Religious Ideologies Should Not Be Used as a Campaign Tool

Donald Trump recently told a group of Evangelicals that he has doubts about the Christianity of both President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Some were turned off by Trump's accusation, while others winced at the use of religion in a campaign. Like it or not, religious language has become affixed to American politics. Every campaign season now has a faith component in which candidates use the language of the faithful to attract attention and convince voters that their policies are in line with divine teachings. What is missing is that while the candidates are espousing a particular political ideology, they are also expressing a religious ideology. Religious language, practices and beliefs are now used as a proxy for political language. As candidates tout their faith, they are using it as a tool to both inspire and shame people into supporting their policies.