Governor Pence,
My church did not show your video today, but that is not because it lacks people who are politically engaged or informed. My church has a long-standing policy of not drawing attention to political candidates or pushing a partisan agenda. I only know about your video for churches through social media, and that is probably true for others in my church. For my pastor, then, this was an easy decision. For other pastors and churches, it has not been so easy.
As a Christian, I feel obligated to respond to your appeal. You echo Ronald Reagan, saying that "This is a time for choosing." You say that "those who cherish faith, those who cherish freedom, those who cherish the sanctity of life and all the liberties enshrined in our Constitution" need to vote for Donald Trump for President of the United States. You claim that he will appoint pro-life justices to the Supreme Court and repeal the Johnson Amendment, and that these are the reasons we ought to vote for him.
If Donald Trump were an honest man with a history of obeying the law, dealing fairly with people, and showing respect where respect is due, I could see the justification for such an appeal. If he thought through issues and had sound core principles that governed his policies, his speech, and his actions, I might say that he was a man who Christians need to get behind and vote for to be our next President. If he specifically had a position of opposition to abortion that did not include exceptions such as rape or incest, I might say that he was worth considering.
None of these things are true. Donald Trump's history is full of selfishness, unethical and probably illegal activities, bad ideas on public policy, vulgarity, vindictiveness, slander, verbal abuse, and appeals to people's basest desires and motivations. Even during the course of this last primary season, Trump has given plenty of reasons to question his reliability on the sanctity of life, which is one of the main issues you and others cite as reasons to vote for him.
Maybe we would be better off if the Johnson Amendment were repealed. However, it is hardly the obstacle to faithful Christian involvement in politics that you seem to think. The greatest achievements of the Civil Rights movement took place while the Johnson Amendment was in force. Lay Christians and pastors have said plenty about political issues and candidates without being threatened by the IRS in most cases. The problems that some churches and conservative organizations do have with the IRS or with local governments will not magically go away if the Johnson Amendment is repealed. The ones who stand to gain most from repeal of the Johnson Amendment are Republican candidates. Rather than having to convince Christians that they stand for the truths and moral imperatives that are preached from the pulpit every Sunday, they will be able more easily to turn churches into an extension of their campaigns.
Donald Trump does not have the "right leadership" or the "right vision." That you would say such a thing calls your own judgment into question. It is not only your judgment that you have brought into question, though. You have followed Donald Trump's practice of lying whenever it suits you. During the vice presidential debate, you denied fact after fact about what Trump has said and done. There is no reason for us to believe that either of you will uphold the values you claim to cherish.
The Bible tells us who is a liar and the father of it. This is not Christian behavior, and it is not behavior that we should vote into political office. It is behavior that puts the eternal destiny of your soul in question. My advice to both you and Donald Trump is to repent.
I am offended that you have brought this ad into the church. I am offended that you are asking pastors and Christians to prostitute themselves for the Republican Party and for Donald Trump. I make no excuses for Hillary Clinton, and I have no illusions about her hostility toward Christians and Christianity. You and Donald Trump, however, are not the moral alternative. I hope that the backlash against this tactic is so strong that no one will try such a brazen move again for a long time.
I don't know whether you will ever read this, but I know there are others who feel the same way. I hope you will pay attention. I do pray that God will have mercy on the church and on this nation. And I pray He will have mercy on you.
Sincerely,
Owen Crew
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