Christian leaders in Europe voice doubt on Trump

By Evert van Vlastuin and Kathryn Idema - Posted at CNE News:

Published March 8, 2025

No doubt, the US Trump-Vance tandem has global impact. Christians from all over the world watch them – and share their opinion. It seems that especially Ukraine is a splitting issue.

Political analyst and pastor Stefan Swärd from Sweden, this week wrote his perceptions of Trump in a Dagen article. Swärd says it is dangerous to believe that Trump is "God's special instrument."

Swärd says that when you look closely at Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany in the 1930s, Trump can be comparable. He writes: Hitler got elected because many in his day desired articulate leaders who would take action.

"Just like Trump, Hitler had the ability and eloquence to capture the trust and support of the masses and was able to gain the trust of certain important groups at the same time. Many Christians sympathised with Hitler – they believed that he represented moral reinforcement in Germany."

And this "moral reinforcement" has become a problem, he continues. Swärd writes that the belief of Trump becoming "God's instrument" and his campaign events have created an "almost religious cult" as well as an international embarrassment for Christians.

"I do not deny that Trump has implemented certain decisions that many Christians appreciate, but Christian congregations and Christian leaders must not be associated with loyalty to a particular party or a particular political leader," he writes.

Swärd considers himself to be "morally conservative" and a "theologically conservative Christian." Yet, he writes that Trump is far from conservative. Rather, he is a "revolutionary" and "anarchist" who shows "low personal morality." Twenty-five years ago, American Christian conservatives would not even think to vote for such a candidate, he says.

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