There is a certain brand of confidence when someone shoves a Bible around a ballot box and declares they’ve discovered Christianity in its purest form. I grew up in the South. I’ve seen this confidence before. It tends to arrive around the time somebody sets a casserole on the counter and announces it “just like Grandma’s,” even though the entire table knows Grandma never touched Velveeta, not even in a pinch.
Christian Nationalism spreads like church potluck casseroles. Quickly. Secretly. No one knows who brought it. Most people are going to be guilted into taking a bite sooner or later, even though they suspect the ingredients. And there’s a good chance that the digestive results will have you sitting on the porcelain throne longer than usual. Then, somehow, folks will claim they absolutely love it so that they don’t have to admit to their extended stay getting rid of all of the crap.
Before we go further, here are two things you should know about me.
One: I’m not trying to kick you when you’re down. I’m not up on my high horse, hurling stones. And I’m not here to win medals in the Snark Olympics (although it is one of my skill sets).
Two: I’m more than a bit worried about any ideology that takes Jesus and forces him to star in political attack ads in his downtime. You see, if we don’t start calling out Christianity when it masquerades around as something else, we will lose our faith to someone’s promotional political pandering.
So if we’re going to name names, let’s do it gently. Let’s do it clearly. And let’s do it with a smile that reminds each other we’re still going to love these folks… even when they cause havoc.
Alright. Here we go.
Seven signs you might have wandered off the Gospel path and into the tall weeds of Christian Nationalism.
1. Your Christianity came with talking points instead of compassion.
Listen. If your faith sounds a whole lot like the pundit you watched on cable news last night, that is most likely not something that comes from true discipleship. If anything, it’s not much more than straight-up spiritual lip-syncing. I promise you, Jesus didn’t bless and baptize the talking heads on TV. He said, blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are the merciful. So, if mercy and compassion are getting lost because you’ve found a convenient news show liturgy that justifies anger, maybe it’s time to take a step back and see which voice you are really following.
2. You think the Constitution is biblical text.
I like the Constitution. But some people refer to the Founding Fathers as if Jesus were just chillin’ in the appendix of the Declaration of Independence. They’ll give you bonus points if your favorite pastime is breaking down which Apostle is most like Jefferson or Washington. We shouldn’t be reading Scripture through rose-colored, American flag glasses. We need to figure out how to love our country without letting citizenship become more important than stewardship.
3. You think Jesus needs political power to survive.
If your understanding of Jesus suddenly becomes in danger should a certain political party lose a few seats, please put your glasses on. The Jesus who confronted empire didn’t need political power to stick around. Jesus confronted power by loving people in ways that didn’t conform to traditional methods of rule. If your idea of Jesus crumbles if your “team” loses an election by the masses, that’s not just bad theology; that’s bad branding.
4. You think you’re being “prophetic” by taking every opportunity to fearmonger.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say they were “discerning the times” when all they did was quote a cable news host about how the sky was falling. If all your “discernment” does is echo the enemies your political allies have compiled on their enemies lists, that’s not prophecy. That is a self-fulfilling grievance machine running on recycled outrage.
5. You see your political enemies as Jesus’ enemies.
I get it. Politics makes people passionate. I mean, I live in the South. Family reunions are fabulous (and entertaining) because no one can go from zero to erupting like your distant cousins. But when it is at its best, loving your enemies has no expiration date when someone disagrees with your political stance. And if that particular commandment flies out the window when faced with a person who aligns differently politically than you, my friend, you have some work to do.
6. Your version of “religious freedom” only applies to your religion.
Listen, I get it. Religious freedom sounds a whole lot like firstborn privilege when you discover everyone doesn’t bow down to your personal convictions. Personally, I love religious freedom. I root for it 100% of the time. But “religious freedom” that only furthers religious imperialism is tyranny by another name. Patriarchy had a lot of pats on the back when it went by “family values.” Christianity trapped in a cage of Christian Nationalism is no different.
7. You can weaponize Jesus to justify about anything.
If your Prince of Peace sounds more like the hypeman for a country album called “Boots, Bibles, and Border Walls”… or your “Savior” can’t wait to declare who is and isn’t going to get saved if they are crossing the border… or if your heaven’s gates have a velvet rope in front of them and St. Peter is checking papers, guess what. It’s time to go home. You are using Jesus to fight the very things he fought against. Prop up Christianity when it serves your purposes and abandon it when it doesn’t? That’s not faith. That’s cosplay.
You know what scares me more than proud Christians? Patriotic Christians. Christians who buy into Christian Nationalism because it makes them feel good or wise or right. Trust me. I know the appeal. Safety sounds good when you’ve been convinced the world is trying to drown you. The problem is, Christian Nationalism takes the expansive, wild heart of Jesus and whittles it down to bumper sticker size.
You know what Jesus asks of us?
Humility. Boldness. Compassion that doesn’t check voting registration before being extended.
So if someone tries to convince you that being a Christian requires you to also be a Christian Nationalist… well, offer them a nice glass of iced tea and wish them well. Then remind yourself what you know in your heart to be true:
Not every casserole is worth eating.
And not every ideology that drags Jesus’ name behind it deserves a seat at the table.
