Evangelical James Dobson Calls Donald Trump 'Born Again, Baby Christian'

By Julie Brown Patton
Trump Born Again
James Dobson just assured evangelicals that GOP presidential candidate Trump recently accepted Jesus Christ as savior, calling him a "baby Christian." Reuters / Carlo Allegri

One of America's leading evangelicals, James Dobson, claims to know the person who "fairly recent" led GOP candidate Donald Trump to accept a relationship with Jesus Christ. This week, he called Trump a "baby Christian."

"We all need to be praying for him," the author told Godfactor, in a blog published Friday.

Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and one of most prominent social conservatives in the United States, gave his account at a meeting Trump had in New York on Tuesday with hundreds of evangelicals. See The Gospel Herald coverage:  Evangelical Leaders 'Converse' with Donald Trump, Ben Carson in NY About America

Godfactor's Michael Anthony recorded an interview at the Tuesday Trump event in which Dobson said he knew the person who led Trump to Christ, though he did not name who it was. "I don't know when it was,  but it has not been long," Dobson said. "I believe he (Trump) really made a commitment, but he's a baby Christian."

Last year, Trump said he had never asked for God's forgiveness, did not mention publicly during the New York meeting that he was born again, reports The New York Times.

Trump, who says he is a Presbyterian, won a majority of evangelical voters in the Republican primaries, though some prominent Christian right leaders kept their distance. Dobson had endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz during the process, for example.

Dobson, who was part of a small group that met privately with Trump on Tuesday, said the New York businessman, if he has had a religious rebirth, is still learning the ropes and should be "cut some slack" because he "didn't grow up like we did."

"He doesn't know our language," Dobson said, adding Trump used the word "hell" four or five times in the meeting. "He refers a lot to religion, and not much to faith and belief."

The Advocate likened this news about Trump to how former U.S. President George W. Bush captured vigorous support from evangelical voters to his own claim of having been born again. In a famous exchange with a moderator during a primary debate in 1999, Bush said Christ had "changed my heart."

"I think he is listening. There were a lot of people ministering to him personally. A lot of ministers," Dobson said of a small group meeting held Tuesday at Trump Tower. 

Dobson also said he thought there is hope for Trump. "And I think there's hope for us. I have great concerns about the next election."

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