Opinion: Historical judgment awaits Donald Trump and his followers

I believe in historical judgment as a real force. It often takes much longer than we want. However, there is built into human beings a sense of right and wrong that eventually brings about historical judgment in the affairs of humanity. As a religious person, I believe God does act in history, but here I am affirming that nonreligious people can also see historical judgments, sometimes better than religious people, and contribute to a better world. At this point, I believe historical judgment awaits Donald Trump and others influenced by him. 
Trump won a very close race against Hillary Clinton in 2016. During the campaign we heard words we had never heard before in a political campaign: “Lock her up.” He encouraged the crowd to join him in shouting these words. His words and behavior toward Clinton and others competing with him in his own party, and then later toward Joe Biden, who defeated him, introduced a debased atmosphere to what generally has been a normal process of debate among candidates.
Even worse than debasing words, Trump and his MAGA allies used many falsehoods in their campaigning. Of course, the greatest damage brought by Trump was encouraging the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection coup attempt, which was the first time ever for our country to not have a peaceful transfer of power.
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We can be thankful that the American democracy constructed by our founders, because it includes many freedoms, helps to expose historical judgments as they occur. Freedom of speech, of the press, and of assembly help reveal the failures and misdeeds of leaders and groups of influential people. Perhaps most importantly, this includes those with power who try to cover their falsehoods and misdeeds.
As a religious person, I am aware that religious groups, including my own, also experience historical judgments. These can be purifying influences for religious groups to consider and debate and then make changes. In short, historical judgment consists of purifying movement that can enable groups and individuals to improve their message, life and work. Thus, ordinary human nature that is gifted with the sensibility of right and wrong, can make decisions that work for the betterment of human life for others and the self. Freedom is needed for the good forces to work to make life better for large numbers of people, especially those who lack wealth and power. The best ways of making life better for the nation is the main subject for debate and voting in democracy.
Christians do not agree with one another as to what is best for governments to undertake to benefit their people. Some Christians in the current period even favor autocratic power as best for benefiting people. The Bible does not set forth a single political system as best for people. The danger of the current phenomenon of “Christian Nationalism” is that Christians may well support a harmful autocracy and other harmful practices, as they have in the past. At the same time, Christianity and other religious groups can be supportive of democratic principles, an important principle being the equality of all people. This equality is not outwardly observable or provable, but is the inherent equality of human dignity as creatures of God.
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America has passed through many judgments, for example the Civil War, the Civil Rights struggles, and post-Great Depression programs that have helped to rescue the nation from poverty and to improve America as a land of opportunity for all its diverse people. American democracy continues to be innovative and creative, as well as strong and prosperous. These advantages can be used wrongfully and need continual improvement as history proceeds.  
America faces the challenge now whether we will, despite various competing forces in our society and government, be able to improve our democracy and our society to benefit most people into the future, as well as help those left behind. Because our nation is a leader of many nations, it is also being tested whether we can be a leader toward making a better world.
The Rev. Robert L. Montgomery, Ph.D., lives in Black Mountain.