Did you see the photo of the evangelical leaders laying hands on Donald Trump? I didn’t know if I should laugh, cry, or throw up.
The association of fundamentalist religion with the Republican Party really began with Reagan. Prior to that, religious figures generally tried to avoid being partisan figures, presumably because they didn’t think that tying Christianity to particular secular policies (e.g., God demands a larger defense budget) and demonizing half the population was a good long-term marketing tool. As one would have predicted, they’ve paid the price for their decision; church attendance is falling significantly, particularly among young people, and the very public connection between Reactionary voters and Christianity has to be part of the reason.
The negative impacts of right-wing Christianity can also be seen in our political system. The GOP, when forced to choose between science and fundamentalist beliefs, will inevitably lean towards the latter. The intensity of the partisan divide naturally increased when the Democrats were portrayed as agents of Satan. As I’ve noted before, American “conservatives” are different than their counterparts everywhere else in the world; the unique connection between secular ideology and religion is clearly a large factor in that.
For their part, it is very important for the Democrats to avoid being perceived as being hostile to Christianity. Becoming a purely secular humanist party will cost them millions of otherwise obtainable votes and cut them off from their history; after all, the civil rights movement has deep roots in Christian ethics, not secular humanism. As with guns, abortion, and rural culture, a little more tolerance and public acceptance would be a really good idea.