What is Christian Nationalism?
Christian Nationalism has become an increasingly prevalent force in American politics as of late, especially with the election of Donald Trump and his heavily religious cabinet. Although this trend isn’t anything new, Trump’s election seems to have sparked a new fire in Christian Nationalists, who believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and shouldn’t be influenced by other religions or non-religious ideologies. While some feel that this kind of religious influence on government is valuable, others see it as antithetical to the core values of the United States and dangerous in its potential to violate the separation of church and state.
Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks for the entire GOP – they need to represent their voters – certain people – most of the people that vote for them and certain people – who are certain people?
Christian nationalism is the belief that Christianity should be the guiding force in American society and politics. This movement has been gaining ground in recent years, with support coming from both the Republican Party and some Democrats. The Founding Fathers were mostly Christians, and many of their ideals were based on Biblical principles. While the separation of church and state is an important part of American democracy, some people believe that Christianity should have a more prominent role in government. Christian nationalists often support policies that reflect their values, such as restrictions on abortion and LGBTQ rights. They also tend to oppose immigration, particularly from Muslim countries. Some critics argue that Christian nationalism is a form of bigotry, as it relies on stereotyping and fear-mongering to gain support. According to a recent study, about one-third of Americans believe in Christian nationalism – that is, the belief that Christianity should have a more central role in American life and politics.
What is Nationalism?
There are many definitions of nationalism and a functioning discussion about how best to characterize it, however, there are several recurring themes. Most scholars agree that nationalism starts with the belief that humanity is divisible into mutually distinct, internally coherent cultural groups defined by shared traits like language, religion, ethnicity, or culture. From there, scholars say, nationalists believe that these groups should each have their own governments; that governments should promote and protect a nation’s cultural identity; and that sovereign national groups provide meaning and purpose for human beings. Scholars point out that nationalism can lead to xenophobia, which is the intense dislike or prejudice against foreigners. Xenophobia can take various forms including violence and genocide. One scholar argues that Christian nationalists are not racist because they believe in multiculturalism within a dominant Anglo-Protestant culture.
The Difference Between Christian Nationalism and Protestantism
Protestantism is the largest sect of Christianity, and its name comes from the protests against certain Catholic doctrines in the 16th century. At its core, Protestantism is based on individual interpretations of scripture, which can lead to different beliefs even within the same denomination. Christian nationalism, on the other hand, is a political movement that puts Christians at the center of public life and supports policies that reflect biblical values. While Protestantism is a religious belief system, Christian nationalism is more of a political ideology.
What are the Effects of Christian Nationalism?
There are a variety of ways that Christian nationalism manifests itself in government. One way is through the religious affiliation of elected officials. Another way is through policies that give preferential treatment to Christianity or Christianity-based organizations.
First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Separation of Church and State
One of the Founding Principles of the United States is the separation of Church and State. This means that there should be a clear delineation between religious institutions and government. Unfortunately, in recent years there has been a growing trend of Christian Nationalism in our country. This is the belief that Christianity should have a privileged place in our society and that our government should be based on Christian principles. This way of thinking is dangerous because it goes against the very principle on which our country was founded.
Although the words “separation of church and state” do not appear in the First Amendment, the establishment clause was intended to separate church from state. When the First Amendment was adopted in 1791, the establishment clause applied only to the federal government, prohibiting the federal government from any involvement in religion. By 1833, all states had disestablished religion from government, providing protections for religious liberty in state constitutions. In the 20th century, the U.S. Supreme Court applied the establishment clause to the states through the 14th Amendment. Today, the establishment clause prohibits all levels of government from either advancing or inhibiting religion.
The establishment clause separates church from state, but not religion from politics or public life. Individual citizens are free to bring their religious convictions into the public arena. But the government is prohibited from favoring one religious view over another or even favoring religion over non-religion.
Our nation’s founders disagreed about the exact meaning of “no establishment” under the First Amendment; the argument continues to this day. But there was and is widespread agreement that preventing the government from interfering with religion is an essential principle of religious liberty. All of the Framers understood that “no establishment” meant no national church and no government involvement in religion. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison believed that without separating church from state, there could be no real religious freedom.
The first use of the “wall of separation” metaphor was by Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island in 1635. He said an authentic Christian church would be possible only if there was “a wall or hedge of separation” between the “wilderness of the world” and “the garden of the church.” Any government involvement in the church, he believed, corrupts the church.
