Why Evangelicals Say Trump Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
After Donald Trump's meeting with hundreds of evangelical leaders last week, Franklin Graham compared the GOP nominee to flawed, but Godly leaders in the Bible. Another faith leader said he believed God was speaking through Trump when he talked about religious liberty.
Stephen Mansfield talks with CBN News about the importance faith has played in presidential elections. Watch above.
But Real Clear Politics columnist Heather Wilhelm took exception to those statements in an article called, "Don't Try to Church Up Donald Trump."
"Come on, guys. First of all, Donald Trump is not running for national pastor - thank goodness - nor does he want to," she writes. "When you make arguments for or against Donald Trump, make them on the merits. Whatever you do, don't try to church it up."
Best-selling author Stephen Mansfield has written about the faith of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama and George W. Bush. His latest book is called, Ask the Question: Why We Must Demand Religious Clarity from Our Presidential Candidates.
CBN News spoke with Mansfield about why evangelicals say Trump doesn't have to be perfect.
"Most evangelicals are willing for Donald Trump to be flawed and to be bombastic and to give evidence of religion certainly not being his native language," Mansfield said. "But they still prefer him over Hillary on most of the substantive issues."
"I think evangelicals are letting go of the need to have someone who shares their exact faith," he continued. "But I think they are looking for someone who will champion religious liberty, who recognizes the Judeo-Christian heritage of this country, who will be conservative on some of the social issues of our time."
