[Disclaimer] - I am not an American and I consider myself atheist, I am Caucasian and born in a pre-dominantly Christian country.
Based on my limited knowledge of Christianity, it is all about social justice, compassion and peace.
And I was always wondering how come Republicans are perceiving themselves as devout Christians while the political party they support is openly opposing those virtues and if this doesn’t make them hypocrites?
For them the mortal enemy are the lefties who are all about social justice, helping the vulnerable and the not so fortunate and peace.
Christianity sounds to me a lot more like socialist utopia.
A lot of people are answering half of your question: offering theories about why conservatives are Christians, or vis versa.
I’ve always been curious about the “fervent” part: why do the liberal Christians out there (statistically there are lots) seem to be so much less passionate and outspoken about their religion and its tenets?
Not a Christian but I’ve read the Bible and Jesus is very much not about shoving your beliefs down people’s throats.
“ When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.” Matthew 6:5
1 Corinthians 5:12-13 NIVUK
And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With odd old ends stolen out of Holy Writ,
And seem a saint when most I play the devil.
Because the people who are more interested in the reality of Christianity are more likely to be out in the world doing the things Jesus talked about than they are to be standing in front of a camera shouting about Jesus.