On October 9th, I will join the Reverend Beau Underwood on a panel moderated by retired lawyer Don Knebel, to discuss why Christian Nationalism is a threat to democracy. (You can access information about that zoom event here.) Regular readers of this blog already know my concerns about the rise of Christian Nationalism–concerns shared by numerous members of the Christian clergy, who point out that the movement is many things, but “Christian” isn’t one of them.
The problem with much of the discussion of this troubling movement is that it tends to be future oriented–to stress the likely results if adherents gain political power. But as a recent article by Dana Milbank in the Washington Post makes clear, Christian Nationalists already occupy powerful positions in Congress, and are largely responsible for the current inability of that body to function properly.
Six weeks after his improbable rise from obscurity to speaker of the House in late 2023, Louisiana’s Mike Johnson decided to break bread with a group of Christian nationalists. He gave the keynote address (at the Museum of the Bible) to the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, a group whose founder, “proud” Christian nationalist Jason Rapert, has said: “I reject that being a Christian Nationalist is somehow unseemly or wrong.”
Rapert’s organization promoted the pine-tree “Appeal to Heaven” flag, which was among the banners flown at the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021 — and which, by total and remarkable coincidence, was proudly displayed outside Johnson’s congressional office.
The article noted that remarks by the event’s speakers and award recipients included: a man who proposed that gay people should be forced to wear labels across their foreheads, a woman who blamed gay people for Noah’s flood and other natural disasters, and forthright adherents of “dominionist” theology, which holds that the United States should be governed under biblical law by Christians.
“I’ll tell you a secret, since media is not here,” Johnson teased the group, unaware that his hosts were streaming video of the event. Johnson informed his audience that God “had been speaking to me” about becoming speaker, communicating “very specifically,” in fact, waking him at night and giving him “plans and procedures.”
God, you see, is taking Johnson across our “Red Sea moment” to the promised land. Unfortunately, as the article noted,
In 11 months as speaker, Johnson has led the House Republicans not to the promised land but into deeper water, where they have been thrashing, splashing and dog paddling without end. Johnson inherited a dysfunctional House GOP majority from Speaker Kevin McCarthy — the first in history to be ousted midterm — and managed to make it even worse by catering to the whims of former president Donald Trump even more than his predecessor had.
Milbank proceeded to remind readers just how dysfunctional this Congress has been, noting that It is “on course to be the do-nothingest since 1859-1861 — when the Union was dissolving.” It’s one thing to be a “do-nothing” legislative body, but as Milbank notes, Johnson’s House “isn’t merely unproductive; it is positively lunatic.”
Republicans have filled their committee hearings and their bills with white nationalist attacks on racial diversity and immigrants, attempts to ban abortion and to expand access to the sort of guns used in mass shootings, incessant harassment of LGBTQ Americans, and even routine potshots at the U.S. military. They insulted each other’s private parts, accused each other of sexual and financial crimes, and scuffled with each other in the Capitol basement. They screamed “Bullshit!” at President Joe Biden during the State of the Union address. They stood up for the Confederacy and used their official powers to spread conspiracy theories about the “Deep State.” Some even lent credence to the idea that there has been a century-old Deep State coverup of space aliens, with possible involvement by Mussolini and the Vatican.
What about the bills this sorry assemblage has passed? Well, they did manage to enact the Refrigerator Freedom Act, the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act and the Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards (SUDS) Act. Milbank notes that on at least seven occasions, House Republicans even voted down their own leadership’s routine attempts to begin floor debates.
These people are not serious policymakers. They are performative wannabe’s–think Marjorie Taylor Greene or Jim Jordan or Jim Banks and several others–all of whom profess to be Christian Nationalists, and all of whom are playing to a MAGA base that is disproportionately Christian Nationalist, uninterested in policy, and dismissive of constitutional principles.
Christian Nationalism isn’t just a threat to our future. It is a threat to America in the here and now.
In November, we need to purge it from our governing institutions.
Don’t forget they shot down their own bipartisan deal on fixing the immigration problem because DJT wanted to use the topic for campaign purposes. Brilliant!
The oligarchy has embraced Christian Nationalism to win seats in Washington, and it presents an easy formula for their voting base—good vs. evil. That makes it easy for their voters, who are reinforced by their preachers on Sundays and Wednesdays. This is a Christian Nation, and our Constitution reflects it.
When I’ve conversed with this mentality on social media, it becomes relatively clear that these folks have no clue what secular even means. The separation of church and state eludes them completely. They’re repeating what they’ve heard others say, which is Christians founded our nation for Christians. When you ask them about our First Amendment and the two clauses separating church and state, they act as if it doesn’t exist. I guess their pastor and Fox News forgot to cover the entire First Amendment. 😉
Part of our oligarchy calls it a Christian Nation so it can manipulate the same fools who send dollars to Trump for legal fees and to their TV preachers. It’s not hard to manipulate these folks if you don’t have a conscience.