Then in 1802, Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, wrote: “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”
The Supreme Court has cited Jefferson’s letter in key cases, beginning with a polygamy case in the 19th century. In the 1947 case Everson v. Board of Education, the Court cited a direct link between Jefferson’s “wall of separation” concept and the First Amendment’s establishment clause.
Where Does Freedom Fit Into This?
When it comes to the relationship between religion and politics, the line between personal beliefs and public policy can often be blurred. This is especially true for Christians who may feel called to infuse their faith into every aspect of their lives—including their voting decisions.
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Source: Christianity Today, #TheYoungTurks, TikTok Washington Post
Torah faith as contrasted by the faith framed by the religions of avoda zarah.
Religion totally misses the boat in matters of Torah faith. This faith defined by permitted types of מלאכה, commonly known as justice. This faith shapes the meaning and intent of all the תרי”ג \ 613 Commandments together with the Talmud’s lateral common law legal system. What’s the point of the logic system revelation IF Man abhors justice between and among his fellow Man? The Oral Torah logic format/system spins around a rational method by which to interpret Prophetic mussar. Mussar has zero connections with theological belief dictates.
Theological belief dictates define all religions of avoda zarah/alien מלאכה. The terms מלאכה and עבודה closely related to one another. The latter associated with manual labor, whereas the former a skill/חכמה something like playing a musical instrument. The Talmud permits blowing the shofar on shabbat because it refers to it as a חכמה/skill rather than עבודה. Both Shabbat and the rest of the days of the week spin against acts of forbidden מלאכה – “injustice”. From the vile sale of Josef to Egyptian slavery … to the oppression of Par’o, and how he enslaved all Israelites… forbidden מלאכה not just limited to the acts of building the Mishkan/Tabernacle of the Congregation. The construction of the Mishkan, Israel dedicated the souls of their children to not do forbidden actions of theft, oppression, ערוה, and judicial bribery ie forbidden מלאכה.
As מלאכה defines Torah justice. Sin and belief in the Devil: defines Xtian avoda zarah. Paul justified the theology of belief in JeZeus as the false messiah based upon his absurd theory of ‘Original Sin’. A perversion of the Torah comparable to how the Rambam’s statute law halachot perverted Talmudic common law. Both this and that established new religions of avoda zarah. The Rambam has his famous 13 points of theological belief, something like the Nicene Creed.
All religions of avoda zarah spin around the central axis of some cult of personality. From christ, to mohammad, to buddha all belief systems dictate a theology and creed that followers of that religion MUST believe. The church murdered and tortured people who embraced opposing theological beliefs. The 30 Years War, killed about as many as did WWI, Protestants and Catholics slaughtered one another because the Protestant Cross stripped Jesus from off its crucifix; combined with Protestant rejection of the cult of Mary, and her eternal virginity.
Avoda zarah makes God or Gods the focus of the faith parameters. The Torah by stark contrast makes justice as the focus of faith; all generations equally bear the moral burden to live just lives. A key Torah negative commandment defines the 2nd Sinai commandment not to worship avoda zarah through the common law precedent: the negative commandment not to assimilate to foreign cultures and customs and not to marry Goyim, whose people never accepted the revelation of Sinai & Horev. Avoda zarah emphasizes a Universal scope of faith.
Oral Torah logic as opposed by ancient Greek philosophy spins solely around the axis of interpreting the mussar commanded by and within the Books of the T’NaCH prophets. Plato and Aristotle’s logic have Universal applications as does Hegel logic format which Marx, Lenin, and the Bolsheviks later embraced.
Torah faith spins around the oath sworn lands, only within the brit Republic of Tribes can Jews observe Talmudic common law as expressed through lateral courtrooms. Religious Orthodox Judaism perverts the Beit Din courts. The Orthodox Beit Din fails to assign a court judge to serve each of the opposing parties in a legal conflict – prosecutor and defence. הלכה למעשה/practical halacha\ today, consequent to the Rambam Civil War, has assimilated to Roman statute law rather than Jewish common law.
The American Civil War never fought to end slavery.
Slavery, not limited to blacks shipped from Africa to the New World. The damned Yankee victory in the American Civil War did not terminate slavery. That vile illegal war of Yankee aggression only employed slavery as a propaganda excuse to terminate States Rights. Yankee interests simply shifted, due to the requirements of the Industrial revolution. Factory owners still pay slave wages to their workers. Washington, for example, just recently validated the railroad monopoly which refuses to pay sick leave to workers; elected Congress persons – how many days of paid sick leave to they receive?! The industrial revolution concentrates wealth into the hands of the elite corporate slave owners, commonly referred to as Robber Barons, post-Civil War. The damned Yankee version of slavery merely switched the American slavery issue away from the oppressed black folk unto the rich white folk elected to Congress.
