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But how else than the good will of their god, can one explain the Christian bond to him despite the Donald’s payments to an adult-film star after allegations of an affair; attacks on war heroes, congressional widows and a teenage climate activist; boasts of sexual assault caught on tape; and the regular use of profanity at rallies from behind the presidential lectern.

WWBGD?  .. referring to Billy Graham The Rev. Franklin Graham posted a long defense of Trump on his Facebook page, claiming that his father, Billy Graham, voted for Trump.

David Lane, a GOP organizer for evangelicals,  echoes the younger Graham. “Nobody thinks Trump is Saint Donald … God raised Donald Trump.”  James Dobson, founder of the Focus on the Family ticked off more than a dozen issues in which he believed Democrats would be worse than Trump, such as school choice, abortion, Israel, gay rights and “men in women’s sports and boys in girls’ locker rooms.

David Birdsall, an evangelical who has spoken out against the hypocrisy of Donald workship said, “Evangelicals have a greater love for Trump than they do for Christ. Evangelicals have become synonymous with Trump. When you think of evangelicals, you don’t think about Jesus and the Bible, you think of red hats and Trump,”

Trump is not known to regularly read the Bible or pray. He has mistaken the communion plate for a collection plate.

Pence, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and other Republicans have encouraged Trump not to use the Lord’s name in vain at rallies — a singular sin among Christians. The president swears frequently in White House meetings and regularly makes derogatory comments about people and their appearances, including this week suggesting that the late congressman John Dingell, the longest serving member in House history, could be in hell after his wife, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), voted to impeach the president.

Trump has installed Paula White, a televangelist who preaches the “prosperity gospel,” as one of his key religious advisers — concerning some in the evangelical community.

But the president often mentions his political support among Christians during White House functions. He makes a show of saying “Merry Christmas” and contends falsely that previous presidents did not.

Trump has spoken at religious events and likes to be photographed at the White House with pastors laying their hands on him in prayer.

At the magazine’s small headquarters in Illinois, where about 50 people put out the publication, there were some cancellations Friday. David Sutter, a pastor at York Bible Church in Pennsylvania, described himself as a subscriber “for years and years and years” but canceled after the editorial.

But Galli said he has received much support to go along with the attacks. His children were amazed that the president had attacked him on Twitter. He was on CNN nearly every hour Friday, wearing a sweater vest to calmly discuss his piece.

Galli, who is retiring at the end of the year, said he wanted to correct some of the claims in the president’s tweet. He said the magazine is not liberal and is not financially troubled, He also said it received a surge in donations and new subscribers, adding that he had not heard from the White House or anyone connected to Trump.

“It has touched a chord beyond what I ever believed,” he said. “We have a lot of evangelical readers who are saying thank you, and that’s what we wanted to do, to support others who agree and who are saying, ‘What you think is what we think.’ So they know they aren’t crazy.”