T
rump didn’t just win in South Carolina; he won the white Evangelical vote. It’s a striking success for a thrice-married man with a penchant for profanity and a history of supporting Planned Parenthood. Evangelical leaders are wringing their hands. Back in January, when it had become evident that Trump’s appeal was for real, Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, asked, “Have Evangelicals who support Trump lost their values?”
The explanation for Trump’s support among Evangelicals (and religious conservatives more broadly) is fairly simple. Evangelicals have been left behind by a culture that’s increasingly hostile to their role and influence in American public life. This puts them in a rebellious mood. To be honest, I feel rebellious, too.
