If only it were that easy.
I am one of those oddballs discussed in the first few posts who is both educated and religious (though Iām not a paedobaptist, so no funny looks from me about not baptizing your kids). I would be considered to be theologically conservative. I obviously have a completely different worldview from you (and most posters on this board).
But Iām also not part of the āreligious rightā because I try my best to take what Jesus said seriously. So thereās a lot of elements that go along with Republican politics or even just a āright wingā worldview that I cannot abide: pursuing wealth above all else, not taking care of the earth, the idolatry of American nationalism, the use of violenceā¦I could go on and on.
More fundamentally, I donāt believe Christians should pursue worldly power, because we are called to serve rather than to use force. Itās antithetical to our mission and the methods we should use. I agree with you that Christianity should not be the basis for law; I believe in the separation of church and state. Not only because I donāt believe in coercing you or others, but because Iām concerned with protecting the church, too, whether from questions about whose version of Christianity is enshrined in law (āIād give the Devil benefit of law for my own safetyās sakeā as Moore says in A Man for All Seasons), or from becoming corrupted in pursuing power and destroying its witnessā¦which, you know, look around. That ship has sailed.
I have been in a position to talk about this with others, to speak on it publicly, to write about it for well over a decade now, to audiences made up largely (though not exclusively) of Republican types, because Iāve been concerned about this from the Christian perspective long before Trump was ever a thing. At best, itās treated as a sort of eccentricity of mine; at worst, it gets people angry (mostly because they agree with the premises, and then refuse to accept the conclusion).
Basically no one is receptive, because their worldview isnāt really Christian, either. They worship the flag, they think America is Godās Chosen People-look even at the language of soldiers making a sacrifice, the āaltar of freedom,ā the capitol as the ātemple of democracyā etc. The earliest Christians died rather than burn incense to the Emperor; these people would like to have the State punish those who donāt stand for the national anthem.
You canāt show people that āyour religion shouldnāt be the basis of law for everyoneā when that IS their religion.