On Friday, Donald Trump’s newest scandal broke. The thrice-married man described in 2005, using graphic terms, that he tried to have sex with a married woman — while he was also married — and also described how he can easily get action with women because of his fame and fortune.

The Stream has covered the reactions of Christian leaders. Congressional Republicans are abandoning Trump in droves, and even his wife and running mate for the White House were critical.

I wrote about the new scandal — and, more importantly, the political and media reaction — as the brouhaha was building, noting that a) this scandal offers no new information about Trump, and b) by going all-out against Trump, both Republicans and the media are carrying Hillary Clinton’s water as yet another scandal about her possibly illegal, and certainly dishonest, beliefs and behavior broke yesterday.

This is a tough time for orthodox Christians. Hillary Clinton is disaster when it comes to life, marriage and religious liberty. But Donald Trump has largely been unrepentant about his boorish behavior in the past and present, and his flip-flops on global warming, immigration, abortion, taxes and many other important public policy issues make him at best a wild card.

So what should Christians take away from this newest Trump scandal? I offer a few thoughts below, as a Christian and political observer whose (lack of a) sex life is radically different than that of Mr. Trump’s:

1. The 2005 comments are morally reprehensible, and say a great deal about his personal ethics as of ten years ago. He’s 70 now, which means he was 58 or 59 when he made the comments causing him so much grief over the last 40 hours. Let’s not pretend this is mere locker-room banter.
2. Donald Trump needs lots of prayer. It would be a miracle if he changed from the man he was in 2005 to a man whose beliefs and practices are more in keeping with those taught by Christ.
3. Clinton is still an objectively worse candidate because of her terrible policy ideas.
4. But what are those policies? Quoting The Washington Examiner, something you might have missed as the media focus on Trump — a new Wikileaks e-mail release shows that Clinton has lied to the public, likely broken the law and is willing to sell the nation down the river:
   

   Clinton said in a speech to Banco Itau, an Italian bank, that she supported “open borders” and free trade in May 2013.

   “My dream is a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders, some time in the future with energy that is as green and sustainable as we can get it, powering growth and opportunity for every person in the hemisphere,” she said. Clinton pocketed $225,000 for the Banco Itau speech.

   The excerpts were described as “flags” from the Democratic nominee’s paid speeches as identified by “HWA,” likely an acronym for the Harry Walker Agency, which represented both Clintons on the paid speaking circuit.

   Other transcripts showed her touting her “great relations” with Wall Street and featured her defending big banks against the “oversimplification” people made when blaming them for the financial crisis.

   She told Nexenta, a technology company, in a 2014 paid speech that she was aware of the rules barring Blackberry use at the State Department.

5. If we’re going to dredge up decade-old comments that indicate a presidential candidate disrespects women, let’s put it in perspective. His opponent, Hillary Clinton, both defended her husband’s philandering — which included possibly raping at least one woman — and viciously attacked her husband’s accusers.
6. Vox‘s Emily Crockett, a liberal feminist reporter and commentator, told me that while “allegations of rape and sexual assault against Bill Clinton should absolutely be taken seriously,” the former president “is not running for President. Hillary is. And so is Trump. End of story.” However, Bill Clinton is a primary surrogate for his wife, and would undoubtedly be involved in making policy. Furthermore, leftists have been excusing or ignoring his behavior for decades (kudos to Crockett for slamming Clinton); having him in the White House should trouble anyone who thinks “triggering” and “rape culture” are an issue.
7. All in all, this “scandal” of Trump’s is neither new nor offers any new information. Short of serious contrition and repentance, it shows he is morally unfit for the office of the President. But the bombardment by the left, members of the right and the media against Trump over what amounts to gross disdain for women (including his own wife) seem mostly timed to let Clinton’s objectively worse, and more dangerous, new scandal disappear from view.