Christian actress Lisa Whelchel has revealed that the current political atmosphere has her "sick to her stomach" and suggested that Jesus would likely not affiliate himself with the Republican party due to party frontrunner's "negative" and "hurtful" rhetoric.
Whelchel, 53, who currently plays a mom in her latest television movie "Hearts of Spring," recently told Fox News that she hasn't yet decided who to vote for in the presidential race, but can confidently say she won't support Donald Trump.
"I'm not a fan of Donald Trump and many of the things that he has said about people. In my opinion he is more negative and hurtful than hopeful and uplifting," she told the news outlet. "I'm not one that likes arguing and grandstanding and name calling. Sometimes it just seems like some outright two-faced and lying. I don't even like watching shows like 'The View' because I don't like what it makes me feel like when people argue without listening."
When asked if she would vote Democratic despite her Biblical views on abortion and end-of-life issues, Whelchel said she finds it "quite sad" that if someone professes to be a Christian they are "sometimes put into a really small Church box."
She added, "There's a lot of things that Republicans espouse that I don't agree with and there's a lot of things Democrats espouse that I don't agree with but I don't think you're going to find any party... unless you want to run yourself and I certainly don't want to do that. The truth is I can't guarantee that Jesus would have been a Republican."
Whelchel has authored a number of books including "Friendship for Grown-Ups," "The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me," and a parenting book entitled "Creative Correction." She is the mother of three children, one of whom has ADHD.
When asked if her faith sustained her amid her highly-publicized 2012 divorce, Whelchel stated, "Yeah I think just understanding that Jesus doesn't judge us for our humanity and he swims in the gray much more than the Church does."
She continued, "I was very fortunate that I have a really great relationship with my ex-husband so we are still very good friends, even if we couldn't keep our marriage together, we were fighting to keep our family together and we've been successful at that."
Whelchel is not the only public Christian figure to voice her disappointment with both sides of the political field; in December, evangelist Franklin Graham announced he had resigned from the Republican Party and declared himself an Independent.
"I have no hope in the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, or Tea Party to do what is best for America," he lamented. "Unless more godly men and women get in this process and change this wicked system, our country is in for trouble. I want to challenge Christians, even pastors, across the country to pray about running for office where they can have an impact. We need mayors, county commissioners, city council members, school board members who will uphold biblical values."
Real estate entrepreneurs David and Jason Benham, who also regularly speak about their Christian faith across the country, echoed a similar sentiment back in February when asked what issues Christians need to be focusing on when choosing a candidate.
"Republicans are headed off the cliff, maybe not quite as fast as the Democrats, but both parties are headed off the cliff," David told The Gospel Herald. "It's crazy. The moral, spiritual decline in this country has crossed red and blue. It does not matter which side of the aisle you're on."
Added Jason, "Regardless of who is in office this time next year, God is still on the throne. We may end up having a candidate winning this election and all of us are just so depressed. But God would look down and say, 'You know what? I'm still in control.' What we do need to know as a nation: When we're electing leaders, it really shows you the state of your culture. If we worship entertainment, then we may very well vote for an entertainer. And if you have an entertainer as a president, well, you can just imagine the circus our country will become. Yet, God is always speaking. This is why it's so important that the church wakes up and gets back to what Martin Luther King, Jr. said the church needs to be, which is the conscience of the state, the conscience of the government. Do you know what it would be like if you lived for a week without a conscience? It would be chaos."
