Why the Religious Right Has Remained Silent On Trump’s Sexual Assault Remarks

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This past week we found out the road to theocracy is paved with hypocrisy. On Friday (Oct. 7th), a video surfaced in which presidential candidate Donald Trump admits to having sexually assaulted women. Following the release of the tape, Donald Trump dismissed his remarks as “locker room talk” and apologized if anyone was offended. Neither of these statements suffices as an apology and neither suggests he understands the gravity of the situation.

After the video surfaced, many high-profile Republicans were quick to denounce his comments and several even withdrew their endorsements. Amidst the many voices condemning Trump’s remarks, there were several that were conspicuously absent. The leaders of the religious right, who have framed themselves as the defenders of morality, initially responded to Donald Trump’s remarks with a deafening silence. In the last day or two, several have issued tepid criticisms of his statements but not one has withdrawn their endorsement and, like Trump himself, none seems to recognize how deeply troubling the comments in the video really are.

Why would the religious right be reluctant to withdraw its endorsement from Donald Trump? The explanation can be captured in a quote from Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, who said at the Republican National Convention that: “From his judicial nominees, to his running mate, to the party platform and the policies it promotes, Donald Trump has committed to upholding and protecting this first freedom and therefore our ability as citizens to unite our nation once again under God.”...
http://www.secularvaluesvoter.org/2016/10/13/why-the-religious-right-has-been-silent-on-trumps-sexual-assault-remarks/