Earlier this month, President Trump invited spiritual leaders to the White House. Many of the spiritual leaders were Pastors of majority-black churches. Transcripts show that President Trump briefly discussed prison reform and then one well-known Pastor, prayed for the President.

I was shocked.

President Obama met with spiritual leaders in the past. So it did not shock me that such a meeting was happening. I was shocked at the attendees. Black Pastors, one of whom praised Trump as the most “pro-black President,” were gathered with a man who openly admits to sexually assaulting women, a man who ridiculed our Black President demanding a birth certificate because he wasn’t sure that President Obama was a U.S. Citizen, and a man who emboldened racists across the nation to “Rally for the Right.” I kept reading hoping to see that meeting resulted in a project to end the death penalty, or new proposal to stop the mass incarceration of Black men and women, or maybe a project that would focus on the Rehabilitation of Offenders vs. the Retribution. There was nothing. A Pastor prayed, photos were taken, and that was it.

I was angry.

I was angry to see that fellow BLACK Christians were justifying the Pastors taking on the invitation.

“It’s immature to criticize these Pastors for meeting with the President. In order for there to be change we need a seat at the table.”

“We don’t know what God told these Pastors. We have to walk in love and be lead by the Spirit.”

“Maybe these Pastors are the light that Trump needs.”

“If you cannot pray with people who don’t believe what you believe, then you’re not walking out Christianity. We don’t agree on everything, but we agree on the Blood.”

Reading all of this on news sites and social media platforms, flashed me back to President George W. Bush’s election. I remember hearing minister after minister encourage the congregation to vote for leaders who would enforce holiness. Holiness meaning no gays, no abortions. As a preteen, I was confused.

Our priorities, as a church were to make sure that gay people couldn’t marry and that women couldn’t have abortions, when there were problems that directly and adversely affected the people in our community – poverty, mass incarceration, failing education systems – but that was our mission?

It’s been hard, y’all.

Since then, it’s been hard to keep my mouth closed and align myself with certain aspects of Christianity.

To keep my mouth closed when I hear Pastors admonish boys to “take the sugar out of their tank” while simultaneously seeing youth forced into homelessness because of their sexual identity. To see the misogyny within the church – messages catered to “what a woman needs to do to be worthy of a man or a virtuous women.” To see other Christians, condemn NFL athletes for kneeling during the National Anthem in peaceful protest of police brutality. [Never mind that slave owners used the Bible to justify the enslavement of Blacks in the U.S.]

During this Presidency I’ve seen the blind loyalty heightened. This President elected Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who justified the separation and caging of migrant children with the Bible. The SAME Bible that I study and believe. [Don’t get me started on the evil of Jeff Sessions.]

It’s been difficult for me to see Christians mask BLATANT human rights violations as mere disagreements that can be ignored because the President identifies as a Christian. It’s been hard to see Christian churches go on missions to preach the gospel, knowing that if those same Black and Brown people were relocated to the U.S., those missionaries would be less than welcoming. It’s been hard to see Christian Superstars like Paula White, Trump’s spiritual adviser, continue to ignore the vulnerable communities they preach to and remain silent while in the room of change. It’s been hard to see fellow Christians support them on the premise of “walking in love.”

The Black Church was the center of the Civil Rights Movement. That is no secret. When Black people were disregarded, beaten, tortured, killed, and denied rights as citizens in the U.S., the church was the meeting place for strategy. The NAACP wouldn’t be the organization it was today without the support of the church. Black Pastors spoke out explicitly to their congregations about the evil of their local government leaders and what the community should do. There were of course messages that focused on the spritual fight [For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds – 2 Corinthians 10:4] [But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. - Matthew 5:39] They also focused on strategy and how they should execute the plans to strengthen their communities against evil. [Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. – James 2:17]

I can understand that some Pastors may have had a heart to see a change in their community. But can we be honest? Please?

Trump Doesn’t Care About Prison Reform. Anyone who thinks that Trump can genuinely care about prison reform is not familiar with his role in the Central Park 5.

Can we be honest? Trump doesn’t care about the needs of Black Americans. He cares about the vote of Black Americans. Lebron James recently announced the opening of his new school the "I Promise School." Students will receive free breakfast, lunch, snacks, uniforms, and all graduates are guaranteed enrollment at the University of Akron. The families of the students will also receive help in finding employment and access to a food pantry. This school will service 240 youth and their families. Lebron's efforts will have a tremendous effect on minority communities. Instead of praise, President Trump, moments after prayer with the Pastor, sent out a tweet stating that Lebron James and Don Lemon, a CNN journalist, were both “dumb.”

I know that every religious leader who received Trump’s invitation knew that President Trump doesn't care about prison reform nor Black people. So to commit to being blind to Trump’s evil and corrupt ways and to justify it is dangerous, especially with such a vast platform. I understand being the light [Matthew 5:16] but what about not sitting in the seat of the scornful [Psalm 1:1] or using the principal thing, wisdom? [Proverbs 4:7].

I continue to keep my faith. I know that Christians are ultimately imperfect people serving a perfect God. I’m working on accepting the fact that my Christianity may look a little different. It will never be blindly following anyone. It will never be siding with someone just because we share the same belief that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. It will never be holding my tongue for respect, when vulnerable people are suffering. [Esther 4:14].

Don’t ask me to pray for the President. I’ll save my prayers and time for the vulnerable community that this President continues to push to the margins of society.

Still Saved,

Courtnie L. Gore, Esq.