| Donald Trump, who proclaims that he loves his God, loves his church, and that the Bible is his favorite book. |  |
Though I know who, among the profusion of candidates still running, I absolutely do not want to be our next president, I haven't yet decided who I do want.
| Still, I must admit, candidate Bernie Sanders possesses a shining attribute that to me is so admirable, so desirable in a politician that I've told myself in the past that if ever there arose a presidential candidate with this virtue they'd nab my vote in an Ohio minute. |  |
What I admire in Bernie, what I've waited for so long in a politician, is that here's someone, finally, who keeps his religion to himself. It was only recently when pressed on the issue that he declared himself to be someone with no particular affiliation. In other words he's a "None".
 | And so he doesn't use God as a vote-getter, or as a prop to control voters. |
| He doesn't tout his religion and imply that his faith makes him a superior candidate to others, |  |
 | ...or that he is God's chosen. |  |
He doesn't make it his business to make sure everybody knows that he is a morally superior human being,
 |  |
...which is a big clue that Bernie Sanders is probably a morally superior human being.
The worst thing about about all the self-proclaimed Christian presidential candidates who trumpet their faith at every opportunity is that they really do believe that they are favored by God and therefore can do no wrong. Everything they do must be right because God has chosen them. Whatever they do is God's will. And if they do get happen to get caught doing something wrong, well, that's all right, too, because God - and all their Christian followers - will either condone or forgive what they've done, so with God on their side they can be above human decency.
But I believe there's another psychological element to the all support these religious candidates manage to garner: I believe there's a element of fear they instill in their followers, the implied threat that if one rejects them one is rejecting God. And who dares be on the wrong side of God?
So never mind that one candidate is as mean as a snake and another brags of his own greed and sexual promiscuity. All any of them have to do is talk about what devout, Bible-loving Christians they are to get a pass on the worst behavior.
But in fact Jesus had words for their type in Matthew 23:27: "Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean",
The worst thing about about all the self-proclaimed Christian presidential candidates who trumpet their faith at every opportunity is that they really do believe that they are favored by God and therefore can do no wrong. Everything they do must be right because God has chosen them. Whatever they do is God's will. And if they do get happen to get caught doing something wrong, well, that's all right, too, because God - and all their Christian followers - will either condone or forgive what they've done, so with God on their side they can be above human decency.
But I believe there's another psychological element to the all support these religious candidates manage to garner: I believe there's a element of fear they instill in their followers, the implied threat that if one rejects them one is rejecting God. And who dares be on the wrong side of God?
So never mind that one candidate is as mean as a snake and another brags of his own greed and sexual promiscuity. All any of them have to do is talk about what devout, Bible-loving Christians they are to get a pass on the worst behavior.
But in fact Jesus had words for their type in Matthew 23:27: "Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean",
 | ...not to mention the image invoked in Matthew 7:15 |
As for Bernie Sanders, he may not have the religion juggernaut fueling his campaign, but surely his strength is of the strength of ten because his heart is pure.
References:
1. "Voters warm to candidates who are not religious", By Cathy Lynn Grossman, Religion News Service, January 29, 2016
2. "Could Americans elect a non-religious president? Bernie Sanders wants to find out", By Paul Waldman, The Washington Post, January 28, 2016
3. "Christians Cringe at Donald Trump’s Sexy Past", By Betsy Woodruf, The Daily Beast, January 27, 2016
4. What do we know about the faith of the 2016 presidential candidates?" By Lucinda Borkett-Jones, Christian Today Features Editor 21 July 2015
5. "Trump believes in God, but hasn't sought forgiveness" By Eugene Scott, CNN 18, 2015
6. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3403852/Donald-Trump-says-great-relationship-God-voters-Iowa-love-him.html
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