Ten months into the Trump administration, the outlines of America’s cold civil war have become too stark to miss. MAGA is determined to remake the United States into a nation where White Christian Nationalists are legally privileged and in control. And they’re making progress.
The evidence is overwhelming. Masked ICE agents focus on people of color. Trump reportedly wants to “revamp” immigration rules in order to make it easier for Whites and harder for others to enter the country. From day one, the administration has pursued an all-out war on “DEI”–insisting that any effort to level the playing field for previously marginalized folks is really anti-White discrimination. Aided and abetted by a thoroughly corrupted Supreme Court majority, the hits have kept coming: universities prevented from continuing programs even slightly resembling affirmative action, the continued gutting of the Voting Rights Act…
And as we’ve recently seen, the racism motivating MAGA isn’t diminishing; it infuses the GOP’s young activists.
I have previously written about the faux-Christianity that motivates much of this. I particularly recommend Tim Alberta’s book, “The Kingdom, The Power and the Glory.” Alberta is a genuine Christian Evangelical, and his critique is informed by his own deep religiosity. More recently, David French–another committed Evangelical– has described what is happening in thousands of churches as a religious “revolution”–not to be confused with a true revival. In his telling, America is close to a religious revolution, and the difference between that revolution and a true religious revival is immensely important for both church and state.
Decades of scholarship, very much including scholarship by religious organizations, have attributed America’s religiosity–far greater than in other Western Democratic countries–to the fact that the First Amendment requires the separation of church and state. That understanding fails to persuade the MAGA folks who’ve turned religion into a political identity.
The Christian Nationalists who dominate Red state governments reject the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. They intend to indoctrinate the nation’s schoolchildren, and they aren’t satisfied with mandates to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms. In Texas, they’ve introduced a “revised” and bible-infused English curriculum.
A new state-sponsored English curriculum infused with lessons about the Bible and Christianity could reach tens of thousands of Texas schoolchildren this year.
More than 300 of the state’s roughly 1,200 districts signed up to use the English language arts lessons, according to data obtained by The New York Times through a public records request. Many are rural, and relatively small.
The curriculum was created as several states, including Oklahoma and Louisiana, fought to bring prayer or religious texts like the Ten Commandments into public school classrooms, blurring the line between church and state.
According to the analysis done by the New York Times, the Texas curriculum features content on Christianity, the bible and the life of Jesus. Lessons include the Biblical story of his birth in a Bethlehem manger, New Testament accounts of the angel who described him as the Messiah, and even stories about the miracles he was purported to perform.
Fifth graders examine a psalm in a poetry unit. First-grade students discuss the parable of the prodigal son alongside stories like “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” Kindergarten children learn in depth about the Book of Genesis in a lesson on art exploration that notes that “many artists have found inspiration for creating art from the words in creation stories in religious books.”
The Times analysis found that Christianity was heavily favored in the lessons. In the materials used in the second grade, for example, “Christianity, the Bible and Jesus are referenced about 110 times. By contrast, Islam, Muslims, the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad are mentioned roughly 31 times in lessons spanning from kindergarten to fifth grade.”
The Times article has much more detail, and it is worth clicking through and reading. The curricular changes were summed up in a quote by David R. Brockman, a Christian theologian and religious studies scholar at Rice University. After he reviewed all of the Texas materials, Brockman concluded that the lessons amounted to Bible study in a public school curriculum, and he worried that the state’s adaptation of its curriculum would send an implicit message to children “that Christianity is the only important religion.”
Well, duh! Of course that’s the message, and it’s intended. In MAGA’s America–a country distant from the one occupied by the rest of us–the only real Americans are lily-White and “Christian.” The rest of us–including genuine Christians–are intruders.
“In Texas, they’ve introduced a “revised” and bible-infused English curriculum.”
Well, hell.
