This year we are faced with the worst two candidates for President in my lifetime. I wish we truly had a competitive choice. If he had any real chance of winning I would vote for Gary Johnson. I share much of his philosophy of national governance – MODERATE fiscal conservative; MODERATE social liberal.

I must admit though that I am completely baffled by the American religious community this election cycle. I can’t even imagine what the attraction of Christians, especially evangelicals, is to a vulgar racist, sexist, and ethnically bigoted hate monger like Donald Trump. He is the absolute antithesis of everything Jesus Christ stands for and taught his followers in his earthly ministry!!

At least this year I am thankful that I am not Christian, especially an evangelical one!! If I were people would suspect that I, like Jerry Falwell Jr and other prominent evangelicals, had thrown all my Christian values out the window to support Mr. Trump for President. That would be a serious embarrassment for me! As it is I am free to marvel at what those religious leader and parishioners must be thinking? And fortunately everyone knows I am not one of them!

For example, I would like to see a more rational immigration policy as most Americans would. But how can Christians justify in their own souls support for a man who wants to separate families by deporting illegal but otherwise law-abiding parents of American children? Or how about deporting immigrant children who know no other country and whose only crime was being brought to the US illegally by parents when they were babies? Is that the new code of the religious right? Have they lost all sense of humanity?

Likewise, how can they support a man who wants as a national policy to surveil American Muslims and Mosques without cause in search of potential illegal activities? That is clearly Un-American as well as unconstitutional! But if Christians are OK with that, how about surveilling Catholic Churches for potential sexual abuse of children? I would argue that abuse of children by the Christian Church and covering it up for decades is a far worse offense morally, religiously, and legally than claiming a different faith or being a migrant entering the USA illegally in an effort to work and support his/her family.

Fortunately since I am not a member of the evangelical or broader Christian community I am under no religious pressures to conform. I am free to unequivocally reject Trump’s message of hate, division, and contempt for entire classes of fellow Americans. I can quietly endorse Jesus’ teaching of love and respect for all of humanity. And at the same time my conscience is clear!!!

I will probably write later about the pure insanity of Trump’s economic and foreign policy views. I may also discuss the utter stupidity of his rants about trade policy, balance of trade  and creating “millions” of coal mining and manufacturing jobs. Of course by the time I get to that I will have two dozen other absurd pronouncements he will have made to talk about.