If you combine net worth, influence, and je ne sais quoi, Donald Trump is one of the most powerful business figures in the world. The intrigue surrounding his possible bid for the U.S. presidency has caused a huge stir.

I was shocked to hear last week that Donald Trump calls himself a Presbyterian. It would be nothing new to have a Presbyter-ian in the White House; in fact, nearly half of U.S. presidents have been either Episcopalian or Presbyterian. Ronald Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower, and Woodrow Wilson were members of Presbyterian churches.

Mr. Trump told CBN News that he’s a member of First Presbyter-ian Church in Jamaica, Queens. When asked by CBN if he actively attends, he said, “Well I go as much as I can. Always on Christmas. Always on Easter. Always when there’s a major occasion. And during the Sundays. I’m a Sunday church person. I’ll go when I can.”

That answer leaves some room for interpretation. One can admire the fact that many years ago he changed his view on abortion after an incident in one of his friend’s lives. He takes a stand against gay marriage, and he isn’t afraid to say there are flaws in the religion of Islam. Nonetheless, if you listen to the entire CBN interview, you are left with concern about the level of Trump’s commitment to Christianity. (I’ll not attempt to judge his standing before God.) That shaky ground opens up in chasms when one considers his record of business dealings, two failed marriages, and his very public expressions about morality. What he says about business and success seems to become the standard for other upstarts to follow, but some of his statements of business principle are as worldly as can be. The evidence of his life decisions is that Christian principles often take a back seat to success, whether it’s building a gambling empire, speaking in a demeaning way about women, or criticizing people who take ownership of their mistakes when they could blame others instead.

While the Witness has often talked about Christian government, we seldom discuss political races and political parties. For one thing, this denomination currently represents three countries, and the magazine goes to several others; so it would be difficult to address politics in all those places. Then why mention the U.S. presidential race early in this election cycle? Because, quite simply, I was struck by the excitement that this new Presbyterian candidate has generated, even among Christians and conservatives. But when you consider his record, and that of many of the Christian candidates before him, there’s the same old evidence of lukewarm religion.

It’s always good to remember the RP Testimony’s guidance about endorsement of candidates for office:

The Christian, when such action involves no disloyalty to Christ, ought to be involved in the selection of and to vote for civil rulers who fear God, love truth and justice, hate evil, and are publicly committed to scriptural principles of civil government.