Graham and Falwell made it a practice to never be alone with a woman who was not a relative. In that respect, they were right on target. No doubt, they practiced that for the same reason I have always done so: because none of us are 100% reliable until we are dead and because of the appearance of wrongdoing. We are not to give any person a reason to suspect or accuse us of evil. Failing to reach perfection is no excuse for not being blameless. Of course, being blameless is not the same as being perfect.

John Bunyan was one of the most courageous and principled men in history. In the 17th century, he told the king of England that he did not have the authority to stop him from preaching the Gospel! For that conviction, he spent over 12 years in prison. The Bunyan family lived from the support of fellow church members while John was in prison. John earned additional funds from the sale of shoe laces he made in prison.

Bunyan’s eldest daughter Mary was blind and she came to visit him in prison and pled with him “Come home daddy. Momma’s sick and we need you.” Mary would reach for her father’s eyes and wipe away his tears and whenever Mary left his cell and walked down the corridor feeling her way along the damp walls, John said that it was as if someone was pulling the flesh from his bones. Mary died while John was in prison. He could have gone home at any time if he promised to stop preaching but John told the judge that he would preach until the moss grew on his eyelids. That is character, courage, and convictions.

But John was wrong in dealing with women.

After John’s release from prison, he became pastor of the dissident church in Bedford with such unusual success that the church started other meetings in surrounding villages. One was in Gamlinghay and on Feb. 13, 1674, the church had a preaching meeting scheduled where Bunyan was to preach. A young lady named Agnes Beaumont had recently joined the Bedford church and wanted to attend the meeting in Gamlinghay.

Her father disliked Bunyan although Agnes’ brother belonged to his church. The only way Agnes could attend the meeting was to get a ride on someone’s horse, quiet common in that day; however, it was not acceptable for young ladies to ride with married men. John rode by her home in Epworth and her brother asked him if Agnes could ride with him to the meeting. John quickly refused twice then acquiesced and rode off with the 20-year-old lady behind him!

Even a modern television evangelist would not be so stupid. Well, not sure about that.

It was daylight and Agnes’ brother and wife road along with them but it was scandalous. The coup de grâce was two nights later when Agnes’ father died and she was accused of poisoning him by the family lawyer whose advances she had rejected earlier. It was charged that Agnes and John were sexually involved and John had provided the poison to kill her father. At the coroner’s inquest, the case was dismissed since it was obviously contrived by the attorney and a priest who had seen John and Agnes at the edge of town with her arms around John’s waist!

Agnes wrote that John spoke to her of biblical things during their ride to the next village but that did not make it right. John was wrong, careless for his reputation and for a single lady. It was a lapse in judgment by a good, great, even godly man.

God warns us about “the appearance of evil.” This is especially true of pastors. No pastor should ever be alone with an unrelated woman unless his office can be observed from the hall. He should never visit in the home of a lady without others present. The Bible tells Christian workers to go “two by two” when they visit.

There is a movement in America that has been gaining popularity in recent years whose only objective is to promote opposite sex friendship. I have a friend in a major Midwest city who has written a book promoting this dangerous and unbiblical teaching. I don’t question his or others’ motives but I sure question their wisdom and judgment. He could probably be identified as a “recovering Fundamentalist” but I suggest he and some others in the movement are loosey-goosey Evangelicals or simply professing Christians from mainline churches.

People in the Opposite Sex Relationship (OSR) movement often have meals with the opposite sex and even take road trips with them, utilizing separate motel rooms. The one verse dealing with the appearance of evil would prohibit that practice. Honesty, sincerity, purity, friendship, and all other virtues are not relevant. It is an open door for sexual immorality, breaking up families, and especially an open door for evil accusations.

I have many female friends that are important to my life; however, there is a difference in important and essential. I delight in talking with them but I would never consider having lunch alone with them or going on a road trip with them! First of all, why should I? Why would I want to exclude my wife? A wife or husband should provide all the emotional support that is needed and any other support is good but incidental.

No, Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell were right in their relationships with women and John Bunyan was wrong. Jesus said in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Countless sincere pastors are not wise and are making the same mistake that Bunyan made providing an open door for destruction of their ministry.

If I had done what Bunyan did, my wife would have guaranteed my early arrival at the Celestial City after a dinner of freshly picked mushrooms–picked by her!

Boys’ new book Muslim Invasion: The Fuse is Burning! was published recently by Barbwire Books; to get your copy, click here. An eBook edition is also available.

Joel Osteen Pastor of Lakeview Church in Houston, who arguably has never said a negative word in his life, was reported as endorsing Trump but Smil’n Joel only half-way endorsed him by calling Trump an “incredible communicator.” But there is more to being president than being able to communicate. Hitler was an incredible communicator.

The Trump endorsement is shocking in that each of those religious leaders has been preaching or standing all his life against many of Trump’s positions on gun control, abortion, marriage, etc.

I think it is time for the above men to reconsider their endorsement of Trump and withdraw it. Maybe even apologize for it! Surely they did not know, at the time of their endorsement, of Trump’s major peccadilloes. The latest may be his worst. This week Trump told Matt Lauer of the Today show that people should be permitted to use the restroom of their choice. So, that means if a sexual predator “feels like a woman” then he can use the ladies room!

