People Confused How MAGA Christians Justify Their Behavior

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

For many Americans, the gap between Christian teachings and MAGA politics is baffling. How can people profess faith in Jesus who preached love, mercy and care for the oppressed -- while supporting policies that punish immigrants, demonize LGBTQ people and glorify cruelty?

Posted by lamplighter at 02:30 PM | 48 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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This framework reveals why some MAGA-aligned Christians act in ways that contradict Jesus' teachings.

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-- HuffPost (@huffpost.com) Oct 11, 2025 at 7:03 AM

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More from the article ...

... The key to understanding this apparent contradiction might lie in something called "vertical morality."

This ethical framework measures righteousness not by goodness to others, but by something more simplistic. Below, Christian advocates and former fundamentalists break down what vertical morality means and how it explains our political landscape today.

What Is Vertical Morality?

"Vertical morality teaches that authority, power, and a moral code of right and wrong, or acceptable and unacceptable, come from above' -- an external superior who designates rules, systems, and tenets that must be obeyed by those beneath," said Tia Levings, a former Christian fundamentalist and author of A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-10-13 01:22 PM | Reply

@#1 ... "Vertical morality teaches that authority, power, and a moral code of right and wrong, or acceptable and unacceptable, come from above' -- an external superior who designates rules, systems, and tenets that must be obeyed by those beneath," ...

So, in other words, an unfettered fealty to Pres Trump instead of God?

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-10-13 01:23 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

It's not confusing at all.

There's nothing Christian about MAGA.

They wear crosses and own bibles and go to church.

But they also hate the teaching of Christ.

Love for your neighbor, compassion, community, kindness, empathy are all things MAGA opposes.

They're consumed by anger and hate.

They're fueled by ignorance and fear.

#3 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-10-13 01:28 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

I used to try and NOT quote verses of the Bible back at Christians. I found it annoying when they cherry picked quotes.

But now I find that when they cherry pick and chose a quote to support their hate and runaround of Jesus's teachings I just quote back to them what Jesus actually said (Or did not say about it)

Also a good method of response is to go to the chapter and verse they quote and read the rest of the chapter. Then ask which of the rest of the ancient commands were they also following. Which always none

Here's the thing I have come to realize.

While Christians are a powerful large group they do not "own" the Bible or Jesus or God.

And I have found that most have no clue about the other major religions of the world and what they actually believe. If they did they would soon come to the realization at some point that we are all talking about the same thing from different perspectives. And using words language to try and describe a mystery that has no words or language.

#4 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-10-13 01:40 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 4

It isn't confusing at all and I've been posting the reason for a long time.

They're not trying to convince anyone else of their virtue an righteousness, they're all about convincing themselves.

They sit through services that assure them that they are righteous and good for believing in Christ so they can be complete pieces of s*&^ the rest of the time every week.

That's it. There is no contradiction in their own minds so there's no attempt at consistency or even trying to follow the teachings.

#5 | Posted by jpw at 2025-10-13 02:41 PM | Reply

Most MAGA preachers do nothing but spread hate.

#6 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-10-13 02:42 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Some of them spread hate and molest children.

#7 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-10-13 02:43 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

The GOP are the

Guardians

Pedophiles!

#8 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-10-13 02:44 PM | Reply

from #14 at the below link

"2 Thessalonians 2:3

A remarkable and yet often overlooked meaning behind this verse is that the "falling away" " or those that leave the faith " will be tied in with the revealing of the man of sin. In other words, these two events are related, as those who fall away from the faith will fall TOWARDS the man of sin.

Thus, it is the falling away that reveals the Antichrist, as we simply need to look at those who have fallen away from the faith and see WHO they are gravitating towards. It's not simply a falling away for the sake of leaving the faith, but a falling away FROM Jesus Christ and TOWARDS the Antichrist.

This is exactly what we've seen over the past few years with many Christians and their love affair with Trump. While Trump's vileness would have been repulsive in any other politician, strangely Christians not only embraced him, but started talking about him as if he was a man of God.

Even worse, some Christians now consider Trump as the savior of America, putting him on the same level as Jesus. But to those of us who are watching, their falling away from the faith helps us identify who the Antichrist is, as we simply need to observe WHO they are embracing instead of Jesus."

antichrist45.com

#9 | Posted by Corky at 2025-10-13 03:20 PM | Reply

Many in the cult of MAGA originally started out in the cult of Scofield.

#10 | Posted by ExpectingReign at 2025-10-13 06:16 PM | Reply

Yes.... he was an early dispensationalist. And, "he wrote that antisemitism was a sin.".

en.wikipedia.org

#11 | Posted by Corky at 2025-10-13 06:31 PM | Reply

There's no Christianity in the MAGA movement.

There's everything Christianity has been trying to get humanity beyond.

#12 | Posted by Tor at 2025-10-14 08:07 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Fascinating article. Thanks for posting it.

#13 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2025-10-14 08:51 PM | Reply

All this blah blah blahing rationalizing something that's just obvious to everyone.

You remember those 9/11 terrorists?

