It's Not About What You Think It's About

On the very first level of ideas, Christian Nationalism makes some sense, doesn't it? Surely, we can understand how people of deep faith would desire that the values that they hold so dear could become the norm in our country and maybe even be a force for rooting out evil in government. The problem, however, is that Christian Nationalism has nothing to do with their or anyone else's faith. It is rather a co-opting of the words, documents, and tenants of Christianity to gain power - political power - pure and simple. Christians are being manipulated into believing that the leaders of this movement want what they want but nothing further could be from the truth. Instead of the faith, hope, love, welcome, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and generosity to the poor that Jesus himself preached and lived, Christian Nationalism is used by those in power to advance a very different agenda. They pervert the message of Christ into justifying discrimination, restricting rights, touting manifest destiny. and promoting American exceptionalism. Borders are closed, wealth is hoarded, rich get richer, and those who believe and look otherwise are left in out in the cold, sometimes literally. 

I guess what I want to emphasize here is (as was also mentioned several times in the podcast), being against Christian Nationalism is not being against Christianity, the conservative version or any other version. In fact, I believe in a very deep way that Christian Nationalism does not only not grow the faith, but it also poisons it into something that holds no resemblance to the picture painted by its core values. I would argue that to be able to practice my faith fully in a democracy, every person should be free to practice theirs even if different than mine. Yes, let your values guide your voting but no, don't take away the constitutionally given right of others to do exactly the same. 

Heed these words by the very poster boy for the surge of political conservatism in the late 20th century. 

We in the United States, above all, must remember that lesson, for we were founded as a nation of openness to people of all beliefs. And so we must remain. Our very unity has been strengthened by our pluralism. We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief, nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate. All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, and those who believe are free, and should be free, to speak of and act on their belief.        President Ronald Reagan