Trump-supporting individuals are declared inconceivable as morally upright individuals by a previous megachurch pastor in a passionate, impassioned essay.
John Pavlovitz, a former megachurch youth pastor turned progressive activist, has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump since the onset of his presidency. In a blog post published on August 2, 2021, Pavlovitz declared that supporting Trump is incompatible with being a "good person."
Pavlovitz argues that Trump's policies on federal government cuts, immigration enforcement, and other issues are fundamentally at odds with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the principles of compassion and justice that Christians hold dear. He accuses Trump of promoting cruelty and racism, citing the "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center for undocumented immigrants as emblematic of Trump's inhumanity.
Pavlovitz also takes aim at prominent evangelical figures who have supported Trump, accusing them of promoting a false religiosity that elevates Trump at the expense of vulnerable groups, including the poor and LGBTQ people. He suggests that those who continue to defend, applaud, or justify Trump are morally repugnant and that shunning Trump-supporting relatives is the right thing to do.
Pavlovitz's blog post has been widely shared in progressive Christian circles and he has been labeled the "digital pastor of the resistance" by one news outlet. He has also echoed calls within some progressive circles to sever ties with Trump-supporting individuals, arguing that those who voted for Trump are morally repugnant and that the 2024 election may have been tampered with, although the specific individuals or context of the election he is referring to is not provided.
In sum, Pavlovitz represents a progressive Christian stance that views Trump’s influence negatively and challenges the mixing of Trumpism with Christian faith in the contemporary evangelical movement. His strong opposition to Trump and his policies has made him a prominent figure in the resistance to Trumpism within the Christian community.
[1] Pavlovitz, John. "Why I Can't Be Friends with People Who Vote for Trump." Medium, August 2, 2021. https://medium.com/@johnpavlovitz/why-i-cant-be-friends-with-people-who-vote-for-trump-69f3d21833b3 [2] "John Pavlovitz: The Digital Pastor of the Resistance." Religion News Service, October 18, 2018. https://religionnews.com/2018/10/18/john-pavlovitz-the-digital-pastor-of-the-resistance/
- John Pavlovitz, a renowned critic of President Trump, argues that supporting Trump is incompatible with being a good person due to his policies on war-and-conflicts, immigration enforcement, and policy-and-legislation, which he deems as against the teachings of Jesus Christ.
- Pavlovitz also criticizes those evangelical figures who support Trump, accusing them of promoting a false religiosity that endorses cruelty and racism, while neglecting the needs of vulnerable groups such as the poor and LGBTQ individuals.
- In social-media and general-news spheres, Pavlovitz's blog post has been influential in progressive Christian circles, earning him the label "the digital pastor of the resistance" from one news outlet.
- While questioning the legitimacy of the 2024 election and urging Christians to sever ties with Trump-supporting individuals, Pavlovitz solidifies his position as a prominent figure opposing the blending of Trumpism with Christian faith within the contemporary evangelical movement.