Some jerk face politician set up a policy to let those people in the country.

What the ---- were they doing here? Why the ---- were they here at all?

Nobody wants them here. Period.

So all this gaslighting of "not all this" and blah blah blah that has led half the country to hating your lying asses.

We don't want those people in the country, we don't want anyone here illegally in the country.

WE WANT THEM TO GET THE ---- OUT and no amount attempts to rationalize or criticize this is ever going to work. Just get em the ---- out of here. We're ------- sick of it.

#14 | Posted by THEBULL at 2025-10-15 05:23 AM | Reply

#14
Gawd, what an effen maroon.
This is the "great again" these imbeciles yearn for: scalar.usc.edu

#15 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-10-15 05:42 AM | Reply

WE WANT THEM TO GET THE ---- OUT

#14 | Posted by THEBULL

Many millions say that about you and people like you.

They see you as being nasty and dangerous to the country.

I can't imagine why.

#16 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-15 07:43 AM | Reply

There's no Christianity in the MAGA movement.

There's everything Christianity has been trying to get humanity beyond.

#12 | Posted by Tor

You say the truth.

MAGA is an atavism.

Like Nazism was an atavism.

Someone tell BULL what "atavism" means.

#17 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-15 07:46 AM | Reply

That's why Christianity resonates. It's the easiest religion for forgiveness. One can commit atrocities, but if they repent, they get absolution. Easy peasy. Lynch a few coloreds on Saturday night and mentally beg for forgiveness on Sunday morning. All is well.

#18 | Posted by lee_the_agent at 2025-10-15 09:04 AM | Reply

Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds Hardcover " September 9, 2025
by John Fugelsang (Author)

"For more than two centuries, the United States Constitution has given us the right to a society where church and state exist independently. But Christianity has been hijacked by far-right groups and politicians who seek to impose their narrow views on government, often to justify oppressive and unequal policies. The extremists who weaponize the Bible for earthly power aren't actually on the side of Jesus"and historically they never have been. How do we fight back against those acting"literally"in bad faith?"

#19 | Posted by YAV at 2025-10-15 09:07 AM | Reply

Chicago: ICE went to a school pickup line, all in masks, and ripped people from their cars and took them away. No warrants. US Citizens taken. Kids screaming. People were released later, but the terrorists got their point across, didn't they?

Fcck ICE. Fcck TRUMP. Fcck MAGA.

#20 | Posted by YAV at 2025-10-15 09:12 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

"They demonize all immigrants as criminals, all queer people as predators, all leftists as violent and all Democrats as satanic"

That's BS.

An awfully long article to promote this lie.

I'm a Christian but pragmatic at the same time.

The sheer hypocrisy of this article is using scripture against Christians as a weapon, who are themselves not allowed to openly use scripture to defend their beliefs.

#21 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 11:24 AM | Reply

I absolutely will not be part of this sham so I have nothing else to say in this thread.

#22 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 11:27 AM | Reply

Tor,

"There's no Christianity in the MAGA movement."

Ok....then what's the problem?

You want more "Christianity" in the MAGA movement so long as YOU get to pick and choose what aspects of Christianity.

#23 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 11:39 AM | Reply

from the article

"For many Americans, the gap between Christian teachings and MAGA politics is baffling. How can people profess faith in Jesus who preached love, mercy and care for the oppressed -- while supporting policies that punish immigrants, demonize LGBTQ people and glorify cruelty?"

Nothing hypocritical about that... it's the plain truth.

Evil has hijacked the fundamentalists into it's nationalist authoritarian party.

And by Evil I mean the slimeball in the WH and the Billionaires who put him there so he cab give them everything they ever wanted, including the largest transfer of wealth from the lower classes to the rich in our history.

#24 | Posted by Corky at 2025-10-15 11:44 AM | Reply

This is how all religion has been since the beginning of religion. Hell, the Dark Ages was nothing but religious people doing whatever they wanted.

That being said, I remember after 9/11 the people with left ideologies were absolutely gung-ho about "Don't judge an entire demographic based on what a small minority of extremists from that demographic do". And that is still good advice today, even though liberals don't subscribe to their own ideologies when their poligion gets in the way.

I mean, I know liberals today own hypocrisy like it's their skin but now you are going a step farther and bringing in hypocrisy from 20 years ago.

And, of course, the inevitable reply from you DR lib kids is "but it's most Christians." Well, as of 2023 according to a quick Google search, over 200m Americans identify as Christian. And, if over 200m Christians were guilty of what you are claiming, this country would look a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOT different right now, so that is not a valid statement.

#25 | Posted by humtake at 2025-10-15 11:56 AM | Reply

Same way regular christians do.

#26 | Posted by fresno500 at 2025-10-15 11:56 AM | Reply

Christians have long since come to terms with separating their faith from politics.

But some liberals and atheists haven't.

They can't seem to grasp why Christians don't act according to THEIR expectations, so they invent ideas like "vertical" and "horizontal" morality to explain it.

But really...is that what they really want?

