In her book Shadow Network; Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right. Anne Nelson writes in excruciating detail about a naked power play for American followers of Jesus of Nazareth. She writes convincingly of how some of them have been used cynically by an economic-political cabal.

American Christians, as do all Christians, supposedly follow a Jesus who gave his life in love for his followers. He rejected, according to the books and letters written about him, worldly power, riches, or fame. He chose, instead, the much harder path of love and caring and compassion.

Yet, writes Nelson: “. . . I discovered the rapidly evolving ties connecting the manpower and media of the Christian right with the finances of Western plutocrats and the strategy of right-wing Republican political operatives.”

If democratic practices stood in the way of their desire for power, they would abandon democracy. If they could win by playing unfairly, they would play unfairly.

Voters became objects to be manipulated by masters of computer generated slices of the electorate.

Eventually, leaders were elected who set up a tax system favorable to the rich and who fought attempts at affordable health care.

In a final summing up, Nelson writes: “But the 2016 election clearly demonstrated how the mechanics of democracy could be manipulated to produce antidemocratic results.”

Perhaps in the coming years, American Christians will decide if the Jesus they claim to follow can be trusted on his own teachings—-or, instead, choose the standards of the world that crucified him.