By Grace Graces, political correspondent
Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump shocked the nation when he won the 2016 presidential election. Less than seven hours after President-elect Donald Trump gave his acceptance speech, Bryan College hosted a panel of staff to discuss the implications of this presidency.
The audience first heard from Mr. Andrew Smith, one of the school’s admission counselors. He reminded the crowd that the first concern should first be the church, and not the government.
While this election has been disheartening for many, it is no reason to be discouraged. He encouraged the audience to remember that God’s primary way of making change is through the church, not the government.
He reminded the group that Christians’ commission from God transcends political party, and that the church flourishes in spite of whatever government is in play. He also explained that even if Donald Trump does not represent the values Christians hold dear, those values will be represented in the House and the Senate.
Smith closed and introduced Dr. Kathy Estes, an assistant professor of business. She spoke to the proposed economic plan of future president Trump.
Trump is a big proponent of capitalism. She explained that free markets have the highest GDP and the highest standards of living in the world. Trump has said that he wants to lower corporate taxes.
Detractors say this will put America in deeper debt than it already is, but Trump wants to cut wasteful government programs to even out the difference. He has also made bold claims about renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement and leaving Trans Pacific Partnership. Even so, Trump cannot get these things passed without the approval of U.S. Congress; however, he does have an advantage,
Republicans hold a majority in both the House and the Senate. While the past 18 years have put America on a path to big government, only time will tell if Trump’s populist-conservative promised ideas hold true. During the campaign, Trump hammered the notion that at American must come first against Islamic terrorist and illegal invasion. The America First ideal was a magnet for the majority of the states. On the other hand, moral conservatives and evangelicals rallied around Trump’s promise to nominate constitutional originalists, including pro-life justices.
Dr. Hannah Shultz, an assistant professor of history and government, verbalized many of the reasons people had voted for Trump. Many Christians voted for Trump solely on the reason that he would appoint conservative Supreme Court Justices. While this may be true, she pointed out that conservative justices go liberal quickly. She closed with a word of encouragement, echoing Andrew Smith’s idea that God is sovereign no matter the president.
Chapel was closed with Mr. Sam Youngs speaking about the fear that fueled this year’s election. Fear and anxiety are the two things that drives sin. His claim was that this election cycle used the propagation of our fears to incite political involvement.
He reminded the audience that what they are afraid of, they are slave to. He challenged the church body asking, “What is the church called to be in a world dictated by fear?” The church should be so involved that each election that politicians are forced to answer the questions closest to the church’s heart.
While this election has passed, the response of the church should be cultural engagement based on biblical standards. Some would argue that Christians were political engaged, even voting 81% for Donald J. Trump for U.S. president. Other Christians, including some at Bryan apparently did not agree with this vote. Still, clearly there exists hidden Trump voters at Bryan, and in the evangelical churches in the South, especially in Tennessee which gave Trump a landslide state victory.
