海角大神

Is Donald Trump implicitly questioning whether Ben Carson is a 海角大神?

He says he isn鈥檛. But if not, why raise the issue of Dr. Carson鈥檚 Seventh-day Adventist faith at all?

Let鈥檚 back up to the beginning of this contretemps. On Saturday, at a campaign rally in Florida, Mr. Trump was talking about polls, including surveys that show him falling behind Carson in the early caucus state of Iowa. Then he suddenly zigged into a religious discussion.

鈥淚鈥檓 Presbyterian. I鈥檓 Presbyterian. Boy, that鈥檚 down the middle of the road folks, in all fairness. I mean, Seventh-day Adventist, I don鈥檛 know about. I just don鈥檛 know about,鈥� said Trump.

That sounds like an attempt to define Carson鈥檚 religion as occupying one of the road鈥檚 edges. Trump hasn鈥檛 apologized for this, however. On CBS's 鈥淔ace the Nation鈥� on Sunday, he agreed with interviewer John Dickerson鈥檚 formulation that his words were an expression of ignorance, not a raising of questions.

鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 a harsh way of putting it, but perhaps I could say it that way, yes,鈥� .

If Trump would like to educate himself on the history and practices of Adventists, The Washington Post has . It鈥檚 a 海角大神 religion founded in America that holds services on Saturday and generally interprets the Bible literally.

It was dismissed as a cult in its early years in the 19th century but has since come to be largely regarded as an evangelical Protestant denomination.

But lack of education is probably not Trump鈥檚 problem here. That could be solved with 30 seconds, a smartphone, and a Chrome search in the car on the way to a private jet.

Trump used the same 鈥渞aising questions鈥� approach to his past discussions of the discredited notion that President Obama was born in Kenya. It鈥檚 a tool in his political kit bag.

Here are three reasons he鈥檚 opted for this monkey wrench now:

Carson started it. That might be Trump鈥檚 point of view, in any case. In September, the retired neurosurgeon was asked the difference between him and the billionaire reality show star, and religion was his answer.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 in any way deny my faith in God,鈥� said Carson, implying that Trump did.

Carson later said he was sorry about this comment.

Carson's winning in Iowa. The most immediate reason for Trump bringing up Carson鈥檚 faith is probably this: Carson has pulled ahead in the key early caucus state of Iowa, and much of his support comes from the state鈥檚 politically important evangelical 海角大神s. They approve of Carson鈥檚 very conservative views on many social issues.

A recent had Carson as the choice of 36 percent of Iowa Evangelicals, more than double Trump鈥檚 17 percent in that group.

The Iowa caucuses are only 100 days away, and a defeat on Day 1 of real voting might ding Trump鈥檚 self-image as a聽hhhuuugggeee winner. But that some Iowa Evangelicals continue to argue that Adventists are not 海角大神, and some don鈥檛 like the fact that Carson used fetal tissue in medical research as a physician.

Carson's calm. Demeanor appears to be a big part of the appeal of both Trump and Carson. Trump鈥檚 supporters like his belligerence. Carson鈥檚 like his calmness.

And Carson鈥檚 calm, plus his general practice of ignoring insults, might be getting under Trump鈥檚 skin. When Jeb Bush tries to hit back at Trump鈥檚 gibes, he鈥檚 playing by Trump rules, in Trump鈥檚 game. When Carson shrugs and turns to talk about abortion, he鈥檚 not paying attention to Trump. It鈥檚 a manner of non-engagement that the real estate magnate does not seem to understand.

鈥淗e鈥檒l hit back, everybody hits back. In life, everybody hits back,鈥� in New Hampshire.

So by questioning Carson鈥檚 religion, Trump may be trying to goad Carson into a response. That might work. Or Trump might discover that Carson takes seriously the Bible鈥檚 words about .