--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As Donald Trump was campaigning for the…" description: "\"“As Donald Trump was campaigning for the Republican nomination for president in 2016 he was asked, “Have you ever asked God for forgiveness?” He replie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3d/adam-hamilton-12592_better-job_as-donald-trump-was-campaigning-for-the_123880.jpg" --- # As Donald Trump was campaigning for the Republican… ![“As Donald Trump was campaigning for the Republican nomination for president in 2016 he was asked, “Have you ever asked God for forgiveness?” He replied, “I’m not sure I have. I just go and try and do a better job from there. . . . If I do something wrong, I think I just try to make it right. I…” quote by Adam Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3d/adam-hamilton-12592_better-job_as-donald-trump-was-campaigning-for-the_123880.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3d/adam-hamilton-12592_better-job_as-donald-trump-was-campaigning-for-the_123880.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3d/adam-hamilton-12592_better-job_as-donald-trump-was-campaigning-for-the_123880.jpg) > ““As Donald Trump was campaigning for the Republican nomination for president in 2016 he was asked, “Have you ever asked God for forgiveness?” He replied, “I’m not sure I have. I just go and try and do a better job from there. . . . If I do something wrong, I think I just try to make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”1 He created quite a stir among many religious people, so he tempered the comments a few days later. But I think he was being honest, and his comments reflect the way many people feel: in theory they believe in the forgiveness of sins, but the concept doesn’t really apply to them. Standing in stark contrast to this view is one articulated by twentieth-century existentialist theologian Paul Tillich, who once said, “Forgiveness is an answer, the divine answer, to the question implied in our existence.”2”” [Adam Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hamilton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts a pragmatic view of forgiveness—rarely invoked in personal error—with Tillich's existential claim that forgiveness answers a fundamental human question. **In simple terms:** Practical denial of forgiveness vs. existential need for it. Key Takeaway Forgiveness can be both avoided and philosophically essential. Themes forgiveness existentialism religion morality Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical When to use this quote - spiritual counseling - ethical debates - personal crisis Key Concepts divine answer human existence Practical Applications - Explore personal beliefs about forgiveness - Engage with philosophical perspectives Questions to Reflect On - Does forgiveness resolve existential anxiety? - How does cultural context shape forgiveness practices? A Different Perspective Many people practice forgiveness without framing it as an existential answer. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-forgiveness-269021/) [Better job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-job/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Forgiveness Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness-answer-246615/) [Forgiveness of sins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness-of-sins/) [Forgiveness Replied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness-replied-1438498/) [God Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-forgiveness/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paul-tillich/) [Religious people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-people/) [Said Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-forgiveness-1232026/) ## Related quotes > [Forgiveness is not saying, What you did to me is okay. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-do-not-think-of-god-theistically-that-is-as-a-being-supernatural-in/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“The theologian Paul Tillich wrote that "loneliness can be conquered only by those who can bear solitude." Because the borderline finds solitude so difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerold-j-kreisman/the-theologian-paul-tillich-wrote-that-loneliness-can-be-conquered/) [Jerold J. 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But I think he was being honest, and his comments reflect the way many people feel: in theory they believe in the forgiveness of sins, but the concept doesn’t really apply to them. 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