Among the Religious Right leaders fiercely beating their drums for Donald Trump this week was Thomas Ertl, a Florida homebuilder and former member of the secretive Council for National Policy. In a column distributed by the dominionist Oak Initiative, Ertl blamed the release of the “Access Hollywood” video which caught Trump bragging about how his celebrity allowed him to get away with kissing and groping women on “the establishment,” which he portrayed as increasingly “desperate” to “destroy” Trump before Election Day.

“They have created a world over the last one hundred years headed toward full-scale global governance, and they will not allow a wild boar to run free in their vineyard destroying their plans for their New World Order and surrender of U.S. sovereignty,” he wrote.

Like many other evangelical Trump supporters, Ertl cites a number of flawed and sinful men in the Bible and history who have been used by God. Ertl’s unique addition to the typical list of King David and King Cyrus was Ronald Reagan, who Ertl said “was Hollywood’s most X-rated womanizer in his day” and who was “given a pass for his illicit behavior because the establishment thought they could control him.”

Ertl reproduces a long and bitter letter he wrote to an evangelical pastor who opposes Trump. Ertl tells him, “lay down your ‘sin meter’ and look up to see the big picture.” Writes Ertl, “We finally have a candidate for President who is taking on the establishment, the big banks, and multi-national corporations who are destroying our country, and you have your sin meter and microscope out dissecting Donald Trump’s life looking for sin.”

Really? When Donald Trump is involved, a microscopic dissection is hardly needed to uncover appalling behavior.

But Ertl has his eyes on bigger things:

Who of us can know the will of God and plan He has for our great country? But can you not see He is up to something big in the candidacy of Donald Trump? Even bigger than Trump is the historic rebellion and political awakening pushing back against the ruling establishment throughout much of the Western world. What we are experiencing in our country is also running through Europe. This awakening is unprecedented in our lifetime. Joe, put your “sin meter” away and look up to see the great stirring that is going on before our eyes. In God’s mysterious ways He seems to be raising up Donald Trump for a reason. And does it not seem that this flawed candidate is committed and passionate to help our people, nation, and even the church? You do know that some of Trump’s top campaign people are committed Christians? Kellyanne Conway, Stephen Bannon, and David Bossie are all pro-life conservatives. Can we as Christian people ask for a better Vice-Presidential choice than the committed Christian Governor Mike Pence? …I am sure if elected Mr. Trump will surround himself and his administration with many more capable Christian people who may end up as his closest advisors. His pro-life stance is the best we have seen in any Republican candidate. Add to this his excellent policy positions and potential Supreme Court nominees. Can we as Christian people ask for any more? The answer is no. Trump has pledged to protect the millions of endangered Middle-Eastern Christians whose very lives are in jeopardy because of the war policies of the neo-conservatives under Bush, Obama, and Secretary Clinton. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Trump could be a modern-day Cyrus and as President a great defender of the Christian religion and the church. Only time will tell.

Trump, says Ertl, “excels in his internal many attributes,” by which he means Trump “exhibits tremendous alpha male characteristics of courage, fearlessness, and aggressiveness blended with a natural ability to lead people.” Meanwhile, the Never Trumpers “would rather embrace Hillary Clinton, a horribly corrupt establishment puppet, and give the country four to eight years of political hell and socialist revolution.”

Ertl’s final wind-up and pitch: