Evangelicals without Standards

[mark_twain]

I myself am an evangelical Christian voting for Clinton.

I agree with most posters here that it is very disturbing that someone associating themselves with Christianity would support Trump over Clinton, considering the two candidates' behavior and religious practices.

Anyone with common sense (Christian or not) would realize that Trump has many more personal character flaws than Clinton, laid bare to the entire nation over the last several months. This does not come by random chance, but by lifetime practice of one's behavior.

Hillary Clinton is known to have a lifetime practice of following the Bible, through words and actions. The media does not cover it a lot, but there are a few stories that have covered it before. On the other hand, Donald Trump is known to be lacking in both behavioral traits and spiritual background. The media has made this very clear to everyone.

Although it is disturbing, I think there is an explanation of why it's happening. A lot of these evangelicals might talk politics on the side as they are attending weekly services, and the leaders may distribute their advice regarding their preferences for the Presidential race. People in the congregation tend to act on peer pressure--it's just human nature, and religious groups are no exception.

But it's the people at the top of the religious organizations that are making their choice to support Trump, and people in their congregations like to follow their leaders--it's just a matter of habit, particularly with religion. As a result, the masses are herded to have the political beliefs of those at the top of their organizations.

As for myself, I believe in the Bible but do not attend church regularly. I have no objection to going there, but most of the time it just doesn't fit into my schedule. Because of this, I feel that I have much more freedom to make my political decisions on my own, rather than based on the words of religious leaders.

[mark_twain]

The world has evolved immensely since Christianity was founded.

Back then, government was an external entity to Christians, as they had no say in how the government was operated. The teachings of Christianity were largely based on the government being the outside force.

Modern governments are based on democracy, and it is every citizen's duty to vote in a way that reflects his own morals. The power to vote is a luxury, and Christian voters (or those of other religions) should value that power greatly, for it is how they can make their mark on their government.

Voting for a candidate with bad morals and judgment like Trump is the same thing as condoning that candidate's morals and judgment. It is basically setting a poor example of one's own religion for the rest of the country to see.