July 28, 2022

I read two articles yesterday that scared the hell out of me.  First of all, there was an article discussing how Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has come right out in a recent speech and stated that she is a ‘Christian nationalist.’  Similarly, Lauren Boebert, a fellow Representative, stated in a recent speech that she was tired of all of this separation of church and state nonsense.  I would remind everyone that Viktor Orban, president of Hungary, is a ‘Christian nationalist.’

The founders of this country made a very concerted effort to build a wall between church and state, but this wall is slowly being torn down brick by brick.  And if people like Green and Boebert have their way, along with a seeming growing number of Republicans, that wall will be completely demolished, in an effort to create the United States of America as a society dominated by a white, Christian ruling class. (Can you say, ‘Handmaid’s Tale’?)

First of all, the United States of America has NEVER been a ‘Christian nation’.  This country was founded, and the words are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, on the principle of ‘religious liberty.’  Religious liberty, the freedom to worship as one chooses (or not worship at all), is far different than a nation driven by Christian principles.

And for those who try to make the argument that the U.S. is a ‘Christian nation’ and government policies should be driven by that ideology, it begs the question, “Which Christians are the ‘right’ Christians?  A ‘Christian’ is defined as anyone who believes in the principles of Christianity, i.e., believes in Christ as the savior.  That would include Catholics, the many sects of Protestants, the Greek Orthodox, and perhaps the Mormons (depending upon who you talk to).  Some of these branches of Christianity are much more liberal than others and, for example, approve of and sanctify same-sex marriages.  I would suspect that those are not the Christians that Greene and Boebert are talking about.

So, let’s just get this straight.  When people like Greene and Boebert talk about wanting a ‘Christian nation’, what they are really saying is that they want their particular interpretation of Christianity to become the law of the land for everyone else.  The fact is, moving toward a ‘Christian nation’ will not be any kind of a unifying movement but will create even more polarization.   The Sunni and Shia Muslims have been fighting for generations.   There are huge differences between the Hasidic Jews and the reformed Jews.  A move toward ‘Christian nationalism’ just means that a very small minority of the population wants to control things for the rest of the country. 

History is replete with examples of religions run amok and causing wars and persecuting millions of people.  People in this country are very familiar with the term ‘jihad’ which is associated with Muslim holy wars.  What people like Boebert and Greene are advocating is nothing short of a Christian ‘jihad’ which is essentially a war on all non-believers.

To me, there is nothing scarier than a movement fueled by religious fervor and bigotry.  People caught up in these movements, whether they are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu or whatever, are able to justify whatever actions they take under the banner of ‘in the name of God!’  It’s basically a license to do whatever the hell the feel like as long as it furthers their ‘cause.’  To me, this is more frightening than some dictator like Putin who is just making a bold land grab.

One just has to look at the freedoms that have been stripped away from the population of Hungary under Viktor Orban’s movement toward Christian nationalism to understand what will happen in this country if people like Boebert and Greene get their way. 

I defy anyone to identify a movement driven by religious fervor throughout history that has left behind a better nation.  It usually looks more like the aftermath of a swarm of locusts that has swept across the land and left a path of destruction and devastation in its wake.

I personally don’t give a damn what anyone believes or how they choose to worship but I am absolutely adamant that religion and government should be completely and totally separate.  Unfortunately, the wall that used to stand between religion and government in this country is continuing to be weakened.  And we ignore that trend at our own peril.