This year, Indiana’s GOP statewide slate contains three Christian Nationalists–Beckwith, Banks and Rokita–along with ” I’ll- kiss-Trump’s-you-know-what-to- get elected” Braun.
We’ve always had zealots and ideologues in politics, and as a policy person, I find them very troubling. I used to tell my students that crafting good policies requires negotiation and compromise. When ideologues are able to push through extreme visions of extreme policies, without considering thoughtful, informed concerns raised by people who bring other perspectives to the process, the end result is inevitably flawed—if it works at all.
The effect of America’s increasing tribalism on our ability to conduct even the most basic tasks of governance has been bad enough, but the transformation of the Republican Party into a Christian Nationalist cult threatens the continuation of America’s constitutional democracy—and I say that as someone who was an active Republican for over 35 years. The GOP of today bears absolutely no resemblance to the party I once worked for. What was once its disreputable fringe is now its mainstream.
I’ve spent a considerable amount of time lately researching Christian Nationalism, which is based upon the very ahistorical insistence that America was founded as a “Christian nation” and should be governed by Christians. These are beliefs that genuine Christians reject.
According to the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty,
Christian nationalism is a political ideology and cultural framework that merges Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s promise of religious freedom. It relies heavily on a false narrative of America as a “Christian nation,” founded by Christians in order to privilege Christianity. This mythical history betrays the work of the framers to create a federal government that would remain neutral when it comes to religion, neither promoting nor denigrating it — a deliberate break with the state-established religions of the colonies.
Christian nationalists have an “exclusivity” message: only “their kind” of Christians can be “real” Americans. A less frequently articulated part of that message (and the reason Black Evangelical Christians are rarely Christian Nationalists) is their racist belief that only WHITE Christian males can be real Americans.
These racist and exclusionary beliefs are entirely inconsistent with what we know about the beliefs of the Framers, and with the clear language of the Constitution. In the body of the Constitution itself is Article VI, which prohibits the use of any religious test for public office. In the text of the First Amendment, we have the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause, which—read together—keep government’s hands off religion and protect the liberty of citizens to determine their own beliefs, free of government interference. (The Framers voted down proposed language that simply prohibited the creation of a national church, insisting on language that would create a broader distance between religion and government.) We also have numerous documents written by Madison, Jefferson, Adams and others, all of which support their uniform and unambiguous belief that—as Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists—there should be a “wall of separation between Church and State.”
There isn’t any debate about any of this among reputable historians and legal scholars. Less reputable ones pander to Christian Nationalism by twisting and cherry-picking history in order to justify their efforts to remake American society into a place where women, gays and people of color occupy subservient positions and White Christian males are once again dominant.
In a very real sense, America is in the throes of a second civil war, this time mostly—but not entirely—without violence. Ironically, this war is being fought over pretty much the same ground as the last one: the assertion that some Americans are entitled to a status superior to others and that non-white, non-Christian, non-male members of society are less entitled than White Christian men to civic equality and the equal protection of the laws.
Project 2025 is a declaration of that civil war–a road map to MAGA’s desired Christian Nationalist theocracy.
Depressing research from the Public Religion Research Institute suggests that 40% of Hoosiers are either full-fledged Christian Nationalists or sympathetic to their beliefs. As we’ve seen, these folks are unwilling to participate in democratic deliberation, unwilling to accord religious liberty to others, and unwilling to accept results of democratic decision-making with which they disagree.
Like Micah Beckwith, they believe they talk to God.
It has never been more important for the sixty percent of Hoosiers who don’t fall into that category to cast their ballots for an excellent–and truly American— slate of Democratic candidates: Jennifer McCormick, Terry Goodin, Valerie McCray, and Destiny Wells, none of whom claim to be on a conversational, first-name basis with God.
“When ideologues are able to push through extreme visions of extreme policies, without considering thoughtful, informed concerns raised by people who bring other perspectives to the process, the end result is inevitably flawed—if it works at all.”
“How Worried Should We Be?” We should also ask who we should be worried about. Why are so many ignoring the realities we face each day but go to the polls to keep the same officials in the same positions, or higher ones, and we blame “the government” for the escalating realities pushed through by those elected to or kept in office? Those “ideologues” did not put themselves in office; and those at the top didn’t start at the top; it is our family members, friends and neighbors around us at the local level we should be worried about.
“Project 2025 is a declaration of that civil war–a road map to MAGA’s desired Christian Nationalist theocracy.” I am more worried about the silence from the Catholic Republicans around me than the bellowing of Trump and Vance; I don’t know if their silence is due to finally realizing their error in supporting Trump and MAGAs or will they quietly go to the polls to continue supporting them. It is hard for all of us to admit being wrong; it is human nature. I see no evidence of the public recognizing human nature or the lack of humanity overpowering the county as we have been exhausted mentally and physically by the unending onslaught of Trump who has made lies acceptable in government and business today.
Like Vernon, I am glad I am old. I have outlived my ability to fight the hatred, racism, sexism, anti-semitism and all other “isms” I have actually fought since the 1950s. I am worried at a level which is causing health problems but my mail-in ballot has been mailed in, I am donating what I can when I can and I can only wonder if any of it matters. I am well aware that I no longer matter in the greater scope of conditions today.
Christian Nationalism: The idea that the government of United States of America should be structured to align with a number of fantasy stories written thousands of years ago. Stories, by the way, that no two congregations can fully agree on the meaning of. It would be just as reasonable to base our government on the Harry Potter novels.
