In an MSNBC segment discussing the evangelical movement Peter Wehner, who served in various roles in the three Republican administrations before the Trump administration, described the effect of wild conspiracy theories as turning evangelical Christianity into a “moral freak show.”

In the relative halcyon days of American evangelicalism at a church service the polyester-clad pastor would deliver a fire and brimstone sermon, and the congregation would beatifically smile in the smug awareness that an angry God would spare them from the eternal torment reserved for the heathen. Evangelicals would leave church hating the sin but condescendingly loving the sinner.

Decades ago, evangelical ministers railed against generic sinners, but now they spew their hatred against specific classes of sinners: gays and lesbians, transgender people, feminists, Democrats, evolutionists, scientists, immigrants, university professors …

Evangelicals have always believed in the miracles of the Bible including the parting of the Red Sea, Jesus walking on water, and the worldwide flood, but now they also believe in crazy conspiracy theories that have no biblical basis.

In recent decades white evangelicals have for the most part aligned with the Republican party, but now they consider being a Republican an article of faith and they demonize Democrats.

Peter Wehner is being generous in his description of evangelical Christianity, it’s a shit show of biblical proportions. How else can you describe a religious movement that elevates an amoral, egotistical con artist billionaire to the stature of a messiah figure. Attending a church service where the minister preaches that the COVID vaccine is the Mark of the Beast, and that the election was stolen from Donald Trump but that the Almighty will reinstate him in a few weeks is akin to attending a religious sideshow carnival.

The evangelical movement is a dung pile whose stench reaches to the heavens, believe me I’m giving these wretched people a wide berth.