It’s amazing that 250 years ago, the founders of our country saw so clearly the dangers of theocracy. It’s like they were talking to all the gods and noticed how chaotic the conversation became.
Todd is mostly correct – in my opinion – today. So-called Christian Nationalism is just another lame-brained excuse and construct to spew hate for others not them. It reflects the primitive nature of the human mind toward what it thinks is understanding things for which they have no knowledge or are just to damned lazy to figure out. We see what’s been hard-wired into the fearful instincts of our most ancient selves. Anything to do with religious zealotry is pure B.S. and a reflection of the inherent fear these ignorant people of those things they don’t understand. They will destroy the lives of others for the sake of their fairy tales, myths and bigotry.
“People” keep saying a third party is the solution to all problems facing this nation today; but they don’t recognize the current third party, Christian Nationalism, running incognito as Republicans. Have they begun publishing their “Bible”, Project 2025, for sale to the public when they reenter the White House to follow their personal god, Donald Trump? A recent news brief that their plan is for JD Vance to perform all presidential responsibilities while “The Donald” works on his personal problems…those pesky criminal convictions may be the first truth from them. It quickly disappeared from news briefs.
“Christian Nationalism isn’t just a threat to our future. It is a threat to America in the here and now.”
Those declaring their christianity in public and repeatedly are to be watched; true Christians and their representatives in other religions can be recognized by their actions.
ask mike johnson what hes smokin/drinkin/or takin,ill have 2. i gotta see this.
if the deep state exists, it now become a religious threat to democracy. the deep state is more likely the gathering of wall street elites and the republicans party for a smoke and juice session. remarkable how we/they slammed the Muslim/Islam faith after 911 on their use of religion to control people, and whatever else the white christian nationals ranted about. the idea here for johnson and his ilk, is to use religion again,to control people,us. for the agnostics, like myself, will i be required to believe? using the halls of congress as a address for faith, is like the thoughts and prayers BS..whereas, orgs with knowlege and knowing well their dirty hands are in that message. mike johnson, reread the constitution, and remember why we left england and the continent where they decided to kill everyone who didnt honor/die for one or the other,pope. the rattling of all this is in a time line of where Americans have become numb to others, social media and news that isnt fair and balanced has become a man (for profit) made humanities failure. theres never too many opinions, just ones that now seek to kill,like trump speech yeaterday. hes deranged,working a nazi line,and developing a following that makes the jan 6 issue look like a picnic.
Keep in mind that, even if they are beaten badly, they might go underground. The next time we have a candidate who is so pathetic, he or she feels the need to adopt division and chaos and stoke fear to win,
they’ll creep out from under their rocks, having learned nothing.
“Religion spoils everything.”
These folks are loving their fairy tale cartoon character, too much!
As Liz Cheney described in her book Oath and Honor, Mike Johnson was one of the behind-the-scenes ringleaders in the Republican attempt to fraudulently steal the 2020 elections. As speaker of the House, he is likely a key player in their plan to fraudulently steal the 2024 election. No doubt because “God” told him to. (God makes such a convenient excuse for doing unethical and illegal things!). Democrats cooperate with him at their peril.
What was that story about a snake?
Just a note for Peggy: the MAGATs expect a victory even if they must steal it from Kamala. Losing isn’t an option. Their goal is to use the state electors against the system. MAGAT funders are passing laws at the state level to ensure a victory no matter what. If God has chosen Trump to lead them to salvation, there is no way they can lose.
While I hope November’s election will be straightforward, we’ll see many games and corruption at the highest levels. Why?
Because Good always triumphs over Evil.
The most dangerous are the Christian zionists.
Methodist,protestant catholic,morons–er mormons, et al…
They’re a crock of shit. EverCRUCIFIXION. based on badly written fiction.. Perhaps it is more appropriate to refer to the crucifixion as the cruciFICTION.
I have no idea as to how the word RELIGION was replaced by CRUCIFIXION.
Damn gremlins. I have angered the gods. Perhaps they’ll forgive me ?
It’s a misuse of public office to block, ignore practical issues of the people, while they evangelize and try to impose their personal belief system on others. There are many office holders that have religious faith and appreciate their freedom to practice it without trying to impose the tenets of their faith on others. Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden are examples.
I think my grandchildren, ages 1st grade through junior in college, have a much better grasp of right and wrong than those bumpkins in D.C.