What America’s history can teach us about debates on religious freedom and its importance for democracy

The decline in church attendance has not resulted in a diminished Christian presence in American public life. selimaksan/E+ via Getty images.

Supporters of both major U.S. political parties tend to claim their presidential candidate is the “real” Christian or the “better” Christian or just the “true” Christian.

For a majority of white evangelical protestants, Trump is the good Christian. Christians for Kamala, a newly created group of self-identified Christians who support the Democratic nominee, say that her campaign embodies the “compassionate heart of Jesus and his teachings.”