Tag: Christian Nationalism

Ideological Swamp

Society has many conflicting currents; division and acrimony seem to be everywhere. How can we make sense of the ideological swamp surrounding us? The driving force of many individuals and institutions is materialism and greed. For a large number of our sisters and brothers the primary goal is basically selfishness, seeking to enhance personal wellbeing at the expense of others. There are certainly bright places in this swamp, but they are too few. The goal of this posting is to develop a dialog involving those with whom we may not agree and who are mired in an unhealthy ideology; this dialog is aimed at increasing an overall awareness of brotherhood, sisterhood, and inclusion. Let us proceed.

Current Events

The term ideological swamp refers to the several conflicting ideologies interacting in our daily lives; among these are liberalism, conservatism, materialism, greed, white supremacy, loving service, lust for power, the true teachings of Jesus, conservative people of faith, deliberate evil, selfishness, and a desire to do the will of our Heavenly Father. There are undoubtedly many more contradicting value systems we could include.

This ideological swamp persists because most of us have no firm moral foundation upon which to build our lives and our potentially eternal future. We feel we are alone in the cosmos but this is not the case; God is within each of us. Knowing about His presence and having a strong desire to do His will we cannot fail to enter eternity and actually stand in the presence of our Heavenly Father at the center of all creation on Paradise. We cannot fail.

This ideological swamp persists because most of us are adrift in this swamp without any way to measure the value of anything. Rather than measure value based on the presence of God within each individual mortal, we measure value against our temporary perceptions, we measure it against our preconceived notions, against shifting sands. The only way to counteract this system, the only way to drain this ideological swamp is to fundamentally recognize our Heavenly Father as primal, as being the fundamental reality of all creation. God is the fundamental reality for each individual creature in all creation.

Christian Nationalism is one of the elements in this swamp; I have previously written about this portion of Christianity. Believers in Christian Nationalism are afraid of change; they want to keep anybody who is different in any way out of our country and out of our government. Like many other threads in our ideological swamp, Christian Nationalists are so fixated in their ideology they cannot accept any information that does not coincide with their belief system. Each component of our ideological swamp is convinced they have the ultimate answer to all our problems.

One of the most profound elements of our ideological swamp is the deep divide between opposing political beliefs. Each party in this political contest has their own set of core beliefs and goals; each has a unique vision for the future. The problem is not these differing political views, rather it is the acrimony of interacting discourse. Each side has an absolute viewpoint that will not allow anything else to enter in; therefore we have an ideological swamp and we are mired in a conflicting discourse.

It becomes particularly difficult when someone we love becomes trapped in one of these extreme ideologies. One person in such a situation position wrote: “With no overlap between our filters of reality, I was at a loss for any facts that would actually stick.”[1] Individuals in such ideologies view reality through a particular filter, what they see as “reality” may be radically different from our viewpoint.

If we cannot agree on what is reality, perhaps we can use probing questions to appraise ways of reaching some common ground; ways of finding a way to move toward a harmonious resolution. The objective is to find a common value system that can be agreed upon, then find ways to work toward these values. Properly formulated questions can make us think about what our goals are, what values we embrace in our efforts to work toward a better life for everyone. If the viewpoints of ideologues are not helpful to humanity, proper questions might disclose the problems and guide the discussion in a productive direction.

Golden Rule

We propose a series of questions as a way to communicate with an ideologue; this gives us a way to exchange ideas while minimizing conflicts based on varying opinions of reality. In these days of instantaneous social media misinformation, “truth” wears many different costumes. What is truth for one person might be insane to another; these firmly held beliefs cannot be easily reconciled without much rancor.

Instead of a heated debate on what the facts are, we propose probing questions. In this question based dialog we try to move away from objective discussions and toward a value based discourse. Our first question should be: Do you believe in the Golden Rule?

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”[2] This is the Biblical statement of the Golden Rule; it is a starting place where we determine what their value system might be. If their basic value system is violence against individuals holding a different world view, there may be no way to connect with them; perhaps it would be best to wish them peace, love and joy; then leave it at that.

This Golden Rule does not condone violence, aggression, or hatred; if an individual claims extreme hate filled views they cannot also claim to believe in this rule of brotherhood and sisterhood.

