I’ve got to admit, I’m getting really fucking sick and fed up with those two words, Christian Nationalism. You know what those two words are? A totally political construct. Not only is there no constitutional basis for the phrase, but every time some GOP scumbag utters it, he or she is literally betraying their oath to serve and protect the constitution.
Let’s take ’em in reverse order, shall we? Let’s start with the word nationalism. Let’s be clear here, in the United States, there is no room for the word nationalism. Because unlike almost every other nation on earth, if you’re not a Native American, this isn’t your nation. We are a nation of immigrants, originally we all came from somewhere else. And the only ism there should be in this country is patriotism for the country that welcomed us in and gave us a shot.
Now let’s deal with that sticky Christian wicket. These GOP douche nozzles that love to spout their claptrap about the United States being founded as a white Christian nation are simply using an age old dog whistle to curry far right racist and religious zealot votes. