Donald Trump is on a campaign to win over conservative Christians. This would be laughable except that Christian conservatives appear to be buying it. Even James Dobson testified that Trump, who recently stated he had nothing to confess to God because he didn’t do many bad things, is now a “baby Christian.”

This particular sideshow is not so much about Donald Trump, but about how, once again, this presidential campaign is forcing Christians to become spiritual contortionists.

Four years ago, Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, stated during the Republican primary that he could never endorse the member of a cult. He was referring, of course, to Mitt Romney, a Mormon. Once Romney became the candidate, though, Jeffress endorsed him wholeheartedly. The circus “rubber man” would have been proud.

The same thing is happening this time around, putting many conservative Christians in a quandary. A Republican endorsement, generally a no-brainer with evangelicals, is now an endorsement of someone who embodies all manner of things evangelicals abhor. If Trump were a Democrat, conservative Christians would be planning a preemptive impeachment rather than trying to figure out how to vote for him without really endorsing him.

Spiritual contortions. We all do this to justify actions, beliefs, and prejudices that we know, beyond all doubt, are counter to who we want to be. We mentally bend and twist and gyrate until we can rationalize whatever we need to.

Trump is helping evangelicals with these contortions by saying what they want to hear in order to sleep well at night. It matters not if he means what he says, or even understands what he says. He is saying the right things, awkwardly, and in this case, having the right language will substitute for genuine faith. He’s a salesman after all, and his evangelical bandwagon is filling up.

Most versions of Christianity we hear on the campaign trail are patriotic American-style versions, with little or no resemblance to what we read in the gospels. Every candidate at the local, state, and national level hopes he or she can sound “Christian enough” to garner support.

What’s a good Christian to do? Think? Pay attention?

My suggestion is that we not have a Christian president. Well, maybe the president could be Christian, but we shouldn’t know it until after the election. Prior to the election, candidates may not talk about their faith. The candidates may only talk about what they have done and about their vision for the country.

They can cover all the topics we need to hear about to make an informed decision, but they may not trot God out as if they have had a divine revelation or have received a divine endorsement. Then, if Christians want to make a “Christian choice,” they can decide which person’s words and actions are most in line with the teachings and example of Jesus.

Can you imagine someone espousing a true Christian message during the campaign? Someone committed to living and governing according to the words and example of Jesus would never survive a primary, and certainly not the presidency. How long would a candidate last who is truly meek, who seeks to be a peacemaker, who would not retaliate but instead turn the other cheek? What would happen in a debate to the one who insisted that as a country we love our enemies, even the ones who are trying to kill us, and that we humble ourselves, repent, and seek first the kingdom of God above all the trade agreements and homeland security policies. And what would a candidate say about the economy and caring for the poor from a Christ-like perspective?

I doubt I would vote for a candidate who presented that political agenda. As Christians we must stop rationalizing our vote as “the Christian choice.” If we want to cast a Christian vote, we must do our homework. We must ask tough questions and not settle for bumper sticker answers. Then we must vote for the person whose demonstrated ethics and worldview align most with our nation’s history of protecting freedom, seeking justice, and insuring the inclusion and well-being of everyone, not just the ones like us.