To suggest that Christians destroy foundational beliefs to advance their cause is simply silly.
"... advance their cause..." is what they think they're doing. Good intentions all around. In the real world, the result in behavior of society at large is the opposite of their cause. The reason: because they mistake as allies individual candidates who spout their same moral dogma and would unpopularly use the force of bigger government to enforce it. The real solution is to fight for smaller government. Their real allies are those who uphold that philosophy.
People want to raise and educate their kids according to their personal beliefs. I think abortion is an abomination and I abhor its acceptance in social norms the same way I abhor the normalization of homsexuality, which is really what the Gay Marriage thing is. An awful lot of Americans aren't religious, but in their hearts, they pretty much feel the same way. If left to themselves, quite a lot would not need government to "guide" them with regard to right personal beliefs. Those who lived by flawed values would have to find recourse other than the government to mend the consequences. Charity, anyone? Big government interferes with good charity, too!
As far as I'm concerned, the Bible is proof of God because it holds the key to our survival as a species, it's that simple, and that key is behavioral. The honor, charity and harmony embodied in the Judeo-Christian ethic will win out every time people have the opportunity to live in free societies. But they have to be free.
The truth is that many, probably most, free Americans would object to a sudden big government prohibition on abortion. And a federalized legal description of "man and woman" would eventually be bastardized by "progressive" judges into any definition they pleased -- AND it would have national standing that states would be forced to recognize (classic example of boomerang unintended consequences of FMA?).
No matter the beliefs of individual politicians, bigger government will always restrict a person's freedom to engage in and socialize within a network of personal beliefs built on specific principles. Always. Personal beliefs that even loosely follow the Judeo-Christian ethic create thriving cultures that have rid the world of many evils, such as slavery and child-marriage; I don't believe that can be said of any other ethic, though I know some will argue.
But you have to include love, which requires respect for freedom -- as in SMALL GOVERNMENT -- to create a place where people who follow those good beliefs can thrive. Such a system will be killed in a government led by men with Nanny Government philosophies, no matter their "principles."
Just a roundabout way of saying -- vote for the philosophy, not the man.
We are not very far apart, you and I. The difference is that I no longer trust that the Republicans are true to their philosophy. Ya know, I pulled the lever for the big "R" for most of my life. I cannot think of a single time I voted for a Democrat ever. But I am still pulling broken glass out of various and sundry crevices from the last election. I just ain't gonna go there anymore.
This is *NOT* the party of small government any longer, and it is looking like it isn't the party of the Sanctity of Life any longer either. Hell, Rudy is anti-2A as well, so I guess we aren't the party of Security and Self Defense either. How about fiscal responsibility? Nope. Immigration? How many of the candidates have let slip the words "pathway to citizenship"? Nope. Shamnesty is a done deal next go-around guarandamteed, because there ain't a Conservative anyhere near the top 4, and only the rock-ribbed Conservatives are in the way of it.
So what the hell *DO* we stand for? When you say "vote the philosophy" do you mean "Conservative Philosophy", or the crap we have now? Just exactly when do we fix the moral compass of the party then? next election? the one after that? This party cannot withstand another 4-12 years of RINO rule or it will be defunct. If not legally so, at least in spirit. It is almost there right now.
I will HAPPILY vote for anyone who can be proven to be a true conservative. Gimme that and I will pull the lever every time.