Struggling with the 81%

On Sunday mornings, if I write, I try to make it more spiritual or religious in tone.

That's not always easy, what with personal and family prep time in the morning, getting ready to go to a church that starts at 10 AM, and when Sunday School is in session, 9 AM.

This morning I have a little time, but all my thoughts are dominated by one thing, one horrible fact I cannot get out of my head -

81% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump.

Granted, my church would probably not be considered part of the evangelical group.  Episcopalians are considered mainline Protestant, or even part of the Christian left.  We certainly are open to a lot of people, including the LGBT community.

But even my church is not an anti-Trump monolith.  Probably a third or more voted for Trump.  I'm not sure how they worked their minds around that, but I don't see many of them proclaiming they voted for Trump BECAUSE of their faith.  They usually have other reasons for it.  It's sad.  It's disconcerting.  

Almost all the other Christian churches in my area, with the exception of  some  African-American congregations, are part of  what would be considered the evangelical movement, or what I refer to as the Christian right.

Some differences are merely in ritual and focus.  And that's fine.  I am heartened that there are many different ways to worship.  Some like the liturgy and tradition of an Episcopal or Catholic church. Some like a more charismatic feel.  It's all good.

I'm not sure what happened so that

81% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump.

I know I should be thinking of other things.  I know that how you vote is not the sole determinant of who you are as a Christian.  And yet....

I cannot wrap my head around it.  Donald Trump may be the most vile human being to ever become President.  He is certainly the least competent, and his entire lifestyle is the complete reverse of anything remotely like Christian behavior.

I know that some have claimed it has to do with positions on abortion and gays.  But not only are these topics virtually unmentioned in the Bible, and, even more importantly, by Jesus, the solutions proposed are not Christian in nature.  Does Jesus really believe that women are second class citizens, with fewer rights than men?  Nothing in his words and actions indicate that.  Does he have open hostility to gays?  Nothing he says or does indicate that.

And yet issues of personal morality, and CONTROLLING other people's morality seems to be important to this group than any other Gospel message.

The message of love you neighbor, doing for the least of these what you would do for Jesus, reaching out to the poor and disadvantaged - all that has been lost. 

To me, these issues still don't explain how

81% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump

Could it be about cultural issues, and insuring the dominance of white culture in a country slowly becoming less white?

That is so repulsive, I can barely stand it.  And yet....ultimately, watching the Christian Right abandon so much of the Gospels to vote for this blasphemous man, what else can I think?

I can't it it out of my head.  I think about it constantly.  It haunts me.

81% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump

Weeping and lamentations overtake me.