When I worked in software many years ago, our product was an online course delivery system that universities, colleges, and training centres used. We partnered with many textbook publishing companies. They would make online courses to accompany their textbooks. Instructors using their textbook and our system could download their already-created course, and immediately have access to additional content, quizzes, tests, assignments and more. It made online course delivery much easier for them. Our system _was_ used in grade schools as well, but less so.
The reason I mention this is that as part of the various relationships with publishers we learned that it was Texas’ curricula in particular that drove textbook design and delivery by the publishers. Basically, what Texas did eventually spread across the country. This was mainly related to higher education but not entirely. That Texas is breaking down the wall between church and state in this way is far more dangerous than you might otherwise expect.
I recall having read about the impact of the Texas curricula many years ago. Indoctrination is the name oof the game. So special!
As we’ve learned, you’ll know who rules over you when you cannot criticize them. I quickly found out in my local Hoosier community who controls us when I started writing about our YMCA’s racist and elitist tactics. When I asked for their financial statements, the CEO handed them to me and then scolded me about “upsetting their donors.” LOL. That would be the Ball Family Foundation run by a descendant of the Ball family. It started an incredible journalism opportunity for which I was censored and blackballed. Former friends distanced themselves because they benefited from the Ball family’s largesse.
Look at the donors behind MAGA. They’re not ignorant people, although I have my doubts about Peter Thiel. He cannot get enough of naming the Anti-Christ and the end of civilization as we know it. We are all being judged. 😉
Evangelical followers are easily manipulated and will believe almost anything told to them by their pastors. The local mental health facility wanted to build a housing facility in South Muncie. The church pastor told the congregation many amazing stories about the potential problems. I listened in disbelief to the congregants who showed up to speak against the project. My jaw dropped as one story after another was beyond ignorant. These people live in an alternative universe devoid of reality.
After living in many Southern States, I can only imagine how they respond to this moment. Many hadn’t moved beyond the Civil War mentality. I don’t think posters on this blog can relate to the alternative universes in this country. The only way to cover it is by comedic sarcasm. Comedy Central is crushing it right now. Late-night hosts are destroying Trump’s administration, and the interviews they have with MAGA supporters show the level of ignorance. South Park episodes are also destroying the idiocy.
If anybody thinks we will have rational conversations with these people, let it go! And if you think we can convince them to ignore “God’s word,” forget about it. These cult members are too far gone.
p.s. It’s my understanding that Kash Patel has veered from the lone gunman script and is doing further investigation. Social media is destroying the Tyler Robinson theory by the Utah governor and the FBI. The same people are demanding the release of the Epstein files. They share the same concerns as many of the left-wing podcasters. The plot thickens…
I taught in Texas from 2002 – 08. I got to choose which science books my school district bought. I queried several of my old professors and fellow scientists for their inputs. The one textbook that stood out to all of us featured lengthy parts about the facts and research supporting evolution. I pride myself in being the stealth realist.
All the garbage based on myths and fairy tales takes humans back thousands of years to times when shamans and fear mongers controlled the minds of the masses. Oh. Wait. That’s happening now … here … by 21st century shamans and fear mongers.
Humans making progress … How quaint. Republicans see that progress as retrograde. Yes, they are that intellectually challenged.
The line between church and state is not being blurred. It has been demolished
As others have observed textbooks in Texas are what the rest of the country will have, just because the textbook publishers prefer not to lose profits by publishing different books for various states.
The time has passed to fret over what we should do if fascism arises. We should put all efforts into protecting ourselves. These people have no mercy.
It’s important to state that NOT ALL Christians are involved with the demolition of democracy. It is a politically-defined segment of the Christian movement that is in the thrall of MAGA, not the theologically-defined segment that consists of the mainline Protestants (Episcopalians, Lutherans, United Methodists, etc.), the peace churches (Quakers, Mennonites, etc.), and most Roman Catholics. For example: Pope Leo XIV released his first “Encyclical” teaching document this past weekend, titled “DILEXI TE”, and in it he took a firm, clear stand against the MAGA-like, ICE-style harm being done to immigrant and lower-income families and racism. Find it on your search engine, it is an eye-opener.
