The Elephant in the Room

The words “Christian nationalism” have a nice flow. They sound positive. Many see it as something every American should be embracing.

I can’t remember being aware of this concept before 2020, but according to historians, it has been around since before the Revolutionary War.

On January 6, 2021, it became blatantly obvious as we witnessed crosses, Bibles (King James Version), Bible verses on signs, and men heavily armed in combat uniforms storming our Capitol.

Christian nationalism is alive and very well today. For me, though, the reality of Christian nationalism, the elephant in the room, is neither Christian nor nationalist. This ideology is instead a theocracy based on distorted Christian values and symbolisms, as well as people, all over our country who are locked, loaded, and ready to rumble.

First, let’s look at the “Christian” part of Christian nationalism. I needed information and found it in Andrew Seidel’s book The Founding Myth. He is a Constitutional lawyer, working with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. He often appears before the Supreme Court and is an authority on the Constitution.

He reminds his readers that Christian nationalism has been an issue even before the Constitution. Christian nationalists use two historical facts to prove that we were founded as a Christian nation: (1) the first Congress had a chaplain who gave a Christian prayer, and (2) the pilgrims were Christians. Neither is proof of anything.

For me, logic plays a huge part in this issue. Why would the Founding Fathers want a Christian nation when the Revolutionary War was about not wanting a king or state religion in their new country? They wanted a democracy with freedom of choice. We are dealing with folks who never stop trying to put a round peg in a square hole.

Now for the issue of nationalism. My concept of nationalism is that we never stop fighting for our democracy, which, as we found out on January 6, 2021, is extremely delicate. Christian nationalists instead want a theocracy. They’re willing to throw away our Constitution and democracy so that everybody will think and pray like them, which, unfortunately, is a white, rich, conservative (a nice word for narrow-minded) “club”—a minority with power.

The second book I read to understand more about the issue of Christian nationalism was How to End Christian Nationalism by Amanda Tyler, a Christian lawyer and executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. She is a Christian fighting against Christian nationalism. As we listened to her on our daily walks, I sometimes had issues with her theology, but in her last chapter, “How to Get Rid of Christian Nationalism,” I liked her solution.

She thinks the only way to inform people (for example, our extended families) of the dangers of Christian nationalism is to sit down with them one-on-one and ask questions, the most important of which is, “Do you know what Christian nationalism is?” Then, by actually listening and asking question, people may be able to see the realities of Christian nationalists and who they are.

Unless we act quickly, Christian nationalism will be running our country.

Are we willing to do the work that Amanda Tyler suggests?

PeaceLoveJoyHopeKindness

Bil

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P.S. People often ask me provocative questions about current events, both religious and secular. I have found that some of these questions are being asked universally. I’ll be periodically alternating regular articles with one of those questions and my answer. I invite you to send me your question to bilaulenbach@yahoo.com.

 

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