What is currently going on in America today is reminiscent of the scenes in some movies most of us have seen where someone holds another person hostage at gunpoint, tosses them a shovel and forces them to dig their own grave. The rise of Christian nationalism and the politization of many religious institutions is somewhat akin to that. These religious institutions are, in essence, holding America hostage by stating that any attempt to curb religion and its involvement in politics and policy making is an unpatriotic attack on ‘religious freedom’ and are using that bogus talking point to force us to dig the grave of democracy.
I just started reading a book, “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Christian Nationalism,” by Katherine Stewart. It is far more frightening than any Stephen King novel. Most believe that Christian nationalism is just a fringe movement that will fade into the woodwork at some point, and it is not really something to worry about. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I believed this was an issue long before I came across Ms. Stewart’s book but her investigation into this movement only confirms my fears. I am convinced that it is one of the most dire, existential threats to democracy this country has faced.
The Christian nationalist movement is a very well-funded effort that is following a well-defined strategy to tear down the wall of separation between church and state and put in place a biblically based form of government. Unfortunately, many of the foot soldiers who are marching forth to fight this war, believe that it is truly about ‘religious freedom’ and ‘religious values.’ But just like in so many wars, the people on the ground are just the cannon fodder used by the people at the top to accomplish their goals. And let there be no doubt that the goal for the wealthy people at the top of this food chain is power and control. Period. Full stop.
One only has to look at a sampling of recent events to see what is going on. The opinion written by the Supreme Court justice in the Alabama IVF case cited biblical verses multiple times. Mike Johnson, the current Speaker of the House, is on record as saying that he believes the government should be run and policies made based upon biblical principles. A state legislator in Oklahoma offered up a bill requiring the Ten Commandments be placed prominently in every classroom.
And why are we digging our own grave? It is because we are allowing this to happen. Churches are tax exempt and for that consideration they are supposed to stay out of politics, but more and more primarily evangelical churches are finding ways to skirt that law, or some are even brazenly defying it. In effect, we the American people, are subsidizing churches to become a major political force in this country where there is supposed to be a strict separation of church and state. The Christian Nationalist movement is against democracy and if we don’t wake up and start fighting back before its too late, we will be living in an authoritarian theocracy. We are subsidizing organizations whose primarily goal is to undermine the basic foundations of this country.
I want to make it perfectly clear. I don’t care what anyone believes or which god they choose to worship or not. I do, however, care when others try to force their belief system upon me. And that is what is happening with the Christian nationalist movement. It’s not really about religion. It’s about power and control. We can either fight vigorously against this – or continue digging!