Those of us in the Christian mainline are in no way supporting MAGA. In fact we are decisively opposed to its acts and dire consequences, in partnership with the Jewish, Buddhist, Moslem and other faith communities.
It’s a right-wing minority that has siezed power in this administration under the guise of being “religious” (thanks to many people not having bothered to vote, as well as gerrymandering), and now we are reaping the whirlwind.
Todd, when you apparently accuse the (Muncie) YMCA of racism, what is your evidence and specific issues? You previously managed a contract to operate public pools. There is a public record of a dispute that included a court proceeding. What is the basis of your accusation? Be specific and be careful.
Check out the organization Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Christians who are committed to the American Idea can fight fascism by supporting them.
Maury has gotten to the real heart of the matter. If Texas goes the way of religious extremism, will the rest of the country be dragged along? Maybe only the poor states that don’t have computers for every child will be negatively impacted. That’s an awfully big number of children raised in the dark.
Thanks to Todd for mentioning “South Park”. Trey Parker and Matt Stone have been merciless in their portrayals of the current administration. They did pull the episode about Charlie Kirk after his death, but they lampooned Peter Thiel and Brendan Carr. Their portrayal of JD Vance is better than any I’ve seen. I need to put a warning label on my recommendation. If you’re offended by four letter words and gross boy stuff stay away from ” South Park .
“Hey, Mike, you just keep congress shut down and I can do whatever the hell I want, even make it seem that I’m doing it for the sake of your God; not mine, I don’t need one…I’m it. What desecrate the WH? Y’know, Louis 14th would love it.
Thanks, Sucker,
King Donny”
Norris,
The Muncie YMCA has always been elitist and racist. One of my inside sources said they would take applications from black youths for scholarships and then toss them in the trash. Their members aren’t exactly a DEI crowd.
Additionally, they closed the YMCA in South Muncie, which served the low-income and single mothers, when they opened a facility in Yorktown. This move put two Ys in the wealthiest northwest section of the county, and Yorktown has always been a predominantly affluent area.
The CEO told the newspaper that their South facility didn’t have enough members, so they closed it. I suppose on their last day, the manager threw the membership list in the trash, and it ended up in the hands of the real estate owners, who called me. The CEO lied, which she was very good at. The board members wanted the YMCA in their neighborhood.
The YMCA is no different than Planet Fitness and should have to pay property taxes. They are just another freeloader in this town, protected by the Ball oligarchy.
“In our digital age, lies can become immortal.”
This digital age may be the crux of our problems; computerized, electronic required communication sources are aiding Trump and MAGA’s determination to force reliance on fossil fuels as our primary – leading to our only – source of power. Dictionaries are becoming obsolete with the terminology based in opposite meaning of once easy to understand word and terms. How did “conservatives” become our current Fascist/Dictatorship majority political party and the term “woke” become a dirty four-letter word?
AI is the biggest danger of the new terminology accepted as truth; “artificial” was once an unacceptable article and considered a form of lies. The primary source of truth and lies in any form can now be at our fingertips only with required electronic devices which now controls the lives of most people who believe it is making their lives easier. It all requires electronic power, powered primarily by fossil fuels controlled by the wealthy who keep the Stock Market healthy. Why do you believe Putin is destroying Ukraine through its power systems to prevent easy and timely communication in his and Trump’s war?
Our First Amendment is quickly becoming a lie in America; in less that one year it is almost obsolete; questioning Trump’s lie that the White House would remain intact to erect his gold ball room and media is being warned by his government to cut back on pictures showing his lies of the destruction. History and tradition are being destroyed by this digital age and lies are ruling this nation; it will take more than the SEVEN MILLION AMERICANS WHO MARCHED ON SATURDAY TO SAVE US. More marches by more Americans as we head into winter season which will keep many who marched at home to stay warm and watch TV for those who brave the cold and the lies.