By Victor Ochieng
Whenever someone wins a political seat through an election, many conclude it’s God’s doing. This belief is held even by people who actually participate in the election process. When Donald Trump won the Republican Party nomination, former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann said, “God raised up, I believe, Donald Trump.” And Rev. Franklin Graham said, “God showed up.” Trump, turning from an unlikely winner of his party’s nomination to win the presidency is more the reason why some believe God had a hand in the process.
When Trump announced his decision to run for president, it came more like a joke. But the deeper he went into the race, the more his candidacy gained momentum. The billionaire businessman managed to beat 16 candidates to clinch the GOP ticket. And when the race finally narrowed down between him and Hillary Clinton, some people concluded it was a free ticket for Clinton to the White House. According to opinion polls, the media and neutral analysts projected a Clinton win, by a majority. At the end of it all, Trump emerged victoriously.
Everything about Trump’s presidential campaign appeared miraculous, including his campaign message, spending, and policy positions – they didn’t appear presidential. In fact, these are some of the reasons why many people, including evangelical Christians with long and admirable political resumes, concluded that Trump’s win was nothing but the hand of God.
“For me, that has to be providence. That has to be the hand of God,” said Paula White, an evangelical pastor who was invited to pray at Trump’s inauguration.
What is the effect of such a belief, especially where the said leaders end up causing havoc to the electorate? William Schweiker, an ordained Methodist minister and professor of Theological Ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School, warned that the belief that God controls earthly events results in noxious moral decisions and poor public policy. It also promotes the impression that God uses evil people to further his agenda.
“It means it’s OK with you and it’s God’s will that millions of people starve to death because of our actions,” he says. “We don’t need to worry about the nations going under water because of climate change.”
There is also a disagreement on whether God controls everything or just some aspects. Many who believe in predestination argue that man has no power over their future and that their personal decisions, if there is any, don’t change their fate whatsoever. They argue that God already has a laid down path for each and everyone’s life and where they’ll end up at the day of judgment.
Is it true that God actually micromanages every aspect of our lives?
Schweiker disagrees. He says, “If you say God’s in control of everything then you’ve got to say that God is a really God-damned bastard.”
