Ending Modern America’s “Single Biggest Threat”
America’s “single biggest threat” took downturns after the Civil War (1861-1865) and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, but it is growing stronger again today. It is, of course, white Christian nationalism – aka white supremacy — and supporters are using the ballot box to push their repugnant beliefs into public schools.
One expert on religious freedom has said the effort to defeat white Christian nationalism is the Civil Rights Movement of our time. And so it is.
White Christian nationalism threatens the principle of separation of church and state and the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause unless the nation comes together and launches a new Civil Rights Movement. | Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
There has been no Christianity in white supremacists’ treatment of other races — only ugliness, hatred and a false sense of superiority. These Americans have forgotten that the God who created our universe loves the entire human race rather than one small part of it.
Many of them also blur the lines between patriotism and idolatry, all the while insisting their twisted beliefs are the only true form of Christianity. And therein lies the fundamental flaw in Christian nationalism.
An Unacceptable Alternative
Christian nationalism is a powerful and complex political ideology that’s deeply ingrained in American society. It is not a religious movement.
Ridding ourselves of it will take the combined efforts of American Christians from all denominations, non-Christians and every other American who has a stake in the outcome. The alternative is unacceptable.
Amanda Tyler, lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism, says she “has a deep sense of grief and sadness for our country” because of white Christian nationalism. She especially worries about “our neighbors who are most vulnerable to the discrimination, the hate, the violence that I fear could be coming for our country.”
Tyler also serves as executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and is an author with How to End Christian Nationalism to her credit.
Understand, Mobilize, Organize
White Christian nationalists believe that “America is a nation by and for Christians alone,” according to the Center for American Progress, an independent and nonpartisan policy organization.
Those of us who value the U.S. Constitution, separation of church and state, and a strong public education system must not sit idly by while white Christian nationalists move forward.
Tyler and others who oppose white Christian nationalism believe there are several steps that people like you and me need to take right now:
- Understand the problem more clearly.
- Mobilize with like-minded Americans to fight white Christian nationalism.
- Organize wherever we can.
“This is the Civil Rights Movement of our time. This is the time that we need to be more actively engaged in working with our neighbors for democracy,” Tyler says.
A Cult-like Group
White Christian nationalism is a misnomer. In fact, this large minority is a nationalistic, anti-democracy group that uses God and Christianity for political purposes. And however hard you look for Christ in this movement, you will not find him.
“You cannot follow both Christ and the cruelty of kings,” it’s been said. “A leader who mocks the weak, exalts himself and preys on the innocent is not sent by God. He is sent to test you, and many are failing.”
This quote has been attributed to various people including Pope Leo, but its source remains anonymous. Yet, the person who first spoke or wrote the words is quite right.
Have No Other Gods
Christ has said the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to have no other gods before him. No other gods… period… no debate.
The second greatest commandment, Christ says, is to love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments are the heart of the Christian faith. And it’s at this crucial juncture that white Christian nationalism and true Christianity part company.
Many white Christian nationalists who once followed Christ have shifted their allegiance. They now worship a man with an extensive rap sheet and a habit of lying whether it benefits him or not.
He “mocks the weak, exalts himself and preys on the innocent” with every breath he takes. There is nothing Christ-like about him, and comparing him to Christ, as some followers have down, is blasphemy.
They also have distorted the meaning of the American flag by making it an object of worship rather than mere respect.
Love Thy Neighbor?
Thou shalt love thy neighbor, the Bible says. Who is our neighbor? It can be anyone – the person who lives next door, an immigrant walking down the street, a person whose skin is a different shade, someone who has different political beliefs than our own, a person who looks at sexual identity differently than we do, people whose religious beliefs don’t correspond with ours….
We need to remember that our neighbor can be anyone and that Christ says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you do to one of the least of these, you are doing to me…. Away with you, you cursed ones….”
White Christian nationalists have lost their way. They have sold their souls, so to speak, for political objectives such as repealing the advances made during the civil rights and women’s rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s, outlawing all abortions regardless of circumstances, generally giving control of women’s bodies to politicians, and even taking away women and young people’s right to vote.
Amanda Tyler says there are several important steps needed to end white Christian nationalism. Many more of us must…
- Increase our awareness about the problem: Numerous resources to help people take this first step are available from Christians Against Christian Nationalism.
- Mobilize for advocacy and action: Tyler believes that religious freedom in America’s public schools is extremely important. She explains that book bans and content bans and government-sponsored religion have been pushed into many public schools. “It’s really important in this moment that we speak out, that we make our voice known to our elected officials” including members of Congress, state legislators, school board members, state board of education members, whenever we’re seeing the problem.”
- Organize for change “on the ground, in local communities, is going to be so vital to resistance against authoritarian theocracy….” Tyler says. The U.S. has a leader who has “clear authoritarian aims and tendencies…. Beyond voting and contacting elected officials, it includes getting more actively involved in our communities, listening to the needs that are present and “working across lines of difference with our neighbors in order to fashion a society that really works for all of us…. This is the Civil Rights Movement of our time. This is the time that we need to be more actively engaged in working with our neighbors for democracy.”
While we still have the legal levers of our democracy, we need to push every single one of them – and that’s going to mean being much more actively involved in what I call direct democracy. – Amanda Tyler
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