When I started writing about Christian Nationalism a few months ago, I felt shy and awkward about the topic. I didn’t want to self-identify as a Christian given the misuse of the term, and I wasn’t sure the topic was that important. Today I am convinced it is a topic vital for our nation’s future. This week’s post is a reflection on how and why my perspective changed

My interest in the topic peaked as I watched in disbelief as our country stayed mired in what to me is a crazy political swamp.  Common sense solutions to problems many care about are never adopted because of polarized views about what is right and important.  You know the issues – gun control and violence, immigration and the rights of all people in our country, voting suppression and racial equity, reproductive rights, and more. 

At the center of our political stalemate as I see it is a coalition of convenience between conservative politicians, the wealthy, and conservative Christians. To be more specific, the conservative Christians include both professed “Evangelicals” bringing Jesus’ message to our times and Catholics locked into a history of male-dominated theology that subjugates women and fears sexuality and gay people. They are the Christian Nationalists.

So I believe speaking out against Christian Nationalism is critical to how we take back our democracy and return to sane discourse about how we should live in a just, loving and democratic country. In simple numbers, if minimally 10% of the Evangelicals and Catholics and other Christians who currently support Donald Trump and his White Supremacist Nationalist views can be persuaded to reconsider the bigger impact of their beliefs and vote, then we can move to a country where the majority’s desire for good gets acted upon in our national leadership more consistently.

Let’s take a quick look at the numbers. The Pew Research Center in its studies reported in 2022 article that the percentage of US adults identifying as Christians declined from 90% in 1972 to 78% in 2007 and 63% in 2022. While definitely in decline, almost two-thirds of US adults still self-identify as Christians, 45% of whom are white. A 2021 Pew study looked at who voted for Trump or Biden in the 2020 election. Seventy percent of those who reported attending a religious service at least once a month voted for Trump. Among this church-going group, 85% of the White Evangelical Protestants and 63% of the White Catholics voted for Trump. 

So while I started out reluctantly identifying myself as a Christian and even a Catholic, I now believe it is important to do so and to speak up against Christian Nationalism. Last week’s post by Mark Docken put in words very clearly why I am still Catholic. I am appalled by some of the Church’s beliefs and actions today and over history. I also have benefited from a faith and a set of beliefs and values that people over history have found lead to a more loving and joyful life. I once tried living without these beliefs and it didn’t work out well for me.  I have learned to expect life to be messy and to look for the good and for what is the loving thing to do. Being part of a small intentional Catholic community helps me do that. 

Last week, our monthly Racial Justice Conversation explored the topic of white nationalism. We talked about related resources available from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (see post of 8/6/24) and a YouTube video by Matthew Taylor of the Institute for Islamic Christian Jewish Studies entitled Spiritual Warriors: Decoding Christian Nationalism at the Capitol Riots.

A couple of points from the discussion got my attention.  In discussing the Matthew Taylor study of how organized the Christian Nationalist movement is, one participant made the point that it would be a mistake to believe the Christian Nationalism movement will go away when Donald Trump goes away. Their roots are deep, organized over 40 years, and they will be a force long into our grandchildren’s lives. That is a sobering and alarming reality that demands a response. 

Another participant shared a dinner conversation with a friend about the 2024 election. His friend commented on what a nice man Donald Trump was and how he cared about people. My friend sat in disbelief. He inquired about these ideas and was told more wonderful things about Donald Trump. He eventually realized that these were all Fox News talking points. There is obviously an organized media strategy for supporting White Nationalism and its current spokesperson Donald Trump. 

Any doubts I had about the importance of opposing Christian or white nationalism evaporated as I listened to this discussion. This is definitely a both-and situation. I want to actively oppose Christian Nationalism and what their beliefs stand for and do it in a way that does not villainize the people who hold those beliefs. As in all of life, love is the answer. What is the loving thing to do? For me it is to speak up, pray for healing and unity, and to look for ways to build bridges across this huge divide.

While not very well known or talked about in the media, there are indeed organized efforts of Christians against Christian Nationalism. A couple of places to start to learn more are Faithful America which “is the largest online community of Christians putting faith into action for love and social justice.”  Vote Common Good  offers a free 3-part curriculum including the Confronting Christian Nationalism video curriculum and guided discussion resources.  

Silence sadly is collusion. These discussions, awkward as they may be, are important to us all.