Religions and their theologies do great harm, especially as relates to patriarchy for purposes here.
For many girls and women, it is deeply imbedded in their psyche that following the direction of their father or husband (and pastor – see Why Does God Need a Penis? by Dr. Miguel De La Torre, an excellent professor and scholar of theology) comes above everything.
Similarly, for many boys and men, it is deeply imbedded in their psyche that following the direction of their father (and pastor) comes above everything. Upon marriage, they are ordered with being the patriarch.
(And what people call “male” and “female” is nothing more than a human, social construct. These are not based on biology. The same with the spectrum of sexuality.)
(There is also a great deal of Whiteness embodied in the ideologies and practices named above. Think Duck Dynasty.)
The “above everything” includes following “the man” even if he is physically or psychologically abusive or is simply wrong.
We all know it’s illegal for churches to take direct position on politics, but we all know they do — and it’s kind of unavoidable. Except for Progressive Christians (think Christian Left), we know that Protestant Christian churches have recently stood behind Republican and conservative politicians — even though these ideologies and practices actually go against their theology.
So, from a perspective that is very real to a number of voters (although a declining number), voting for Donald Trump is what “the man” and “the men” in their life demand. This effectively ends the discussion. Donald Trump’s absolutely horrible behavior when it comes to people he hires, to women, to Muslims, to immigrants, to non-Whites, to queer peoples, etc., is irrelevant because father says, because commandments say, because masculinity, because….
Andrew Joseph Pegoda
Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda 