David French has long been criticized as having an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) - the online jab meaning a person has an obsessive hatred for Donald Trump of such intensity that it interferes with their ability to view any political issue clearly.
In part, this is true of French, who spends quite a bit of time these days battling 'Trumpism' with the written word.
I don't believe that adequately describes the transformation of David French from religious liberty freedom fighter to a man who regularly pens articles and tweets that primarily appeal to Lincoln Project political types and progressives under the guise of 'calling out' evangelical Christians.
David French suffers from Evangelical Derangement Syndrome.
Probably leaked by the Noem camp to increase her appeal with Republican Evangelicals. They do love their adulterous politicians. https://t.co/CaBTkS8KFK
— David French (@DavidAFrench) September 15, 2023
Tweets like this are nothing new from French. They represent the form of bad faith smear French himself often decries.
To the point, David French is often accused of being a supporter of Drag Queen Story Hour for a quote in which he is said to call drag queens reading books to children one of the 'blessings of liberty'. In the full context, French was saying that all citizens, despite their profound differences in viewpoint having access to the public square was one of the blessings of liberty.
French has stated clearly that his view in this matter has been unfairly misrepresented.
Fine, I'm happy to agree with David French that nuance seems to be lost in modern political discourse and bad faith interpretation is the order of the day.
'They do love their adulterous politicians.'
Or, perhaps we don't agree after all.
C’mon David, this is really beneath you.
— Steven F. Hayward (@stevenfhayward) September 15, 2023
This is why I believe French's bone of contention is chiefly with evangelical Christians rather than Donald Trump. Sure, Trump was the catalyst, but his ire is regularly directed at evangelicals - often disingenuously.
No, David French, I don't love adulterous politicians, and I doubt Trump is the first one I've voted for. Adultery is detestable, as is pretending an entire population of people love adultery because you abhor their political calculations.
It should be beneath him. It's not.
Spreading unsubstantiated gossip, putting the worst construction on Christians whose politics he opposes, and being uncivil is in no way beneath him, sadly.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) September 16, 2023
Did Noem cheat on her husband? We don't know yet, but it seems likely. The most telling part of the Daily Mail article, to me, is that Noem's team hadn't denounced the story as untrue.
In light of the news dump, Noem's warning during her endorsement of Trump last week makes more sense. She told the crowd that her endorsement of Trump would result in Biden, other candidates, and the media perpetuating 'ugly hateful misinformation in an attempt to destroy me and my family because of our opinions'.
Is Kristi Noem clairvoyant? No, she was trying to get ahead of a story she knew was about to drop. She used the Trump endorsement as a means to deflect the coming news. At least that's the way I see it.
While there is definitely a part of the evangelical sect that has turned Trump into an idol and more that simply believe him to be a superior choice to lead country, broadly & publicly painting evangelicals like this from someone who claims to be a brother in Christ is grotesque.
— J (@ARaised_Eyebrow) September 16, 2023
It is true that there's a faction among evangelicals who think Trump can do no wrong and share memes of Jesus leaning over the former president.
All political movements have hardcore devotees. That level of commitment to any single person not named Jesus is unwise for any Christian.
They are hardly representative of the vast majority of evangelical Christians who either support Trump or voted for him (there is a distinction).
Tough but true.
— Nancy French (@NancyAFrench) September 15, 2023
Claiming these groups love adulterous politicians is 'tough' and wildly untrue.
It’s always wise to insult the people you intend to speak for and influence… https://t.co/YysiDKXU7x
— David Marcus (@BlueBoxDave) September 15, 2023
It seems clear David French stopped trying to influence fellow evangelicals a long time ago.
He only offers them his derision these days.
There is a market for these types of dishonest assessments. I don't know if French is trying to influence people of that persuasion, has found that it's the best audience for his shtick these days, or simply holds such a grudge against the evangelicals he is so disappointed in that he just incessantly lashes out.
Whatever it is, his approach clearly is not aimed at changing minds.
No, most of us became Noem critics when she capitulated to powerful corporate interests and refused to sign a bill protecting female sports from men pretending to be women. There was quite a bit of evangelical outcry over that. But that doesn’t allow you to slander your fellow…
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) September 16, 2023
Oddly enough, evangelicals consist of a wide array of Christian denominations from Baptists to Lutherans. Presbyterians, Pentecostals, and Mennonites, oh my!
There is a pluralism, if you will, among evangelicals that is normally the coveted holy grail of David French's desire for society in general.
All of these different, competing Christian factions, many of which have very contrasting doctrinal views (no small thing for a Christian) still manage to work in unison because of their overarching belief in Jesus Christ as the sole hope for saving man from our sinful condition for eternity.
It's quite remarkable that pluralism's preacher has picked such a group for his never-ending accusatory broad-brushing.
This absolute tool. This festering pustule of self-righteousness.
— Write Girl Problems (@WriteGrlProbs) September 16, 2023
Are you angry, Mr Named After A Biblical King Who Killed His Rival & Stole His Wife, that we are sometimes more tolerant of adultery than stuck up prigs and your preening moral vanity and broadstroke condemnation? https://t.co/p95sdwSR9X
I'm not among the group of Christians who equate Donald Trump with King David. King Nebuchadnezzar might be a better fit.
That said, King David committed adultery in a manner so detestable that it would put our modern sensibilities into a tailspin. Uriah, from what we know, was loyal to his king in every way we can possibly imagine. David did not return the favor. He slept with Uriah's wife, got her pregnant, and then murdered Uriah by placing him at the front of the battle to be slaughtered.
They did betrayal big back in the day. Now we just run for president when some people think we shouldn't. But I digress.
I can just imagine David French, writing for the Israel Times, years and years following David's disgrace:
There are those who still subscribe to the notion of 'choosing the lesser of two evils'. They will follow King David because, in their calculation, the Philistines are much worse. Hey, we all know how much they love their adulterous kings.
Republican Evangelical here. Adultery is repulsive, a moral offense against God, and degrading to our country
— Colin Smothers (@colinsmo) September 16, 2023
You know what else is? This slanderous statement. https://t.co/IVO99WxKAu
Amen.
Despite David French's best Protestant protestations, there are many of us among the evangelical community who have made a moral determination that, for people uniquely blessed in history with a say in their nation's politics, we can select the 'lesser of two evils' in any given election.
I've done it in every election I've ever voted in, and I'll do it again.
I'm convinced the direction that Joe Biden and the Democrats want to take the country in is worse, from a Christian perspective, than even, gasp, a second term of Donald Trump, if he should be the nominee. French, and you, are free to disagree with that determination, but don't tell me it's not an honest calculation based on my morality and what I sincerely believe to be a right and moral choice.
I may be wrong, of course, and I accept that.
One political direction promotes unfettered abortion, sexual and gender politics being marketed to school children, often a very outspoken intolerance for Christianity, division based on race and class, and government dependence.
The political direction I try to further with my vote moves in the opposite direction.
I don't think I'm wrong.
What I do know is that no amount of slander painting my political activities as a love for sin or sinful people is going to convince me of anything other than what I already suspected about the person accusing me of such.