#27 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 12:05 PM | Reply

Hum,

You screwed up the screen formatting.

My cell phone everything is so small its hard to tead.

#28 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 12:11 PM | Reply

They can't seem to grasp why Christians don't act according to THEIR expectations

#27 | POSTED BY BILLJOHNSON

A lot of what you post is simply ego-defense.

You disregard input from Christians as readily as from non-Christians.

You can be a wind up toy if you want to.

#29 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-15 12:12 PM | Reply

- Christians have long since come to terms with separating their faith from politics.

obtuse:

adjective
1.
annoyingly slow to understand; dull-witted.

Perhaps you just aren't paying attention. You could start with the first ever Office of Faith operating in the WH.

And still have about a million other clues to investigate.

#30 | Posted by Corky at 2025-10-15 12:18 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

The sheer hypocrisy of this article is using scripture against Christians as a weapon, who are themselves not allowed to openly use scripture to defend their beliefs.
#21 | Posted by BillJohnson

Here's an idea, keep your beliefs to yourself and live YOUR life by them and leave it out of your public interactions or political ideals/decision.

That way, nobody can see what a cherry picking fake Chreestian you are and point out scripture you conveniently ignore.

#31 | Posted by jpw at 2025-10-15 12:29 PM | Reply

Zed,

I see.

The classic "you're just being defensive" come back.

I guess thats easier than actually addressing what was said.

I don't disregard opinions so long as they aren't making up a false premise in the first place.

#32 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 12:33 PM | Reply

"The sheer hypocrisy of this article is using scripture against Christians as a weapon, who are themselves not allowed to openly use scripture to defend their beliefs"

What a riot.

When Scripture is used to point out Trump checks all six boxes of the AntiChrist IN SCRIPTURE, BillJohnson pretends otherwise.

His literal defense has been Well, Trump didn't get EVERY vote...as if getting elected to the most powerful position in the world, twice, isn't quite enough.

#33 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-10-15 12:38 PM | Reply

Zed,

"Here's an idea, keep your beliefs to yourself and live YOUR life by them and leave it out of your public interactions or political ideals/decision. That way, nobody can see what a cherry picking fake Chreestian you are and point out scripture you conveniently ignore."

Me?

I'm not the one cherry picking.

Its the people saying MAGA isn't "Christian" enough, so long as they get to cherry pick what parts of Christianity they approve of.

#34 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 12:43 PM | Reply

actually addressing what was said.

#32 | POSTED BY BILLJOHNSON

Christians are expected, by Christ, to WORK at being honest and not hypocritical.

That may not be a politics, but it has profound implications for politics.

And if people like you did it the world would be a much nicer place.

#35 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-15 12:44 PM | Reply

Should have referenced jpw...not zed

#36 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 12:44 PM | Reply

Damn small print because the formatting is messed up

#37 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 12:46 PM | Reply

they get to cherry pick what parts of Christianity they approve of.

#34 | POSTED BY BILLJOHNSON

Like: By their fruits you will know them?

Got kids screaming in Chicago today, BILL. Your political choices did that; as did your brand of religion.

#38 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-15 12:46 PM | Reply

Damn small print because the formatting is messed up

#37 | POSTED BY BILLJOHNSON

Personally, I think it';s a sign from God.

#39 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-15 12:47 PM | Reply

Zed,

"if people like you did it the world would be a much nicer place"

So...acceot that Christ is God, who died for your sins, repent and pray for forgiveness and let Him into your heart.

Be one of us.

Sounds like you want to and that's ok.

#40 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 12:57 PM | Reply

Zed,

"Personally, I think it';s a sign from God"

I should share some stories I've experienced.

#41 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 12:59 PM | Reply

#40 | POSTED BY BILLJOHNSON

I'v been baptized, BILL.

Whenever I speak with you I am reminded that faith without works is dead.

#42 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-15 01:03 PM | Reply

I'm not the one cherry picking.
Its the people saying MAGA isn't "Christian" enough, so long as they get to cherry pick what parts of Christianity they approve of.

#34 | Posted by BillJohnson

If you think MAGA is actually following the teachings of Christ...well...

You're not a real Christian. Sorry, but that's the truth.

#43 | Posted by jpw at 2025-10-15 01:03 PM | Reply

Dan,

"When Scripture is used to point out Trump checks all six boxes of the AntiChrist IN SCRIPTURE, BillJohnson pretends otherwise.
His literal defense has been Well, Trump didn't get EVERY vote...as if getting elected to the most powerful position in the world, twice, isn't quite enough"

In the words of Ronald Reagan, "There you go again"

Making up something I never said.

#44 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 01:07 PM | Reply

Jpw,

"If you think MAGA is actually following the teachings of Christ"

I'm not claiming MAGA is or isn't.

You guys are.

You're just not getting it.

Hopeless.

#45 | Posted by BillJohnson at 2025-10-15 01:10 PM | Reply

"Making up something I never said."

When I pointed out Trump checked all six boxes, you objected to the one about the masses loving him...because Trump is OPPOSED by some.