This rule of decency is recognized by many religions. A chart has been developed depicting statements similar to the Golden Rule in 13 different religions from Baha’i Faith through Zoroastrianism.[3] One example is the statement from Jainism: “One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated.”[4]

“Today we are living in a global village. Accordingly, we are all global citizens in addition to belonging to particular groups, races, cultures, religions, and nations. Being a global citizen brings both privileges and responsibilities. The Golden Rule may be the best guide we have for bringing all people to live together in peace.”[5]

Believing in and practicing the Golden Rule would be a good way to increase harmony on our native sphere while lessening hatred against individuals deemed to be different.

Further Questions

Once the Golden Rule has been accepted and affirmed, other questions might be useful, such as:

Do you know each of us has the spirit of God within?[6] Our Heavenly Father is literally within each mortal, because of this we all have value and we each have a chance of attaining a close relationship with Him.

Do you know God respects everyone, that He is no respecter of persons?[7] We all stand equal before our Heavenly Father; no exceptions. When any person has been discriminated against or disenfranchised, a child of God has been mistreated; a member of the Heavenly Family has been excluded.

How did Jesus treat outsiders? He had a long conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob.[8] In those days Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.[9] This would be the same as having a long conversation with a member of any minority group today. Jesus was all about inclusion.

A careful consideration of these questions brings out an increased awareness of the value of each mortal. The teachings of Jesus are an excellent model to follow in our lives, they do not allow ill feelings toward anyone, the teachings of Jesus proclaim love, brotherhood, and joy; they do not embrace fear.

Who would Jesus hate?

A large segment of our society does not attend church but many still ascribe to these values. If our lives have no values, no moral foundation, there is no meaning to our existence. Our lives gain value when we recognize a worthy goal, such as affirming our Heavenly Father, seeking to become more like Him, and trying to do His will at all times.

Current religion is sometimes nothing more than a meeting on Sunday morning having little relationship with daily events. Religion has become compartmentalized, isolated from daily activities and awareness; it should be the key motivator of our existence. Our faith must be our primary driving force, our reason for being, and the foundation of each decision we make in our daily lives.

Our Goal

The goal of these questions is to emphasize spiritual values so much so that falsehoods are crowded out; with some ideologues this might be difficult. As we permit spiritual values to grow within us, there is less awareness of unspiritual components. As we increasingly permit spiritual teachings to fill our awareness we let unspiritual emotions slip away.

Above all, it will help us in our interactions with difficult people to consider how Jesus would handle the situation.

  1. Albert Samaha, “My Mom Believes In QAnon. I’ve Been Trying To Get Her Out.” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/albertsamaha/qanon-parents-millennial-children  Retrieved 3/14/21 ↑

  2. Bible: Matthew 7:12 ↑

  3. “The Golden Rule,” © 2000, by Paul McKenna, available from Canadian Multifaith Federation, 3570 Victoria Park Ave., Suite 207, North York, On, M2H 3S2, Canada, www.cmfsrc.ca ↑

  4. Ibid ↑

  5. Ibid ↑

  6. Bible, I Corinthians 3:16 ↑

  7. Bible: Acts 10:34 ↑

  8. Bible, John Chapter 4 ↑

  9. Bible, John 4:9 ↑

Christian Nationalism

The riot at the United States Capital Building on January 6, 2021 is a violent stain on our republic. Our capital was desecrated, windows shattered and blood spilt. These rioters were threatening even worse atrocities, shooting or hanging those they disagreed with. How can we understand these actions? How can we begin to heal the deep divide plaguing our nation? Why did Bible believing Christians participate in these events? We have a lot of ground to cover.

Christians Amongst the Rioters

We have all seen the riots on TV; there is no need to elaborate. We have also seen videos showing those holding high political office encouraging citizens to march angrily to the capital. These were triggers for the violence but the tension had been building for several months, even years. There are photographs of a man carrying a Bible and others carrying religious banners in the riot. “The name of God was everywhere during” the insurrection.[1] There was a significant Christian participation. “The responsibility of yesterday’s violence must be in part laid at the feet of those evangelical leaders who ushered in and applauded Trump’s presidency. It can also sadly be laid at the feet of the white American church more broadly.”[2] Some of the rioters believed they were marching under the banner of Jesus to keep the defeated president in office.[3]