Anyone who reads Heather Cox Richardson or otherwise understands the history of the Republican Party understands that the rot at the core of the party was in many ways evident far more than 35 years ago. Today’s GOP in many ways is exhibiting the same isolationist, racist, white supremacist ideological extremism that was widespread in the party leading up to America joining Great Britain against the Axis powers in World War II. Today’s social, economic and environmental crises may be different, but the manner in which each of the two predominant political parties reacts to such crises remains remarkably constant and highly predictable. Please, let’s stop with the apologetics for the GOP and recognize it for what it has been, at least post-Southern Strategy if indeed not post-Reconstruction, and for whom it has always advocated. Yes, the extremists reveal their extremism during extreme times, but the GOP is and has been open to them and has encouraged them to advance the agenda we are witnessing today.
Good posts this morning!
Sheila wrote, “These racist and exclusionary beliefs are entirely inconsistent with what we know about the beliefs of the Framers and with the clear language of the Constitution.”
Indeed, she’ll want to rewrite that sentence because it jumped off the page. The Framers were slave owners and assigned blacks a fractional status as Americans. Since they were patriarchal oligarchs, they were also sexist. Christian Nationalists embrace both sexism and racism, and Project 2025 is a roadmap back to America before equal rights were given to women and blacks.
Christian Nationalists sound so much better than the Ku Klux Klan, but no matter how they spin it with propaganda, it’s the Klan of old, just in a recent manifestation. The press thinks it killed the KKK by cutting off its head, but it always grows back a new one. It was the Tea Party for a while, but that was found to be deeply racist, with dog whistles galore.
Now, they refer to themselves as Christians and Patriots. Tell me, how can you be Christian and a racist when Jesus was a brown man and detested racism?
What about the childhood hymnal:
“Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world”
JoAnn Green – Please – never doubt, or forget – you are an invaluable beacon and inspiration to many of us who read this blog! In this not-small way, your effectiveness positively affects a large territory – helping to keep us focused and honest. I am old myself (79) but remain hopeful through your comments and contributions. THANKS!
We should be extraordinarily worried.
Read yesterday’s NY times on Texas…How Two Billionaire Preachers Remade Texas Politics -They control Republican politics in the state. Now they’re poised to take their theocratic agenda nationwide. link… https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/02/magazine/texas-politics-billionaire-preachers.html?searchResultPosition=1
Texas first, then the USA.
Delusional people can be very motivated!
NVL; thank you for your kind words. It is difficult to keep faith while depressed and alone.
Mitch D.; “Delusional people can be very motivated!” Your comment hit me this morning; I just returned from my daily walk, where I do much of my deepest thinking. Your comment fits my thoughts this morning that much of this nation is suffering Stockholm Syndrome and actually believe Trump is our savior.
And isn’t it interesting that these Christian Nationalists are supporting a person who hasn’t a clue about what Christianity teaches? Wonder if Trump has ever even prayed in his life. What a sad state of affairs to have someone devoid of any indication of Christianity in his life be the center of so-called Christians’ loyalties. It is sad, indeed, and frightening. The separation of church and state is a plan that has respect for ALL people and our country, as well.
It’s possible that today’s extremism is continuing backlash to the election of Barack Obama. After all, he broke the string of White Christian Males (WCM) in the Presidency. It may have been frightening to the portion of the population that thought the Presidency was exclusively for WCM.
Now we have a candidate who is not only not white, she isn’t even male. When will the assault on our revered traditions end?
If Harris wins we might have either an escalation of idiocy or we might have a new resolve to withdraw to fight another day.
A side note to JoAnn: your voice has been a highlight of the day for many of us. You bring a viewpoint that, frankly, is more grounded in the day to day reality than most of the rest of us. I always make time to read your comments.
For several years republican candidates for office or re-election have proclaimed that they are a Christian and that has apparently been proven to help them get elected. My belief is “If you need to publicly proclaim that you are a Christian then you are not a Christian”. Your choice of religion should not matter at all with regards to fulfilling the duties of public office. What does matter is that you are qualified to fulfill the duties of the office.
I’ve mentioned the Netflix series “The Family” in the past. It is very educational about how men have used religion (Christianity) to create and amass power not only in the US federal government, but in countries around the world. Their power in DC and the states is frightening. Their organization has been accumulating worldwide power for several decades.
Allow me summarize poli-sci for you:
Most people are remarkably stupid, frightened little animals.
I’d encourage everyone to read Kevin Kruse. One of his books, One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America, describes an alliance of corporate and religious sectors which form the base of today’s Republican Party.
The orange guy looks in the mirror and prays to himself multiple times daily!
Remember the biblical story of BAAL and the origin of the ten commandments.
People who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it!
I agree with NVL and Peggy Hannon, JoAnn Green – I always appreciate reading your point of view, and admire you very much.
US is in the midst of a civil war and the differences couldn’t be starker. Maga and trump representing authoritarian patriarchy with blatant disregard for rule of law and facts, and Harris representing Democracy, facts and rule of law. Even their personhoods are in stark contrast with DJT a white wealthy man only interested in power to have his way and feed his coffers. On the other hand, Harris is an intelligent, hardworking, biracial woman that shows respect for US traditions and rule of law, who is willing to speak truth to power and promote policy for the unfortunate, the working- and middle-class people. All this without overburdening the privileged and wealthy is also in her plan.
Seems founding fathers realized the downfalls of combining religion and state (kingdoms) and made concerted effort to separate those powers for good reason.
My thanks to those who posted supportive words to me today; I’m down here peering through the weeds at grassroots level trying to make sense of a world that appears to me to be foundering. We disagree among ourselves but seem to remain united in finding a way to “save the soul of America” when the times are more divisive than we have seen since the Civil War which we only read about. We are now living it and I am wondering if we can or will again become the United States of America?