June 17, 2015|12:31 pm
image: http://images.christianpost.com/full/66549/billy-graham-donald-trump.jpg
Billy Graham, Donald Trump
image: data:image/png;base64,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
image: data:image/png;base64,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
(PHOTO: BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION)
Donald Trump was among noted guests at the dinner.
Many political experts will not take Donald Trump's quest for the Republican presidential nomination seriously, possibly for good reason. Trump, most notable for his vast real estate empire, wealth, bankruptcies, reality TV show, high profile divorces, and of late, his brash political statements, professes to be a Christian. As The Christian Post reported Tuesday, he even claims he would be "the greatest jobs president God ever created."
While Trump might not be popular with a large segment of the Republican Party, many voters no longer feel connected to Washington or what they see as a professional and entrenched political class. With his populist streak, Trump may appeal to these voters. Below are six facts about Donald Trump and his professed Christian faith.
1. Speaking to CBN News in May, Donald Trump declared: "I will be the greatest representative of the Christians they've had in a long time."
Specifically, Trump was talking about the Christians being slaughtered in the Middle East, especially in Syria, and according to him, Christians around the globe do not have anybody representing them. Trump also claimed it was easier for Muslims to come to the U.S. than persecuted Christians.
2. Trump says he's Presbyterian and previously attended services with the Reformed Church of America denomination.
Trump told Human Events and other news outlets that he is "a believer." In 2011, he told CBN he attended First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica Queens, which is part of the Presbyterian U.S.A. denomination. Some past articles and interviews have listed Trump as a member of the Reformed Church of America, but more recently he has said he is Presbyterian. He says he goes to church on Sunday when he can and always on Christmas, Easter, and on special occasions.
3. After previously making statements favorable toward the right to abortion, Trump now claims to be pro-life.
While Trump has a long track record of making statements and supporting candidates who were pro-abortion, he credits a friend's experience with not wanting a baby and then adoring that baby as a big reason for his shift on abortion. In January, Trump explained his position on abortion, where he allowed for limited exceptions to terminate a pregnancy and talked about his traditional views on same-sex marriage, which he said at the moment "is a state's rights' issue." In the past, Trump has said he "took a lot of heat" for being opposed to same-sex marriage.
4. When asked by Bill O'Reilly if there was a "Muslim problem in the world," Trump answered "yes."
In a 2011 interview, Trump added, "absolutely, absolutely, I don't notice Swedish people knocking down the World Trade Center." Trump backed up his statement later saying, "We have to speak the truth, this country is so politically correct, and it's falling apart."
5. Donald Trump has called the Bible "The Book, it is the thing."
In fact, he collects Bibles because he claims so many people send him Bibles. Trump says he saves and stores them because, "There's no way I would do anything negative to a Bible."
6. Trump has praised evangelical leaders Tony Perkins and Ralph Reed, saying "they have great reputations."
In 2011 Trump declared, "I recently spoke to Ralph Reed and Tony Perkins and I was really impressed, they have great reputations and I have been hearing about them for years." He added that they were "smart people."