By DAVE WESTER | Elroy
The religious right thoroughly declared itself morally and ethically bankrupt with its support for Donald Trump.
Trump vulgarly bragged about pressuring women for sex. His campaign was blatantly racist, including support from the Ku Klux Klan. He showed no compassion for the less fortunate. He lied about his charitable contributions, his support for the Iraq war and about President Obama’s U.S. birth. He ripped students off with his phony university. He tacitly admitted to unethical income tax practices by refusing to release his income tax. He stiffed subcontractors when his businesses filed for bankruptcy. When U.S. banks would no longer lend him money, he snuggled with Russians and praised their dictatorial leader.
Did organized religion chastise him? No.
Jerry Falwell Jr. said that Trump had lived his life in the spirit of Jesus. That’s laughable.
Ralph Reed, formerly of the Christian Coalition, dismissed Trump’s vulgar comments as irrelevant.
Pat Robertson excused Trump, saying he was just trying to look macho.
About 80 percent of white evangelicals voted for Trump. These are the same people who declared a national crisis when President Bill Clinton was seduced by an intern. Now they knowingly supported a man whose behavior was far worse. Could they possibly be more hypocritical?
Here in Wisconsin, we now have the most deceitful and devious governor in my lifetime, and I am well into Social Security. Remember this statement from Gov. Walker’s first inaugural address: “We will protect our vital natural resources.” With his actions on mining, oil and gas pipelines, gutting DNR enforcement, CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations), and industrial high capacity wells, no one would accuse the governor of even trying to protect our vital natural resources. It was just another lie. Gov. Walker and his Republican allies try to slip controversial legislation through when no one is looking, and then lie about it when they get caught. Remember the “drafting error”? They are constantly trying to subvert democracy with gerrymandering, voter registration, and closing voting locations in Democratic precincts.
Scott Walker is the father of modern dirty politics in Wisconsin. In spite of that, he actually tried to convince people that God told him to run for president, which is as laughable as Jerry Falwell Jr.’s comment about Trump. If organized religion ever chastised Walker for trying to use God to manipulate the public and promote himself, I have not heard of it. For the most part, organized religion has been asleep at the switch. Those who took a stance were much more likely to support Walker than to chastise him. A local preacher who frequently writes in this newspaper is among those who encouraged people to vote for this despicable politician. Religious hypocrisy can be very close to home.
Is there any wonder why Millennials are fleeing from organized religion?
Morals and ethics have little to do with the religious right’s political choices. During the presidential election of 2016 and the Walker administration, they have proven that they are nothing more than political gas bags who use religion to manipulate the public.
