For decades, many Christians have declared the US a Christian nation. That is provably untrue. Not only does the Constitution state “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” Most of those calling for recognition no longer practice a religion that, in any way, resembles Christianity. Unless, of course, your idea of Christianity is represented by visions of the Spanish Inquisition or the pastors and priests who have used their positions to abuse children or to scam millions from their followers in order to live a life of luxury in mansions.

According to exit polls, 80 percent of those who call themselves evangelical Christians voted for Donald J Trump. So did 52 percent of white Catholics, along with 57 percent of whites who are mainline protestants. And they did so despite knowledge of his three marriages and extramarital affairs, his troubling statements about grabbing women by their pussies, credible accusations of rape and assault, his racist attacks on Mexicans who are predominately Catholic, and knowledge of his many scams, including his use of a charity to funnel money into his own pockets. Moreover, there was no evidence that he regularly attended church or had any real knowledge of Christianity.

All these voters knew was that he was suddenly “pro-life” (though he had long supported pro-choice Democrats) and that he was endorsed by some of the most disingenuous evangelical con men…er…pastors on the planet.

Now let’s examine the “Christian” actions of this man who some have labeled an instrument of God sent to prepare Earth for the second coming of the Messiah. Indeed, some even seem to think Trump is the Messiah.

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 states, “For the Lord your God…loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Yet Trump ordered the separation of children, including toddlers, from their immigrant parents and placed them in cages. He placed adults who had the nerve to ask for refugee status in cages, eventually blocking all refugees at our southern border and forcing them into makeshift camps in Mexico. His so-called “pro-life” regime even ordered those here on medical visas for lifesaving treatments not available elsewhere to leave within 30 days, in effect, sentencing them to death. Most recently, he refused entry to refugees from the Bahamas who are fleeing the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

According to Luke 14:12-14, Jesus said to his host, “…when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” Yet the Trump regime has moved to end food stamp benefits for 3.1 million poor Americans. Ostensibly the excuse for such action is our enormous federal deficit. Never mind that the primary reason for the growing deficit is the tax cuts given to corporations and the very wealthy at the start of the Trump regime. Perhaps Trump and his “Christian” supporters should pay heed to Matthew 19:24 which quotes Jesus, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

These are but a few examples of the dozens of cruel and hateful actions by Trump and his administration. Yet his base – his Bible-thumping, cross-wearing, prosperity gospel-spouting base still support him in numbers close to those of 2016. I have a name for them: (actually, I have many – most of which are unprintable) Hallelujah Hypocrites.

The truth is, according to a recent study, atheists and agnostics are more driven by compassion to help others than are highly religious people.