We are in a weird alternate universe where the most profane, the most irreligious, the most self-centered president in recent memory has become the champion of the Evangelical Christians.
Before we get to him, a few words about religion in politics.
Granted, there are some things wherein religious law makes sense for everybody. "Thou shalt not murder" makes perfect sense. Murder obviously infringes upon someone's, i.e. the murdered person's, right to continue living. "Thou shalt not steal" makes a lot of sense as a general rule as well. It can be argued that prohibiting and criminalizing murder and theft make sense without ever resorting to a "holy" book. It doesn't really matter what your religion is, no one thinks murder is a good idea, or advocates for the repeal of all laws against murder. But once you pass laws that explicitly appeal to what's written in someone's "holy" book, you're on shaky, even illegal, ground.
Despite the First Amendment, for most of our nation's history, Christianity, in particular, Protestant Christianity has held a privileged position in our society; it has only been the last 50 years or so that the de facto establishment of Christianity has been slowly undone. Predictably, many Christians look upon the dismantling of their privilege as persecution, and just as predictably, cheer on anyone who promises to restore their faith to a preeminent position in society and in law.
Which brings us to the current occupant of The White House and his religious supporters.
Donald Trump came along at a time when a significant segment of the electorate was looking for something new, someone outside the mainstream. In the Democratic Party, Senator Sanders energized large numbers of people who were tired of business as usual from the Democrats. In the Republican primaries, even candidates who got into office by way of their Tea Party bona fides such as Ted Cruz were seen as sellouts. Donald Trump benefited from the widespread dissatisfaction by saying the things that many people wanted to hear and by having no record to run away from. One of the things that he said that people wanted to hear was that he would favor Christianity, that he would "protect" Christians (from what, he didn't elaborate upon) and similarly non-specific pro-Christian slogans. One very specific thing that he promised to do was to appoint anti-abortion judges, including filling the vacant Supreme Court seat. Many people are one-issue candidates, if that one issue is abortion, then of course they'll vote for the candidate that talks about outlawing abortion. Others, just in general, think that "the liberals" are ruining the country and oppressing the Christians, so will vote in anyone who wants to take us back to the good ol' days, despite absence of any indication of actual Christian qualities in that candidate.
So what has happened is that many right-wing Christian voters have decided, whether consciously or unconsciously, that a politician who acts like a Christian is less important than a politician who gives conservative Christians what they want. Apparently moral purity is only important to them when judging liberal Democrats, but is not an issue for conservative Republicans.
But other than abortion, are there other issues where Trump is pandering to right-wing Christians? It looks like Trump will be supporting legislation that legalizes discrimination that is based upon religious beliefs and getting rid of a law that prohibits church leaders from talking politics from the pulpit if they are tax-exempt. At the inauguration the number of ministers praying in the name of Jesus and Trump's assertion that not only would the military protect America, but God would, was perhaps all show, but it pointed toward a more sectarian mode of governing.
Trump is definitely not a religious man, but he knows who got him elected and he's going to continue to throw them bones until he doesn't think he needs them any longer.
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