דברים ד:ח – – ומי גוי גדול אשר לו חקים ומשפטים צדיקם ככל התורה הזאת. תהלים פט:טו – – צדק ומשפט מכון\יסוד/כסאך, חסד ואמת יקדמו פניך. Repeated again in תהלים צז:ב.
Justice the traditional translation for this word – – צדק. The profound מלאכה wisdom of the Oral Torah, never in 2000+ years did any church authority figure ever discover the Oral Torah within the Written Torah! Oral Torah common law/משנה תורה\ its wisdom so completely profound, Goyim scholars could never grasp its splendor. The wisdom of Oral Torah common law stands separate and distinct from democratic statute law.
A Torah Constitutional Republic resembles in many ways the American Founding Fathers vision of the 13 Colonies forged into a Republic of States. The post Civil War abomination, how the victors of that illegal war of Yankee aggression perverted the American Constitution away from Representatives sent as ambassadors of the States of the Union to represent the interests of their States and the People before the Federal Congress.
So completely different than that of the post Civil War Political Parties which hijacked the designated purpose of State Representatives sent to Congress. Pre Civil War known through the political expression of “States Rights”. Post Civil War those Congress persons and Senators only elected. They now come to Washington to serve as agents appointed to represent the collective interests of a specific political Party rather than that of the State which sent them to Washington. Democrat or Republican political interests demand party loyalty. States rights no longer an issue in American national politics. Alas the perversion of the American Republic did not stop there.
The vile victors of the American Civil War, thereafter radically expanded the voting franchise and illegally established the domination of Washington political establishment, achieved now through Corporate lobbies having a revolving door incest relationship with the Federal bureaucracies & ever-expanding National debt. Elected Congress persons do not negotiate with other States to pass a Bill through Congress. Congressional Party politics subcommittees, they add vast pork spending to all Bills submitted to Congress. A Corporate monopoly, for example, controls the National Bank/Federal Reserve. Most of the National debt fills the pockets of these private owners of this National private monopoly.
America has become a nation always in a state of War. Perpetual War enriches the Indusrial military complex Corporate monopoly. During the oppression of the Great Depression FDR robbed the land of the American farmers and ranchers and turned over bank confiscated private property, sold to powerful agriculture monopolies which annually demand 10s of billion of dollars in Federal subsidies.
The Federal Reserve duplicated the crime committed by the Radical Republicans post Civil War. After the fall of Wall Street in 1929 the Federal Reserve severely restricted the US currency permitted on the open market. The Radical Republicans did the same with Lincolns ‘greenbacks’ after the Civil War. This action resulted in the concentration of wealth into the Robber Baron Corporate monopolies. Teddy Roosevelt, made famous as a ‘Trust Buster’. Simple Americans failed to grasp that if Washington can break up a Corporate monopoly, it can equally establish Corporate monopolies which Washington approves. Elected “enslaved” Officialdom, have to spend hundreds of millions to get elected into political office. This has made them chattel owned by the Corporate monopolies.
The gross perversion and distortion of the post-Civil War United States democracy resembles the post Rambam Civil War which perverted the מלאכה of Common Law unto the עבודה of Roman statute law. The latter makes no Primary/Secondary distinction between the Mishna and the Gemara. Like and similar to the American Representatives “elected and not appointed to Congress”, who obey the dictation of Corporate lobbies, who write the Bills which these corrupted “enslaved” chattel Officials submit before Congress!
The election process in the modern American democracy demands that all elected personnel sell their souls to the Corporate monopolies, which finance their election & perpetual re-election victories. It’s really a moot point to restrict term length to Office. Because whatever politician wins his State election process, which permits that victor to become rich while “serving” in Washington, that Congressperson or Senator – this slave, this chattel piece of property, “its” owned by the Corporate monopolies which financed the election victory.
The post-Civil War American “democracy” has perverted the United States into a banana Republic! The less than 1% who get elected to Washington become fabulously wealthy while “serving” in Washington, the rest of the 99% of the American people grovel in poverty; the American middle class has become an endangered species threatened with extinction. How did Nancy Pelosi, who spent 30 years in Washington, become a fabulously rich millionaire, other than by insider trading? The Corporate monopolies exist as the puppet masters who pull the strings of their bought and paid for chattel slaves who “serve” in Congress. States’ Rights, corrupt damned Yankee Washington bites.