Trump agreed that if Bruce Jenner (who claims to be a female but still has male genitalia as well as big shoulders, wide hips, and large hands) visited Trump Towers he could use any restroom he wanted. Of course, during the show Bruce was called “Caitlyn” and was a “she” rather than the correct “he.” After all, Bruce was a male in the past, is a male in the present and will always be a male in the future no matter what body parts he has mutilated by incompetent and greedy surgeons.

This position of Trump is not too surprising since he said that Kim Davis, who refused to issue a marriage license to homosexuals, should “follow the law.” He doesn’t seem to understand that making something legal does not make it right and Christians are obligated to always do right even if it means breaking the law and going to jail. Unprincipled people can’t understand that. What Trump knows about Bible principle would fit into the naval of a flea! Almost!

Donald Trump is a strong, impulsive, aggressive man without a moral compass or rudder and is sailing perilously close to deceptive, dangerous, even deadly shoals. He displayed that when his Trump Foundation donated $20,000 to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in 2012 and another $10,000 to Gay Men’s Health Crisis. That alone should disqualify him from any Christian leader’s endorsement.

GLSEN promotes “fisting” to middle school students and recommended books that excuses homosexual pedophilia. Their proclaimed mission is “promoting homosexuality” in the public schools to children as early as kindergarten.

Equally damning is his marriage and divorce record. He has had two divorces (both initiated by him) and his philandering, his illegitimate baby, and sexual innuendos don’t seem to bother my evangelical brethren. For sure if Trump were a member of any of their churches he would be publically disciplined and be required to confess his very public sins to the congregation and ask them, as well as God, for forgiveness. If he refused to repent, he would be removed from the church membership and refused a recommendation to any other church.

I have problems with Trump in that he boasted about his sexual exploits even with married women. If a man won’t keep his marriage vows to his wife why should I think he will keep his promises to me made in the heat of a political campaign? He was dumb enough or arrogant enough to boast about his many sexual affairs, multiple marriages, and divorces in his book! His audacity, arrogance, and aggression are shocking.

Conservatives have been consistent in taking umbrage toward erring conservatives because that is simple honesty. We screamed like a stuck pig when John McCain returned home from prison and dumped his overweight wife for a newer model but at least he admitted that it was the worst moral failure of his life. But with Trump, he sees no need for confession and repentance because he did nothing wrong!

When Jerry Falwell endorsed Trump, Falwell declared, Trump is a wonderful Christian brother “who reminds me of my dad.” Well, maybe but only because both were men and public figures but surely that’s all the resemblances. I knew Jerry Falwell from the early 1960s until his death. He was one of the kindest, most gentle, humble, informed, consistent, courageous men I ever met. He would never be mistaken for Donald Trump if one were comparing their character traits. And as for Trump being a “Christian brother,” even his closest associates are aware that he displays no evidence of being a Christian. He may be, but his life doesn’t show it.

I will vote for Trump only if the alternative is Hillary or Sanders. If the Democrats manipulate their convention and nominate a sane Democrat, I will vote for the Democrat–for the first time in my life. That will not happen so I am stuck with Trump unless Cruz pulls it out and Cruz is not a perfect candidate. And I refused to run!

Trump is anathema to the GOP because he cannot be controlled, which is laudable. If the GOP leaders are stupid enough to take away the nomination after he wins it, then Katy bar the door! We will have what Soros and the race baiters have been striving for: riots in the streets. Every group has its fringe people–the crazies and Trump has some for sure.

Furthermore, with chaos in the streets, Obama could very well justify martial law and cancel the general election (for the “good of the people,” of course) permitting his rule to last into the Tribulation Period, if not the Millennium.

I hope and I have prayed that Cruz wins but if not then Trump should be the nominee. Some of my friends and readers are dismayed, displeased, and disagreeable over my reluctance to support Trump. They want to understand my reasoning in supporting Trump only if I must.

Trump has some good attributes. He is independent, not depending on the donors, lobbyists, or the GOP leadership. He is as independent as a hog on ice. He can’t be controlled so he gives party officials perpetual heartburn. That is good. He is not politically correct, which is good, and “says what he’s thinking” which is good and bad. It depends on what he’s thinking. Moreover, I believe he will probably keep his word and will do many of the things he has promised to do. And if he only solves the border problem, takes on the terrorists, and solves the tax and spending problem, then we are winners.

But then Cruz would do all that. So, I have many problems with supporting Trump when Cruz is available.

I have problems with his many hotels, casinos, etc., where liquor is sold and gambling is the purpose for being there. Only God is aware of all the homes he has damaged and the lives he has destroyed.

I have problems with his abortion position where he makes exception for rape, incest, or life of the mother. Those exceptions have been used for decades to kill innocent babies. Many products of rape and incest are very productive citizens. It is always wrong to take the life of an innocent unborn child. After all, if you were the product of rape or incest, you would sure agree with me!

Trump seems to embody the New York City values that Ted Cruz spoke about.

If Trump is elected to the presidency he will know when to wear a white tie and tails and what fork to use to eat garden green beans with shallots and toasted almonds at a formal dinner with a foreign leader, but he probably won’t know the name of the foreign leader or know his capitol city.

Boys’ new book, Evolution: Fact, Fraud, or Faith? was published this month by Barbwire Books; to get your copy of Evolution: Fact, Fraud, or Faith? click here. An eBook edition is also available.