A prominent Southern Baptist leader said he saw a “Jesus Saves” banner near a gallows built by rioters. “I was enraged to a degree that I haven’t been enraged in memory. This is not only dangerous and unpatriotic but also blasphemous; presenting a picture of the gospel of Jesus Christ that isn’t the gospel and is instead its exact reverse.”[4]

Robert Jones, CEO of the independent nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute and author of two books on Christianity, said “The fact that we saw QAnon, white supremacy and white Christianity all carried together in a violent attack on the Capitol means that particularly white Christians have got some real soul-searching to do.”[5]

Christian Nationalism

Christian Nationalism, as observed in the Capital riots and other right-wing events, is not based on the teachings of Jesus; it is certainly not based on the Golden Rule which he taught. Christianity is a set of beliefs based on teachings in the Bible, especially the New Testament. “Christian nationalism is a political ideology about American identity. It is a set of policy prescriptions for what the nationalists believe the American government should do. It’s not drawn from the Bible.”[6]

Christian Nationalism blends nominal Christianity with nationalism. They use this blending to proclaim what must be done to maintain and build our identity as a Christian nation into the future.[7] Anyone other than white American Christians have to be excluded, marginalized or violently repressed.

Paul Miller is a professor at Georgetown University and a research fellow with the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. He has stated: “I think that any kind of nationalism in its purest form is religion. It is idolatry. That’s true of Christian nationalism. It takes Christian symbols, rhetoric, and concepts and weaves it into a political ideology that in its ideal form is idolatrous.”[8] The ideology of Christian Nationalism is based on politics, not on the teachings of Jesus, and not on the truth that God is literally present in every thinking mortal on Earth; no exceptions.

Christian Nationalism is an excellent example of an ideologically driven process. This refers to the doctrines, opinions, and ways of thinking upon which a plan of action is based. For individuals in such a process driven by ideology, their main focus is upon furthering this ideology. Instead of having as a firm moral foundation the truth that God is within each one of us, they base their foundation on a particular political concept. This is exactly what Marxism, Communism, and Fascism do. This is also why each of them has failed and will continue to fail. This is why governments and civilizations fail. For any personal or group venture to succeed, there has to be a firm moral foundation: the truth of God Within.

Misinformation and lies

Those who are part of an ideologically driven process feel their goal is so vital to the welfare of humanity that literally anything is justified in their pursuit of this goal. This goal, based on their firm foundation on some ideology other than God, is their foremost motivation and driving force; it consumes them. Anything is acceptable as long as it helps to attain their goal.

They become fixated on that goal, so they tend to retreat into a group of like-minds for acceptance and confirmation. They feel threatened by people other than white American Christians. This distorts their belief system therefore interfering with their goal; they drift into an (almost) all-white, unbridled society with no apparent rules or values. They certainly have little necessity to honor life – any life, this results in their violence against fellow humans. That is NOT of God.

Interactions with individuals who are not part of their group become irritating and inflammatory. Their presentations are filled with angry passion which may intimidate those who might otherwise speak out against them. “Too many evangelicals have accepted or turned a blind eye to a movement fueled by misinformation and lies.”[9]

David French, senior editor of a conservative website, has written “Only the Church Can Truly Defeat a Christian Insurrection: It’s time to combat the right’s enabling lies.” and “When you’re in your partisan bubble, the enabling lie is seductive. I’ve fallen for it. In years past, I even spread it.”[10]

These enabling lies become reality for them; they base their thoughts and actions upon them. Once started down this path of lies and innuendo it becomes increasingly difficult to exit. Misinformation and lies become their way of life.

Why do Evangelicals Accept Christian Nationalism?

One reason evangelicals accept and embrace Christian Nationalism is fear; this fear is almost primal; they are overwhelmed to the extent they embrace activities that run contrary to the teachings of Jesus. This fear is based on unwanted change; it is a fear of things that are different. This fear has been building up over several decades, particularly in rural areas in the south and mid-west. They lash out at those who appear different because of their own insecurity.[11]

There is also a distinctly racial element to Christian Nationalism, partly because the fervent evangelicals who comprise the pool from which these individuals are drawn are mainly white. “Christian nationalism demands Christianity be privileged by the State and implies that to be a good American, one must be Christian. It often overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation.”[12]

“In the last 40 years, Christian nationalists tend to believe that Christians are under attack and are being persecuted.”[13] This arises because of immigrants bringing fresh blood into our country, bringing in new ideas, religions, and ways of life. These Christian Nationalists feel threatened by all the change they experience.

