Trump’ to remove government’s hold on pastors speaking on politics from pulpit, remains firm on Syria decision at Values Voters Summit
by Mona Austin
In 2016, a Christian pastor who was captured and persecuted in Turkey was invited to the White House upon his release. The work of Attorney Jay Sekulow and cooperation of Pres. Donald Trump paved his way to freedom. He offered Pres. Donald Trump prayer. At that time in the Oval Office, the president said, ”I probably need it more than anybody in this room." Then Pastor Andrew Brunson kneeled down to one knee, laid his hand on the president’s shoulder and prayed for him to adhere to God’s guidance over his administration. This would not be the last time Brunson petitioned God on behalf of the president, a time where Christians in the same region had an imminent need for the humanitarian aid of the United States, particularly in Syria.
Three years later, Trump was the keynote speaker at the annual Values Voters Summit in Washington, reaffirming his commitment to the religious right. A handful of Conservatives and Evangelicals condemned his decision to withdraw troops from Syria a week before, a decision that was big dis appointment because Christians being left in harms way, a detractor.
But it appears as long as religious liberties in general are protected Trump will maintain the loyalty of this audience. It is this commitment that got him 80% of the Evangelical vote in 2016 and largely the reason the Republican Party pledges their allegiance to him faithfully.
So he used the gala event as an opportunity to campaign for re-election.
It was a fit stump speech that pandered to those who already favor him, as he attempted to assuage concerns he is ignoring Syria. Last Friday Trump committed $50 million to Christians in Syria opting for money over manpower. Appealing to a long time domestic issue on the religious front, the president raised the amendment that Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson instituted to limit pastors from speaking on politics from the pulpit or risk their tax exempt status. Ending the argument that hinged both on separation of church and state and freedom of speech granted in the U.S. Constitution, Trump said he ”got rid of” Johnson’s rule, joking that this action might be his ticket to heaven.
On May 4, 2017, Trump signed an executive order removing the free speech restrictions that prevented pastors from addressing politics from the pulpit. was a As the Washington Post noted the IRS did not aggressively enforce the rule about as much as clergy ignored it, but some pastors feared the threat of losing their non-prophet tax perk to they point they would not overtly endorse a candidate. Department it means that pastors can use their influence to champion many of the key political issues that affect morals and values, key to legislation involving religious liberties. A clause in the EO directs the Dept. of TreasuryHowever, the Johnson Amendment was neither repealed nor replaced, remaining on the books. Once Trump leaves office, this free speech safeguard could pose the same threat to church leaders.
At this summit Trump’s target was the Democrat party, although he referred several times to leftist socialist groups that he did not mention by name. There is no support for his claim the left is trying to “silence” Christians.
Pastor Andrew Brunson, the man Trump helped return to the U.S. after being falsely imprisoned for two years in Turkey for his faith opened this event in prayer too. Under Pres. Trump, Brunson and others like him could express their affection for their political leader anywhere in the U.S. including in the pulpit of their churches.
Thanking pastor Brunson for the ”beautiful prayer” Trump said. "Our rights come from God Almighty and they can never be taken away. Together we will protect those God given rights."
VIEW PRES. TRUMP'S SPEECH AT THE 2019 VALUES VOTER SUMMIT
“We meet tonight at a crucial moment in our nation's history. Our shared values are under assault like never before. Extreme left-wing radicals, both inside and outside government, are determined to shred our Constitution and eradicate the beliefs we all cherish,” he said to the crowd at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
Showing his re-election strategy, he praised pastors and focused on the support he offers them . Perhaps he will wrangle the voters by getting the pastors to endorse him. One pastor in particular, covers his bases on both the domestic and global from related to religious freedom.
Second to the U.S, Turkey has the second largest military in NATO. Defense News says it was inevitable that the U.S. would pull out after serving as a buffer to Syria in the region for over 20. Yet with the Knowledge that Christians in both Turkey and Syria being persecuted some American Christians see the spcurrent state of affairs as a form of neglecting Christians and other religious minorities in the region. Over 11,000 Syrians have died fighting off extremists.