Religion

littlemissmartypants

(25,483 posts) Thu Nov 10, 2022, 02:12 PM Nov 2022

What is Christian Nationalism? A possibly helpful graphic and accompanying dilemmas...

When I first started working as an election judge, I was astounded by how many people relied on mailers, from their churches, to vote. Naive me, mentioned it to the "boss" judge because I believed it to be illegal electioneering and technically, it is.

He looked at me like I had sprouted an extra head and nothing more was said about it. I can take a hint and I wanted to continue to do my job. I would have to play by the unofficial rules and look the other way. As an INFJ it's a hard thing for me to do, but I did it anyway. My desire to volunteer was very strong.

That same piece of paper, actually a cardstock mailer, was passed around from voter to voter to voter until I lost count of how many people used it as a reference for casting their votes. The whole experience left me heartsick but I didn't quit because that's how we fail.

I know this is the Religion Group and technically this post is about politics but General Discussion rules forbid posting topics related to Religion. I didn't know where else to post it. Maybe that's a problem we have that needs to be reconciled if we're going to win the battle against having religion commingled with our politics. Especially since what we're talking about is distinctly Christian Nationalism.

It's bad enough now. It could get worse and I'm afraid it will. I think we need a plan to correct the trajectory. It's past time to be able to nip it in the bud. That ship sailed long ago. Any ideas?

❤️ pants

8 replies

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Highlight:

What is Christian Nationalism? A possibly helpful graphic and accompanying dilemmas... (Original Post) littlemissmartypants Nov 2022 OP

For this thread LetMyPeopleVote Nov 2022 #1

Christian Nationalism Is *Single Biggest Threat* to America's religious freedoms, LetMyPeopleVote Nov 2022 #2

The Americanized Spanish Inquisition Y'all Qaeda style... MayReasonRule Nov 2022 #3

I don't know why we make this distinction. Act_of_Reparation Nov 2022 #4

We make distinctions because we live in a multicultural world. old as dirt Dec 2022 #5

All I said was most fascist movements have had a religious component. Act_of_Reparation Dec 2022 #6

"All I said was..." old as dirt Dec 2022 #7

No worries. Act_of_Reparation Dec 2022 #8

LetMyPeopleVote

(154,421 posts)

1. For this thread

Reply to littlemissmartypants (Original post)

Thu Nov 10, 2022, 11:42 PM

Nov 2022

Link to tweet

LetMyPeopleVote

(154,421 posts)

2. Christian Nationalism Is *Single Biggest Threat* to America's religious freedoms,

Reply to littlemissmartypants (Original post)

Fri Nov 11, 2022, 12:47 AM

Nov 2022

MTG and the so-called Christian Nationalist are all hate mongers and bigots These bigots pushing this concept are scary and very sick people

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/these-midterms-republicans-run-against-first-amendment-n1299932?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma

One of the longest-standing principles of American democracy — the separation of church and state— is under attack by people embracing Christian nationalism. That ideology says that the U.S. is and should remain a Christian nation and that Christianity should be prioritized by the state. Even when it is not stated, Christian nationalism implicitly calls for the U.S. to be a white Christian nation.

By definition, Christian nationalism is incompatible with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the government from imposing or endorsing a particular religion. But Christian nationalists would prefer that we ignore that founding document......

Illustrating that Christian nationalist ideas are moving further and further into the mainstream, a September poll by Politico found that 61% of Republicans and 17% of Democrats believe the U.S. should declare itself a Christian nation. The poll also found that “white grievance is highly correlated with support for a Christian nation.” Indeed, as the Christians Against Christian Nationalism website explains, Christian nationalism “often overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation.”

The even more dangerous aspect of Christian nationalism is its acceptance of the inevitability of violence. Christian nationalism argues that Americans are an exceptional, chosen people who will eventually face an apocalyptic end-times battle. This us-versus-them thinking positions the “other” as a dire threat that has to be defeated out of a moral duty to defend Christian values and prevent the nation from falling into darkness......

Let me be clear, Christian nationalism is not Christianity. Nor is it ordinary patriotism or mere pride in being American. It is a perversion of both Christianity and patriotism. That’s why over 24,000 clergy, church leaders and lay people from across the U.S. have signed a statement of “Christians against Christian Nationalism,” which argues that Christian nationalism is “distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy.”.....

At this moment of democratic crisis, it’s critical to remember that our nation’s founders sought to create a country whose government would not interfere with anyone’s religious choice — or promote any single religion. In this sense, Christian nationalism is not just undemocratic; it’s profoundly un-American

MayReasonRule

(1,801 posts)

3. The Americanized Spanish Inquisition Y'all Qaeda style...

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Reply #2)

Wed Nov 16, 2022, 07:08 AM

Nov 2022

Caddo Parish here.

Y'all Qaeda Nat-C Fascists are exactly what we're dealing with across our nation.

They've rejected doubt, thus rejecting reason and embracing delusion.

They are what comprise the sitting majority of SCOTUS and the majority of the GOP.

It's the same as it always was, the Nat-C's have three goals in their agenda, intimidation, incarceration, and/or extermination of anyone or anything that dare oppose their ongoing, unbridled, depraved crimes against humanity.

May reason rule where delusion dwells.

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

4. I don't know why we make this distinction.

Reply to littlemissmartypants (Original post)

Wed Nov 16, 2022, 10:12 AM

Nov 2022

You'd be hard-pressed to find a fascist movement that wasn't steeped in religion. If your goal is a homogenous national identity, religious pluralism just doesn't fit into the program.

old as dirt

(1,972 posts)

5. We make distinctions because we live in a multicultural world.

Reply to Act_of_Reparation (Reply #4)

Fri Dec 30, 2022, 04:22 AM

Dec 2022

Without nuance, we're left with nothing but vast simplistic generalizations, bigotries, pseudoscience and antiintelectualknownothingism.

I don't know why we make this distinction.

The Catonsville Nine original 5/17/68 footage

Deemed too dangerous for broadcast in May 1968, the iconic footage of nine Catholic activists burning draft files might have been lost forever if not for Pat McGrath — a dogged and sympathetic reporter, who has struggled to ensure its preservation. Read the full story on Waging Nonviolence: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2013/05/how-the-catonsville-nine-survived-on-film/

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

6. All I said was most fascist movements have had a religious component.

Reply to old as dirt (Reply #5)

Fri Dec 30, 2022, 03:30 PM

Dec 2022

Nowhere did I imply all religious people were fascist.

old as dirt

(1,972 posts)

7. "All I said was..."

Reply to Act_of_Reparation (Reply #6)

Sat Dec 31, 2022, 11:11 AM

Dec 2022

Apparently, my post was confusing. I'll go back and add a quote to exactly what it was you said that I was responding to.

You: "I don't know why we make this distinction."

Me: "We make distinctions because we live in a multicultural world. Without nuance, we're left with nothing but vast simplistic generalizations, bigotries, pseudoscience and antiintelectualknownothingism."

I apologize for the confusion.

Happy New Year!

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

8. No worries.

Reply to old as dirt (Reply #7)

Sat Dec 31, 2022, 02:44 PM

Dec 2022

Happy New Year to you as well.

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