They felt powerless, unable to make any impact on the situation they were in. Then along came Donald Trump who claimed he would “champion Christian power. That’s why he struck such a deep chord among many white evangelicals. That was their political program for decades, Christian power. It turns out to matter more than Christian principles.”[14] Once they felt they had real access to political power, they totally fell for the message and were trapped within it.

The Way Forward

In any situation we must absolutely be constantly aware of our moral foundation. No action can succeed in the long run unless it has a firm foundation. This might be constructing a building, a government, a career, or personal leisure activities. A strong awareness of the presence of God, as a distinct part of our being, must be a part of each decision we make. We can still have fun, do exciting things, and love, but these activities must not bring harm or difficulty to any of our sisters and brothers.

Once we have such a foundation we can still pursue idealistic goals, but now we have a way to evaluate any proposed action. At each decision point we must ask ourself: “Will this action bring me closer to God or take me farther away from Him?” Once we have made this determination and acted upon it, we will have a clear path ahead of us. This may not be an easy decision but it will be the righteous one. We do not make these decisions alone; if we have made a sincere personal covenant with God to do His will, we will be assisted every step along the way. At this point any ideological process we adhere to will be Divinely directed by our God within.

Having such a moral foundation is not only important for our personal decisions, but it is vital in making an evaluation about those we interact with in our daily lives. Will my children be safe? Is our car mechanic going to make wild claims only to drive up the bill? Is the candidate we voted for going to make a good effort to fulfill promises made during the campaign for office? We are constantly faced with situations where some evaluation must be made, where we must make some judgment about the moral quality of those we interact with.

This is especially true with political candidates; when we vote for a particular person we are asking that individual to represent is by carrying out their duties of office according to our wishes. In the first place that means we need to be diligent in learning what the candidate stands for, what they want to accomplish, and what are their qualifications for office. Only then can we cast an intelligent vote. Secondly we expect the elected official to accurately manifest our wishes while carrying out the duties of their office. We expect them to have a moral foundation.

How many times have we learned what some elected official has done and then shout “I did not vote for that!”

We can begin our efforts to address issues presented in this posting by becoming comfortable within ourselves, trusting God in our daily activities. Once this has been done we need to be comfortable with change, things will always be changing, accept it. When this has been done we can reach out and seek to understand those who are different from us. The more we accept change and the diversity of humanity the more joy and satisfaction we experience. We embrace change and diversity.

When you totally recognize we are all sisters and brothers, when you honestly follow the Golden Rule as taught by Jesus by desiring to do onto others as you would have them do onto you, then the commonplace dictates of justice, honesty, and fairness will guide you in the just and impartial settlement of every recurring problem of economic rewards and social justice. (The Urantia Book, 1464.4)

We conclude with a word for those standing in the way of progress. Can you not advance in your concept of God’s dealing with man to that level where you recognize that the watchword of the universe is progress? (The Urantia Book, 54.5) We realize progress must be balanced so it can be properly assimilated, but the overall trend is toward progress.

  1. “A Christian Insurrection,” Emma Green, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/01/evangelicals-catholics-jericho-march-capitol/617591/, retrieved 1/28/21 ↑

  2. “Christian Nationalism Is Worse Than You Think,” Morgan Lee, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/january-web-only/christian-nationalism-capitol-riots-trump-podcast.html, retrieved 1/13/21 ↑

  3. Green ↑

  4. “Christianity on display at U.S. Capitol riot sparks concerning questions,” Elana Schor, https://globalnews.ca/news/7607091/us-capitol-riot-christianity-questions/, retrieved 2/1/21 ↑

  5. Schor ↑

  6. Lee ↑

  7. Lee ↑

  8. Lee ↑

  9. “Evangelicals must denounce the Christian nationalism in Capital riots,” Jamie Aten and Kent Annan, https://religionnews.com/2021/01/07/evangelicals-must-denounce-the-christian-nationalism-in-capitol-riots/, retrieved 1/7/21 ↑

  10. “Christian Nationalism is not Biblical Christianity,” Cassy Benefield, https://spokanefavs.com/christian-nationalism-is-not-biblical-christianity/, retrieved 1/27/20 ↑

  11. Aten and Annan ↑

  12. Benefield ↑

  13. Lee ↑

  14. Lee ↑