Interfaith Panelists Sound the Alarm About Christian Nationalism

 Baptist News Global: Panelists Sound the Alarm About Christian Nationalism

Jude, one of the Apostles of Jesus, in his epistle, wrote this:

"For certain intruders have stolen in among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly , who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only master and Lord Jesus Christ."  Jude v. 4

He was speaking about a pagan intrusion into the fledgling Christian church, using it to promote a gnostic, libertine lifestyle which essentially claimed that God's grace, given through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, liberated Christians by forgiveness of their sin, but also liberated them to live as they pleased, because grace covered all sin.  It was a perversion of what Christ had preached and taught, a faith in which spiritual conviction brings about repentance first, before grace is received.  The virtues and values which Jesus taught were the evidence of a living faith that came from God's grace.  The absence of them called the sincerity of the faith into question and the Apostle Jude condemns these intruders in the harshest terms. 

Christian nationalism is a similar intrusion into the Christian church, taking the language, principles and structure of the church, and applying it to a vision that Jesus not only never had, but which is actually the complete opposite of what Jesus taught about his "kingdom," and one of the reasons why the religious leaders in Jerusalem pushed for his execution.  They were looking for a messiah who would somehow, miraculously bring back political and military might to the small, weak province of Judea, and re-establish an earthly theocracy which would throw the Romans out of Jerusalem.  To advocate for any country becoming a "Christian nation," in the same theocratic way in which the Israel of the Old Testament existed, is to deny what Jesus preached and taught.  

In his first epistle, the Apostle John calls those who do not acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, and by extension, everything he preached and taught, including about the spiritual kingdom of God, "antichrist."  I believe that the American Christian nationalism we are seeing on the rise today, which is intruding into Christian churches, subverting the gospel's message of faith through grace into one of acquiring worldly power to somehow usher in the return of Jesus, can be defined by the term "antichrist." 

Alarm Bells Should Be Ringing 

Several members of this interfaith panel have provided a very clear picture of the dangers of Christian nationalism to American Democracy, which shields the freedom of a diverse culture and protects religious liberty.  The panel singled out the racist elements of Christian nationalism, connected the January 6th insurrection to Christian nationalist rhetoric that makes up the philosophical foundation for groups like the Oath Keepers, who were deeply involved in the event. 

"I actually bristle every time I hear the word 'Christian nationalism'" said Tayhlor Coleman, a Texas voting rights advocate who was raised Southern Baptist, "because when I look at the folks who are leading this movement, I don't see any Christianity,"  

I don't see any, either.  It would be hard to discern the virtues and values of the gospel of Jesus Christ, recorded in the gospel accounts and interpreted by the apostolic writers of the New Testament, in any aspect of the movement.  Everything it does denies everything Jesus said.  It's very difficult to promote and evangelize a faith that holds peace as a core value while stabbing at Capitol police officers with the sharpened end of a flagpole bearing Trump's name and wearing a shirt with a cross on the front attempting to over-run the U.S. Capitol building.  

"Christian nationalism has its roots in the dangerous myth that we were founded as a Christian nation and, as a result, we enjoy special favor from God," said Baptist minister Paul Rauschenbush, son of Baptist theologian and Social Gospel activist Walter Rauschenbush.  He claims the goal of Christian nationalists is to use the church, not advance its cause, to consolidate power in the hands "of an exclusively political-religious movement."  

Jesus not only never intended to use worldly power as a means for the redemption of humankind, he actually deliberately turned away from it, on more than one occasion.  His values were illustrated clearly in the gospel accounts of his temptation in the wilderness, when he symbolically and emphatically turned away from his own physical need, and from being tempted by fame and power, in order to preserve what would become the Christian gospel.  

Why the Values of Christian Nationalism are Clearly Not Christian 

"Blessed are the peacemakers" said Jesus, recorded in Matthew 5:9, "for they will be called Children of God."  

But Christian nationalism is a philosophy that advocates the use of violence to "claim" its territory and achieve its purposes.  That is antithetical to what Jesus taught, the entire passage of Matthew 5:1-12, which outlines virtues produced by the gospel, all of which run contrary to the words and actions of Christian nationalist advocates.  In fact, there's a long list of Christian values in this part of the gospel of Matthew, a record of the words of Jesus known as the "Sermon on the Mount," which are completely contradictory to the values of Christian nationalism.  

"But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or a sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'you fool' you will be liable to the hell of fire." 

"But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer.  But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other, also." 

"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your father in heaven."  

Signal Press has said this before, but it is worth repeating.  Find one Christian value that is present in Christian nationalism.  Just one is fine, because, honestly, that's going to take quite a while.  Find, in the political rhetoric, or in the people who promote it, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  

Yeah, good luck with that.  

A Danger to Both Church and State

Christian nationalism is crowding out the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ in Christian churches, especially among conservative, Evangelicals in America, where it is prevalent, and where it has infiltrated and intruded into the church.  It must be stopped.  Christians who have discernment, and who can see how this intrusion is subverting the mission and purpose of their church have to be bold, speak up and call it out in their church.  If that means confronting those who are preaching it and bringing it in, then that needs to happen through the church's polity which permits inquiry into doctrinal and theological error.  Don't allow it, and if it appears that the weight of congregational opinion won't support getting rid of this aberrant and heretical theology, leave and go elsewhere, and make a big deal out of your departure so that others who may also be concerned for their church know they're not alone. 

It must be stopped in the political arena by Christians who understand that their vote should go to someone who stands against this.  And that means voting for Democrats, because Republicans, even those who get this, won't do anything to stop it.  It's pretty obvious that Christian nationalism is willing to break the peace "in the name of God" to get its way, so knowing this means, more than likely, casting ballots for Democrats.  Face it, if a Muslim isn't free to practice his or her faith, and a gay man isn't free to live his life according to his own choices, it is not a far step to take away anyone else's rights for just about everything.  And since this is America, and that kind of restriction on liberty should never happen here, the best way to stop it is to vote for Democrats for office who will enforce laws against it.  

Freedom of speech protects Christian nationalists from government sanction, so we must depend on the ballot box to defeat it politically.  Democrats are the advocates for diversity, social justice, liberty of conscience and democracy and those who recognize this as a significant threat have to elevate it to the highest priority when casting ballots.  

But the church has the means to defeat this within its own ranks.  It must be called out, just like we have done here, identified, and its anti-Christian character exposed, and then its advocates must either lose their position and influence in the church, or those who see the intrusion into their own church fight against its presence, or leave and make a statement.