By James A. Haught
     Across America, right-wing politicians pass âreligious freedomâ laws that have a single purpose: to let narrow-minded believers discriminate against gays â an intolerance that is illegal for other people under human rights laws.
In other words, only born-again Christians are allowed to express prejudice and hostility, while other Americans live by kinder standards.
Actually, around the world, thereâs a clear pattern: Strong religion produces judgmental, bigoted attitudes. Fundamentalists are unforgiving, less accepting of out-casts. Puritans are quick to condemn.
In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump exuded racism and ethnic intolerance. He implied that Americaâs first Black president was born in Kenya. He demanded a wall to keep out Hispanics. He tried to block Muslims from entering the United States. Trump also degraded women and boasted of grabbing their genitals. His slogan of âMake America great againâ was perceived as âMake America white again.â
Surprisingly, Trumpâs most ardent supporters were white evangelicals, who backed him by an astounding 81 percent at the polls. It seemed as if those fundamentalists eagerly embraced bigotry.
Itâs an old story: Less-educated white churchgoers have a record of discrimination. In the 1950s, big-time evangelist Jerry Falwell preached against racial integration, saying it âwill destroy our race eventually.â After integration arrived, he founded the Lynchburg Christian Academy for whites â a âseg academyâ designed to evade association with blacks.
In the 1970s, tax-exemption was stripped from segregated religious schools â which impelled white evangelicals to become a belligerent political force, the âChristian rightâ attached to the Republican Party. Today, that segment is a strong bastion of intolerance.
Christianity Today, the foremost evangelical magazine, recently lamented:
âEvery week, we are treated to another revelation about the alarming attitudes of white evangelical Christians.â It said kind-hearted people should âfind President Trumpâs closing the door to the worldâs neediest refugees repulsive. But white evangelicals support Trumpâs exclusionary policy by a whopping 76 percentâŚ. White evangelical Christians, more than any other religious group, say illegal immigrants should be identified and summarily deported.â
The article concluded that too many white evangelicals âshow little mercy for those who are not white Americans.â
College professor David Myers, who grew up in born-again churches, wrote:
âDespite my roots in evangelical Christianity, I no longer claim that identity. I donât want to be associated with the prejudice and intolerance that the word âevangelicalâ now, alas, so often connotes.â
A gathering of fundamentalists drafted a âNashville Statementâ declaring war on âhomosexual immorality or transgenderism.â (Some social media comments branded it âun-American toilet paper written by hypocrites.â)
Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson wrote that, by embracing Trump, born-again believers are âassociating evangelicalism with bigotry, selfishness and deception. They are playing a grubby political game for the highest of stakes: the reputation of their faith.â
However, I think the reputation of their faith has been rather obvious for a long time.