I was surprised to see Grudem’s article. Unlike him, I elsewhere have been critical of evangelical support of Donald Trump and have compared Trump’s worldview to that of the Gospel of Jesus. They could not be further apart.
Like Dr. Grudem, I’ve taught theology, philosophy, and ethics. While my name may not be as influential as Dr. Grudem’s, I want to take an opportunity to respond to his article. Specifically, since Grudem calls voting for Trump a “morally good choice,” I want to respond by referencing, however brief, various approaches to ethics. I believe that regardless of approach, when combined with biblical standards of love and charity, that there is no realistic avenue to calling Trump a “morally good choice.”
I would first like to agree with Dr. Grudem insofar that voting for a flawed candidate is not a morally wrong choice. Despite it being plainly obvious (what candidate is not flawed?), it is a often considered a duty to vote in a free society. Duty is an ethical term, often associated with deontological (duty-focused) ethics. If it is a duty to vote, as Grudem says, then we ought to vote for the candidate that is least objectionable and will promote freedom to the greatest amount of people.
However, if that is Grudem’s standard for the presidency, then it must exclude Donald Trump. This is especially the case for Christians whose ethic, no matter what approach to ethics one takes, must be centered on love. Jesus makes it clear that this is the highest command and it is our duty to carry out (Luke 10:26-28).
