Like many Christians who opposed Donald Trump’s election for president, I was disturbed at exit surveys showing that 81 percent of white evangelicals voted for him. Some Christians have already begun criticizing those evangelicals and distancing themselves from them. In time I may join those critics. What has intrigued me recently, though, is why only 16 percent of white evangelicals voted for Hillary Clinton, so I set out to explore that question in an informal way. What I learned was something of a completely different nature, and possibly more important for all of us in the long run.

Not Welcome Here?

The first thing I noted about Clinton’s 16 percent support from Christians was how small that number was. When such a small proportion of a group gives its votes to a candidate, it’s fair to conclude that members of that group do not feel welcomed into that candidate’s party. It’s fair to say that blacks do not feel welcomed in the Republican party, given that only 8 percent voted for Trump. Likewise white evangelicals must not feel welcomed in the Democrat party. Why?

Reluctant Trump Supporters

This is the question I set out to explore. I reached out through Facebook to find Christian “Reluctant Trump” supporters, specifically those who did not support him in the primary but voted for him in the general election. (I have no intention of this being a representative, publishable survey, but simply a way to satisfy some of my curiosity.) I asked their reasons for deciding to support him in the end, and I promised not to argue with them.

Patterns of Responses

Dozens of people answered. Some of my Facebook friends said they supported Trump simply because he was the Republican candidate, and they were either political conservatives or Republicans. Several mentioned supporting the platform rather than the person. Others told me they considered the controversies surrounding Trump to be no worse than those surrounding Clinton, so that, for example, Trump’s sexism was no worse than Clinton’s. Finally, some attributed Trump’s bad image to an unfair media: no matter what charge was leveled at Trump, they would not believe it, coming as it did from what they saw as a corrupt media machine.

Other patterns emerged from the responses. The top issue my Facebook friends expressed concerning Clinton was abortion, followed by concerns about religious freedom. Among those who admitted the controversies surrounding Trump made them hesitant to vote for him, the chief stated concerns had to do with his comments about sexual assault on the Access Hollywood tape. I seldom heard race relations being mentioned, leading me to wonder whether that issue might be the main thing distinguishing NeverTrump Christians from Reluctant Trump Christians.

Someday in the future I might explore this question more rigorously using a proper scientific research design. At this stage all I wanted to do was to actively listen to individuals I disagreed with concerning Trump; to learn their perspectives, so that I could understand better how to relate to them. For now this project was sufficient for me and my curiosity at this time.

The Importance of Listening

I fear that too often we as Christians are too eager to engage in the fight, and are not ready to reach out and hear where others are coming from.

But there is another lesson to be learned here, one that had nothing to do with my survey or everything to do with it, depending on how you view it. It’s about listening.

Listening to others you disagree with can be hard work. I put considerable time and energy into my little project. It was worth it. Gaining understanding of others, particularly of other Christians, is important in a post-Christian society. This is especially true considering all the denominational and racial factions separating Christians today. There is a time for arguing your points and making your objections known. For me that time was leading up to the election. (I am not ashamed in the least for my opposition to Trump.) But there is also a time when the wiser course is simply to take stock of a situation and listen to others.

I fear that too often we as Christians are too eager to engage in the fight, and are not ready to reach out and hear where others are coming from. Listing to one another — genuinely interested, active listening — can help build bridges over the barriers that trouble the Church.

So I wonder how many white Christians are willing to listen to the perspectives of Christians of color? How many Christians of color will listen to whites? How many Christians are open to hearing from others who disagree with them on the role of women in the church? Can we listen to Christians across the political aisle?

The day may come when I will feel obligated to renew my opposition to Trump. I hope if that day comes I will be in a better position to communicate with others who support him, to explain why I feel the way I do, and learn how to work with them in areas both where we disagree and where we agree.