. The question isn’t whether you like his policies. The question is:

Would Jesus follow and support Trump?

The answer? Absolutely Not. You cannot be both a true follower of Christ and a supporter of Trump. His actions—past and present—are not aligned with Christian values, they are an affront to them. The Gospel does not bend to fit a political agenda. But let’s be honest—Christianity, like most religions, has always been used as a shield for cruelty, power and pride. That is its legacy, not its exception. It has been wielded to justify conquest, oppression and control far more often than it has been used to liberate or heal. Trump is simply the most modern example of that abuse.

So where are the "Good Christians"?

Where are the churches that once taught moral courage?

Where are the voices willing to stand up not just against sin in the abstract, but against the real and present corruption being committed in their name?

This is a call to those who still claim Jesus as Lord: hold the line. Speak up. Call out the heresy. Confront the false prophets standing in pulpits and political rallies. You cannot serve both truth and Trump. This isn’t about politics anymore. It’s about the soul of your faith and it’s time—past time—for good Christians to hold those perverting it accountable. Still need proof? I will leave you with this and hope you take some time to reflect (America is counting on you): Matthew 7:15 - 20

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." What does Trump's fruit tell you?

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