Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump recently defended his Christian faith and condemned the "great assault on Christianity," vowing to fight the "war on Christmas" if he is elected.
"There's an assault on anything having to do with Christianity," Trump said on Yellowhammer Radio with Cliff Sims on Friday. "They don't want to use the word Christmas anymore at department stores."
"There's always lawsuits and unfortunately a lot of those lawsuits are won by the other side," the controversial businessman continued. "I will assault that. I will go so strongly against so many of the things, when they take away the word Christmas."
In continuing his comments, Trump charged that he goes out of his way to use the word "Christmas."
"I've even had people that do this very professionally," the real estate mogul stated, "they say, 'oh don't mention the word Christmas'...I get up there, I mention Christmas before I even start speaking. So there's a great assault on Christianity in so many ways."
Trump argued that the assault on Christianity extends to the government's policies overseas, particularly in the Middle East: "There's real assault on Christianity when you look at what's going on in Syria and ISIS," he contended. "Do you know that if you're a Christian from Syria, you cannot get into the United States? If you're a Muslim from Syria, it's one of the easiest places to get into the United States from."
Asked to describe his faith, the presidential hopeful referred to himself as "somebody that believes very strongly in the Bible, believes in God."
"I'm protestant," he said. "I'm Presbyterian to be exact. And I grew up in Sunday school, and I did all of the things that you probably did. And I believe very, very strongly. I'm a big believer in the Bible."
At the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa last month, Trump was asked about his faith.
"People are so shocked when they find out I am Protestant. I am Presbyterian. And I go to church and I love God and I love my church," he said.
Asked whether he has ever asked God to forgive him, Trump responded, "I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't."
He further explained, "When I drink my little wine - which is about the only wine I drink - and have my little cracker, I guess that is a form of asking for forgiveness, and I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed. I think in terms of 'let's go on and let's make it right.'"
In a later interview with CNN, Trump dismissed claims his comments may have damaged his chances with Christian voters, but added that he'd "change" his "tone" as president.
"Right now I'm trying to do something to make this country great again."
In an op-ed for Charisma News titled "Is God Using Donald Trump to Wake Up the Nation?" Os Hillman, the president of Marketplace Leaders, argues that Trump is serving as an instrument of God and a modern "prophetic voice" to wake up the United States.
Hillman concludes: "Will God use a secular businessman like Donald Trump to bring the nation back to some semblance of sanity? Can this be done without a spiritual awakening in its people? Only God knows the answer to that. However, one thing is for sure, he is stirring up the political establishment and may, at a minimum, infuse some accountability from the political leadership in this nation."
