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Colorado Springs, Colo. – Florida Family Policy Council, and the national association of nearly 40 state-based family policy councils representing millions of Evangelicals nationwide, today released an open letter to presidential candidate Donald Trump calling on him to answer direct questions on his policy positions.

John Stemberger, President & General Counsel of Florida Family Action, said “Time is ticking, and we want Mr. Trump to clear up his record on the issues which is riddled with contradictions.”

The Florida Family Policy Council and its sister lobbying organization Florida Family Action have not endorsed any candidate. All leading conservative candidates have been invited to participate in CitizenLink’s national Presidential Candidate Teleconferences. So far, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz, and former Governor Jeb Bush have participated on the calls, as well as former Senator Rick Santorum and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, prior to suspending their campaigns. Dr. Ben Carson is scheduled to do so later this month.

“With the recent passing of conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the future of our core issues relating to life, marriage and family structures and religious liberty hang in the balance,” Stemberger explained. “Mr. Trump’s public comments about nominating judges with the same temperament as his sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, who overturned the New Jersey Partial-Birth Abortion Ban, are particularly concerning to Christians and should be to all Americans.”

The post Tough Questions for Donald Trump from America’s Leading Pro-Family Leaders: Evangelical Voters Still Have Serious Questions for Donald Trump appeared first on Florida Family Action.

Originally Published on January 5, 2016 by CNNPolitics.com (Updated Jan 6, 2016)

Editor’s Note: John Stemberger is an attorney and conservative leader based out of Orlando, Florida. He is a former political director of the Republican Party of Florida. For the past 10 years, Stemberger has served as president and general counsel of Florida Family Action. The views expressed in this column belong to Stemberger.

(CNN) –This column contains language that might be considered offensive to some readers.

(CNN) — We are experiencing something extraordinary in American politics: A man who has never held public office appears to have become a force of nature this election cycle, and he is achieving this, according to polls, with no small amount of support from evangelical Christians.

The really puzzling thing is that Donald Trump defies every stereotype of a candidate you would typically expect Christians to vote for.

How much does the average evangelical Christian supporting Trump know about his history? Very little, it would seem. Many are content to follow the no-nonsense persona, rather than dig into Trump’s past record.

Trump professes to be a Christian and says the Bible is his favorite book. While we should not judge a man’s heart or motive, we can and should evaluate his words and actions.

Therefore, there are three questions I believe all evangelical Christians should ask themselves before supporting Donald Trump for President.

1) What is known about Trump’s personal life and morality?

If elected, Trump would be the first president to:

2) Where does Trump stand on moral and social policy issues of concern to Christians and to which the Bible speaks to clearly?

On many issues, Trump is saying the right things in terms of public policy.

He presents himself broadly as a conservative on abortion, same-sex marriage, radical Islam and other social issues. But one of the best indicators of a politician’s future behavior is his record on issues.

On abortion, in 1999, during a national television interview, Trump stated: “Well, I’m very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion. I hate it. I hate everything it stands for. I cringe when I listen to people debate the subject. But, you still, I just believe in choice.”

Again in 1999, Trump stated to the Associated Press, “I believe it is a personal decision that should be left to the women and their doctors.”

In his book, “The America We Deserve,” Trump stated, “I support a woman’s right to choose, but I am uncomfortable with the procedures.”

In 2011, Trump said he changed his mind on the issue of abortion but still supports abortion in the case of rape, incest and life of the mother. He also said he supports “the good aspects” of funding Planned Parenthood.

Trump also favors gay rights and same-sex marriage laws “that guaranteed same-sex couples equal legal rights as married, heterosexual couples.” Trump also opposed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, the military’s prior ban on openly gay service members.

Gregory T. Angelo, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, an advocacy group for gay Republicans, has said of Trump, “He is one of the best, if not the best, pro-gay Republican candidates to ever run for the presidency,” and that Trump would do no harm on same-sex marriage, and has a “stand-out position” on nondiscrimination legislation.

How do we square his liberal record on social issues with his “sounding conservative?” How can we trust that what he is saying today is what he will actually do tomorrow?

3) Are the love of money and pride legitimate issues to weigh when considering support for a presidential candidate?

First, the Bible is very clear that “the love of money” — not money itself — is “the root of all evil.” But Donald Trump is also very clear — he really loves money. In fact, he has reminded us over and over again, relishing and boasting in how “really rich” he is. Trump’s TV show “The Apprentice” even used the O’Jays’ song “For the Love of Money” as the theme song.

It’s not often that the Bible speaks with such clarity on what is evil. How heavily should a Christian voter considering supporting Trump take into account his love of money?

Secondly, Scripture declares “God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.” Proverbs says that “everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord.”

Trump is not just proud. He is proud of being proud. But don’t take my word for it. Just listen to most any speech he gives. Trump has said, “part of the beauty of me is that I’m very rich.”

All of us are sinners in need of grace. But what are we to do with a professing Christian who is openly proud and brags about his sin and who wants other Christians to trust and support him to be our next president?

I do not believe every Christian has a moral duty to only vote for Christians. In the Bible, God used even evil leaders for his purposes. But when a choice is given, should evangelical Christians choose to elect a man I believe would be the most immoral and ungodly person ever to be president of the United States?

There are times I read a verse from scripture and wonder whether God looked into the portals of time and breathed out very specific words for a certain time in history. I believe II Timothy 3 is such a verse for today:

“But understand this, that in the last days terrible times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

© 2016 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 
 
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The post CNN Politics: 3 questions evangelicals should ask about Donald Trump appeared first on Florida Family Action.

TALLAHASSEE, FL – There is a lot to like about Donald Trump. He’s entertaining, tough, and anti-establishment. Despite these factors, are there things about Trump’s life, background and views that should give all conservatives, and especially Christian conservatives, pause or even great cause for concern? In conservative activist John Stemberger’s view, conservative voters who are considering supporting Trump should be asking themselves three important questions:

1. What is Donald Trump’s political history and voting record?
2. Do Donald Trump’s liberal positions on policy issues tell us how he would govern as president?
3. Does Donald Trump have the kind of character and integrity that can be trusted?

Stemberger lays out the answers to these questions with facts from Trump directly in this new piece for Newsmax, published today.

“Donald Trump has clearly hit a raw nerve with conservatives who are frustrated with Washington D.C,” said Mr. Stemberger. “But Trump’s politics and values are no different — and maybe worse — than most Washington politicians, including major support for Democrats, voting for Barack Obama, and taking liberal positions on major policy issues. He is still considering a third party run and has proven to be demeaning and degrading to women.”

“Is this really the kind of man we want to lead and represent America?”

John Stemberger is an attorney and national conservative leader based out of Orlando, Florida. He is a former Political Director of the Republican Party of Florida. He has a unique understanding of law, government, and the media from his extensive political background, and has been a consultant to state, federal, and presidential campaigns. For the past ten years Stemberger has served as President and General Counsel of Florida Family Action.

Florida Family Action (FFA) is the legislative arm of the Florida Family Policy Council. The organization provides a platform for informing, inspiring and rallying those who care deeply about the family to greater involvement in the moral, cultural and political issues that threaten our state and nation.

PDF of Newsmax Article: HERE

The post 3 Questions Every Conservative Voter Should Ask Before Supporting Donald Trump appeared first on Florida Family Action.