On Tuesday, sitting among 1,000 Judeo-Christian apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers — all spiritual leaders in America — at the "Conversation with Donald Trump and Ben Carson" in New York that was emceed by Mike Huckabee, I listened very carefully to what Donald Trump had to say.
A reporter for a leading Christian website, however, offered a quite different version of Mr. Trump's words. Based on an internet video, he reported that Mr. Trump "instructed evangelical leaders on Tuesday to disobey the biblical command to pray for all political leaders because that would be politically correct."
That story was headlined: "Donald Trump Tells Evangelical Leaders to Disobey Bible: Don't Pray for All Political Leaders, That' Politically Correct."
That is not what these ears heard. Here's the transcript of Mr. Trump's actual words on the topic of prayer, based on the internet video of the event that is being widely circulated on the Internet.
Said Mr. Trump: "Some of the people were saying, 'Let's pray for our leaders.' I said, 'Well, you can pray for your leaders, and I agree with that, pray for everyone. But what you really have to do is you have to pray to get everybody out to vote — for one specific person.'"
He continued: "We can't be, again, politically correct and say we pray for all of our leaders. Because all of your leaders are selling Christianity down the tubes, selling evangelicals down the tubes, and it's a very, very bad thing that's happening."
To me, Trump's message is clear — and not unlike the advice I often give fellow believers: "Don't pray to be politically correct," I say. "Pray to be spiritually correct."
Because that meeting was closed to the media, we need to understand that information can only trickle out through the biased perspectives of the attendees — myself included.
If we are completely honest, we can agree that the main, No. 1 issue of concern presented to Mr. Trump by the group was religious liberty. Mr. Trump assured the attendees that protecting religious liberty is a primary concern for him, and is at the top of his to-do list.
He further promised:
- To appoint pro-life Supreme Court justices.
- That "America will be free to say Merry Christmas" again.
- To use economic justice as a means of lessening the bands of racism.
- To establish safe borders for America.
- To strengthen our military to protect our nation.
- He also gave God the credit for giving him intelligent children.
I'm so sorry everyone could not be there to hear his words.
At no time did Mr. Trump advise Americans to disobey the Bible. Those words did not come out of his mouth. I just believe it is important to be fair and honest.
The estimated 1,000 leaders in the room have platforms that impact millions of Americans. Now, our challenge is to now turn away from railing at each other, and at the candidates, and to truly obey the Bible ourselves.
Please join me now in praying for Mr. Trump, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, all congressional, gubernatorial, state, county and local candidates, that God will, according to Romans 13 and 1 Timothy 2:2 bless us so that America can have peace and prosperity.
Amen?
Dr. Alveda C. King grew up in the civil rights movement led by her uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She is director of African-American outreach for Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries. Her family home in Birmingham, Ala., was bombed, as was her father's church office in Louisville, Ky. Alveda herself was jailed during the open housing movement. Read more reports from Dr. Alveda C. King — Click Here Now.
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