Tribune columnist Joe “Joetopia” Tarica invited Republican women to justify why they remain in a party with an agenda so blatantly against their gender’s interests (Aug. 26). In the update (Sept. 2), he discussed the replies. He thanked the responders and suggested people should maintain mutual respect for one another despite their political differences.

That’s all very nice. Now I wish Joe would address the compartmentalization, cognitive dissonance, rationalizations and willful blindness of evangelical Christians who’ll vote for the Koch brothers’ Dream Team (Romney and Ryan).

Anyone familiar with Paul Ryan knows he’s a disciple of atheist, anti-Christian novelist Ayn Rand, whose books express contempt for religion while exalting greed and selfishness. There is no greater moral divide than between Rand’s philosophy and the Gospels. Rand despised everyone “beneath” the ruthless industrial titans she revered. The American middle class were “second handers,” while working people, the poor, the infirm and the weak were “parasites,” “moochers” and a “drain on society.”

Now, what sort of person embraces an ideology like that? What would Jesus think? When the fundamentalists “vote God” this November, we’ll once again see it’s still all about money and power. God just comes along for the ride.