Springfield, Ohio, pastor reminds Donald Trump, JD Vance, Evangelicals, and MAGA that Jesus demands that they invite the immigrant. Unfortunately, the evil we are expelling is un-Christian.
Pastor nails Trump, Vance, and Evangelicals.
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In the recent discourse surrounding immigration, particularly within the context of evangelical Christianity, Pastor Carl Ruby has delivered a piercing critique of Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and the evangelical community that has supported their rhetoric. In a commentary that resonates far beyond Springfield, Ohio, Pastor Ruby laid bare the contradictions between Trump and Vance’s political actions and the core teachings of Christianity, particularly regarding the treatment of immigrants.
Pastor Ruby’s message addresses the widespread division and tension that Trump and Vance’s anti-immigrant and hateful rhetoric has sown within the Springfield community. Their inflammatory words and political maneuvering have ignited friction in a city already grappling with financial strains and immigrant-related issues. Instead of offering solutions, Trump and Vance have exacerbated existing problems, driving wedges between people and fostering an atmosphere of hostility. Ruby’s message is not just an indictment of the two politicians but also a call to the larger evangelical community to reclaim the fundamental teachings of their faith.
At the core of Ruby’s argument is the simple but profound truth that the Bible consistently advocates for the love and protection of immigrants. Ruby points out that welcoming the stranger—often understood in scripture as immigrants or foreigners—is a central tenet of Christianity. He cites numerous biblical references, including the Ten Commandments, the teachings of Moses, King David, and the prophets, all emphasizing the importance of treating immigrants compassionately. Most powerfully, Ruby invokes the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, where Christ teaches that a righteous person must greet strangers and treat them with love, for “if you only greet people who are just like you, what good is that?”
Ruby’s message is a direct challenge to the evangelical leaders and followers who have embraced the divisive rhetoric of Trump and Vance. He questions how one can claim loyalty to Jesus while simultaneously supporting policies and politicians who denigrate and dehumanize immigrants. His assertion is clear: to be a true Christian is to love one’s neighbor as oneself and to treat others as one would wish to be treated. This principle, rooted deeply in the Christian tradition, stands in stark contrast to the nationalist, exclusionary, and often racist policies espoused by Trump and his allies.
The larger issue that Ruby touches on, beyond the immediate context of immigration, is the distortion of morality within the evangelical community. By aligning themselves with Trump—a figure who has repeatedly demonstrated a disregard for truth, decency, and compassion—many evangelical leaders have betrayed the very values they claim to uphold. Trump has manipulated religious leaders, causing them to forsake the teachings of the Bible in favor of political power and influence. In doing so, they have allowed their morality to be twisted and their faith to be weaponized for divisive ends.
Pastor Ruby’s message is a powerful reminder that Christianity, at its core, is about love, compassion, and justice. It is about standing up for the marginalized and oppressed, including immigrants, and rejecting the forces of hatred and division. Ruby’s message is a call to return to the fundamental teachings of Jesus for evangelicals who have been swept up in the cult of Trumpism. To support policies that harm immigrants is not only a political choice; it is a moral failure that goes against the essence of the Christian faith.
Pastor Carl Ruby’s message to the Springfield community—and, by extension, to evangelicals nationwide—is a call to moral clarity. By embracing Trump and his anti-immigrant rhetoric, many evangelicals have strayed far from the teachings of the Bible. It is time, Ruby argues, for the church to return to its roots and to remember that to be a Christian is to love and protect the most vulnerable among us, including immigrants. Anything less is a betrayal of both the faith and the values it stands for.
Pastor Ruby’s words resonate deeply in today’s political climate, where fearmongering and hatred are too often disguised as patriotism. His call to action challenges the evangelical community to reflect on its values and to stand up for the oppressed, as Jesus would have done. As Ruby puts it, “You can’t claim to be loyal to Jesus if you’re not willing to show love to immigrants.” This is the heart of his message, which the church—and the nation—desperately needs to hear.
If you have relatives, friends, and acquaintances who have fallen into the MAGA rabbit hole and are evangelicals or Christians, this is a message you must ease onto them. While change is unlikely to be immediate, you would have planted a seed waiting for the right conditions to sprout.