Of Course Donald Trump Is a Terrible Christian

“Blessed are the peacemakers”; Trump wants to ban all Muslims from entering the United States.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”; Trump bullies Jeb Bush into submission, calling him weak and constantly interrupting him like the world’s most obnoxious big brother.

Trump is cruel to those around him and crueler in the policies he proposes. He claims the Bible is his favorite book (his own Art of the Deal a close second — seriously), but if he’s ever cracked it open he certainly hasn’t absorbed any of its important lessons.

The pope didn’t name Trump or specifically question his Christianity. “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not a Christian,” Francis said. “This is not the gospel.” And while conservatives Internet-outraged all over the Holy Father for questioning someone else’s Christianity, we all know Trump’s claims to be an evangelical Christian are laughable. Do you honestly think Donald Trump has ever tried to spread the word? Can you imagine Donald Trump on his knees, supplicating to a God he believes has complete power over his life, asking to be saved? (Saved from what?, you can hear him asking. My billions of dollars? The greatest buildings in the world? My model wife?)

Pope Francis may not think much of Trump’s religiosity, but the star of Celebrity Apprentice and his own sexual fantasies has managed to get his bona fides verified by a few choice evangelical stars. Like Trump, Sarah Palin and Jerry Falwell Jr. know something about entertaining a crowd, and they aren’t shy about making their religion into a public performance. They claim Trump is Christian enough for them, and should be Christian enough for you — which reduces the meaning of their own religious beliefs to nearly nothing.

You don’t have to be the Vicar of Christ to judge whether Trump is a practicing Christian; you just have to listen to what he says.