Ending many of his rallies with a churchlike ritual and casting his prosecutions as persecution, the former president is demanding — and receiving — new levels of devotion from Republicans.
Why would you claim them not to be Christians? They seem very clearly Christian to me. I can’t really see a non “no true scotsman” reason to say they aren’t, and especially that they never was.
The theology may have evolved, but to say they were never Christians would be unjustified, even if I agreed they had stopped being Christians due to this.
I do however not think that is the case either. I agree that their veneration for Trump often becomes pretty much worship. That however doesn’t mean they aren’t Christian. He seems to take a status in their theology ranging from a saint-like figure to prophet and even the second coming of Jesus. Christians started out as a jewish sect and only over time became a distinct religion. I think this Trump worship is similarly a Christian sect that could potentially become a destinct religion. I just haven’t been convinced it has happened yet.
The really funny thing is that the Evangelical Christians say that atheists like me worship ourselves, or money, or pleasure.
So they understand their religion's concept of idolatry, but only as a cudgel to attack others with; they'll never direct that criticism at themselves despite the accusation actually being true in that case: they revere power more than anything.