Alabama’s former Chief Supreme Court Judge Roy Moore is the epitome of Southern white evangelicals. He has once publicly called Islam a, “false religion,” stated that homosexual activity should be illegal, and said in February that the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center were punishment for Americans, “turning away from God,” according to CNN. Now the frontrunner for Alabama’s Senate election, Moore faces accusations of sexual misconduct by eight women, some being as young as 14 at the time.

Republican officials, days after the first accusations were dropped, said they believe the victims and have since called for Moore to drop out of the race, saying that he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate.

Ivanka Trump told the Associated Press, “There’s a special place in hell for people who prey on children, I’ve yet to see valid explanation and I have no reason to doubt the victims,” leaving President Trump unhappy with his daughter’s “quick reaction.”

However, despite the public criticism, Moore still has a strong majority of home-state supporters.  

Evangelical Alabama citizens came from out of the woodwork these past weeks to cast their support for Moore and his campaign in the Senate race. However, each supporter found the need to compare these accusations to other, unrelated actions.

Jim Ziegler, the Alabama state auditor, compared the 30 year age difference in Moore’s alleged relationship with a minor to the biblical story of Joseph and Mary, the parents of Jesus Christ, in an interview with The Washington Post on November 9th.

Additionally, Brandon Moseley, a Moore-supporting journalist, compared Moore’s alleged sexual touching of a 14-year old to stealing a lawn mower stating, “That’s bad, but that’s not a reason, 50 years later, to all of a sudden throw him off the ballot.”

Whichever way you look at it, it seems Alabama officials would rather vote for an alleged child molester over a Democrat. In fact, almost 40% of Alabama Christians say these allegations only strengthen their chances of voting for Moore in the Senate election, according to a poll taken by The Hill.

Moore’s wife, Kayla, shared a letter on Facebook two weeks ago indicating support from more than 50 Alabama pastors. However, not all the pastors said they gave permission for their name to be be used on what appears to be a recycled letter from before the GOP primary.

Moore’s overwhelming support from Christian leaders and followers showcases how truly corrupt Christianity has become in Southern states. Across the U.S., conservative white evangelicals have yet to decide if they are Christians or Republicans first. Republicans across the nation withhold an unacceptable mindset that they don’t have to agree with a candidate’s life choices in order to support them over the Democratic candidate. Child abusers in public office should not be tolerated; yet under the veil of white Christianity in Alabama, it seems that time heals all wrongdoings. 

In a society where “witch hunts” and “fake news” are common terms for people in power defending their wrongdoings, as a general collective we cannot lose sight of the bigger issue at hand.

Instead of saying, “What the hell is wrong with Alabama?” We should be saying, “what the hell is wrong with men in power.” While the entertainment industry has exiled a number of sexual abusers, that sort of progress has yet to reach politics.