The Patriot Post® · Leftmedia Frets Over Christian Nationalism

The term “Christian Nationalism” has become the latest leftist bogeyman buzz word ascribed to any and all conservative Christians who express the conviction that their faith should direct their civic opinions and governmental views. Combined with terms such as “fascism” and “white supremacy,” the label “Christian nationalist” is characterized by the Leftmedia as a growing threat to the country and of course to American democracy. Using hyperbolic warnings that practically mimic the QAnon-type conspiracy theories they’re mocking, the Leftmedia has been churning out alarmist but shallow articles that at best can be classified as misleading, and clearly are little more than misinformation.

A few months ago, the leftist rag Politico published a story with the dubious title, “Most Republicans Support Declaring the United States a Christian Nation.” Within the first sentence the article makes clear its intention to conflate Christian Nationalism with Americans who accurately believe that the U.S. was founded upon Christian principles. It asserts that those who believe the nation was founded upon Christian principles also hold racist, white supremacist views and don’t believe in the separation of church and state.

Of course, seeing as Leftmedia outlets like Politico are primarily interested in helping the political fortunes of Democrats, they immediately spin to connect Republicans to these racist Christian nationalists. They do this by smearing the likes of Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano by taking out of context his declaration that the separation of church and state is a “myth.”

It is, of course, exactly that — a myth.

Any American historian worth his salt knows that the phrase “separation of church and state” is not found in the Constitution. Proponents of that wall appeal to the establishment clause in the First Amendment that states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” and the free exercise clause that says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Neither clause creates or enforces the separation of church and state. Rather, the Constitution forbids the state from interfering with the free exercise of the church. The first time the “wall of separation” was referenced by the U.S. government was not until the 1947 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Everson v. Board of Education of Ewing.

In that ruling, the Court referenced Thomas Jefferson’s comments in an 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, though it misinterpreted Jefferson. Then-President Jefferson was actually arguing in favor of biblical faith because he saw it as essential to securing the liberty of the nation. Jefferson, as well as all the Founding Fathers, recognized the biblical foundations undergirding the establishment of this nation.

The phrase “Christian Nationalism” is a bit of a wax nose that the Leftmedia is twisting to its most extreme limits. For Christians who see our nation abandoning those Christian principles upon which this nation was founded, the desire to see America return to these values is what they hope for and in turn vote accordingly. It’s not that they believe everyone should be forced to become a Christian — indeed, that would be antithetical to the very Gospel message they believe in. It’s that they want to see their political leaders embrace rather than attack those Christian and universally good values that provide for and produce human flourishing.

The extreme example of Christian Nationalism is that of ironically equating a temporal and secular governmental system with Christianity. This is the idea that to be American is to be Christian. Any biblically committed and consistent Christian would reject such a view because the primary call of the Christian is to see the spreading of the Kingdom of God via the sharing of the Gospel. This is not a militant temporal view but an eternal view recognizing that one day all nations will cease when Jesus Christ returns and fully establishes His kingdom for eternity.

Even so, Christians are called to live as good citizens and seek the good of their temporal earthly nation states. Therefore, American Christians should be advocating and voting for politicians and laws that most reflect the biblical values that promote human flourishing. For example, Christians standing against abortion and promoting laws that would limit and ultimately end this great stain on our nation are upholding biblical principles. Christians who stand against the lie of “transgenderism” and the gender-bending, soul-destroying movement in our culture today are standing on the biblical definitions of how God has created humanity. They do this because they want to see their neighbors and our nation flourish.

The big lie the Leftmedia is spinning behind all the hand-wringing over Christian Nationalism is the belief that a Christian’s faith should not be allowed to inform and influence his political views. But the truth is everyone’s vote is influenced by what they believe to be true. An atheist will vote according to his belief that there is no God just as much as a Christian will vote according to his views about God and what pleases Him.

The Left is attempting to destroy America in order to instill a godless, socialist state and thus must attack anything that would serve to reinforce those founding principles that made America the greatest nation on earth. And most if not all of our founding principles find their roots in Scripture, even a proper understanding of the role of the church and state in American society.