On September 28th, The Idaho Statesman ran an opinion piece by Chenele Dixon entitled \u201cChristian Nationalism Is Not Christian.\u201d Dixon, a former state legislator, raises concerns about the intersection of Christianity and politics. Another Idaho politician defended her article to me, prompting this response. I recommend reading her article before considering my reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two points worth noting:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n First<\/strong>, in my view, Dixon\u2019s article does not sufficiently define \u201cChristian Nationalism\u201d or clarify who precisely the \u201cChristian Nationalists\u201d are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second<\/strong>, the article\u2019s core premise is flawed. Christian conservatives do not allow politics to inform their faith\u2014the reverse is true. Our faith, as Paul Ryan once said, \u201cinforms every aspect of our lives,\u201d including our politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The crux of the argument is misplaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Is “Christian Nationalism”?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is a commonly used definition of Christian Nationalism, offered by PBS and echoed in academic literature:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cChristian Nationalism is a political and cultural ideology that seeks to merge a nation\u2019s identity\u2014most often, the United States\u2014with Christianity, advocating for the government to promote or enforce Christian values, symbols, and narratives as central to national life. Supporters typically believe that the country\u2019s success and true identity are rooted in Christianity, and that the government should reflect and protect this heritage.\u201d<\/em>christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The core problem with this ideology is that it blurs the lines between faith and politics. Religion should not be informed by politics; rather, politics should be informed by religion. While individuals should advocate for government policies that align with their convictions, the government itself should never enforce one particular religious philosophy or politicize faith\u2014just as it should avoid weaponizing institutions like the DOJ. Alongside reason, the inherited traditions of Western culture have shaped social and political institutions designed to safeguard liberty. Institutions such as the Mormon church, Catholic parishes, Jewish synagogues, and Protestant congregations each contribute to this civic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us remember that many forefathers risked their lives to secure the right to worship freely and follow their own \u201cvoice within,\u201d as my Quaker ancestors would say. Christians led movements to abolish slavery and secure women\u2019s suffrage\u2014both here and abroad. For those interested in the Christian response to slavery, a reading of the Book of Philemon can provide perspective. When considering other accusations against Christian tradition, the Book of Ruth is also instructive. The Beatitudes, referenced by Dixon, speak to these issues, but must be understood within the wider context of the Old Testament Law and Christ\u2019s teachings. Christians are called to confront evil in all its forms\u2014not merely those that are obvious, but even those masquerading as good. Jesus\u2019 expulsion of money changers from the Temple exemplifies a call for spiritual integrity, rejecting the commercialization and politicization of faith, and ensuring that worship serves justice and prayer for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Equating \u201cChristian Nationalism\u201d with totalitarianism or using terms such as \u201cNazi,\u201d \u201cbigot,\u201d or \u201cracist\u201d to tar all Christian conservatives is as unfair as ascribing the political philosophies of Bernie Sanders or AOC to all progressives. Aristotelian logic reminds us that \u201cwhat\u2019s true of the part is not true of the whole, and vice versa\u201d\u2014a principle worth applying to today\u2019s political debates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am a proud Christian conservative, committed to letting my faith inform every aspect of my life\u2014including my politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Historical Notes on Faith and the Founders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In response to the defender\u2019s points about the founders\u2019 \u201cDeism,\u201d it is true that Jefferson and Franklin are frequently cited as Deists. However, Adams, Hamilton, Washington, and John Jay were outspoken about Christian principles. At the time of the Declaration and through the Articles of Confederation, every state constitution except Pennsylvania (with its Quaker heritage) explicitly referenced a Christian God. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 also included such a reference. ebsco+1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every U.S. state constitution contains at least one reference to God or a divine being, with wording that varies by state. Most states use \u201cGod,\u201d but states such as Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii, and Washington reference a \u201cSupreme Being\u201d or \u201cDivine Guidance\u201d. Idaho\u2019s constitution, for example, begins: \u201cWe, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare do establish this Constitution.\u201d Does anyone seriously suggest that this preamble should be stripped of its spiritual roots? pewresearch+1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Governments not grounded in faith\u2014consider communist states or even some seemingly \u201cgoodful\u201d nations\u2014have often slipped into generational bondage. As F.A. Hayek argued, enduring moral values must be rooted in tradition, not fleeting human desire; even Ayn Rand, an atheist, recognized as much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Idaho\u2019s constitution and those words reflect the belief that freedom, or \u201cliberty with duty,\u201d is humanity\u2019s second greatest gift from God. The U.S. Constitution, for the first time in history, asserted that rights come not from government but from the Creator. No government can legitimately revoke those rights. ebsco+1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The moral pillars of our Republic rest on Judeo-Christian principles. Failing to uphold these threatens liberty for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n P.S.<\/strong> I used to admire David Brooks as a \u201cBurkean Republican Whig,\u201d but have found his recent work more gnostic in tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you for the thoughtful discussion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On September 28th, The Idaho Statesman ran an opinion piece by Chenele Dixon entitled \u201cChristian Nationalism Is Not Christian.\u201d Dixon, a former state legislator, raises concerns about the intersection of Christianity and politics. Another Idaho politician defended her article to me, prompting this response. I recommend reading her article before considering my reply. Two points […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":13215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1051],"tags":[1544,706],"class_list":["post-19067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-john-livingston","tag-christian-nationalism","tag-nationalism","cat-1051-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19067"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19068,"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19067\/revisions\/19068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gemstatepatriot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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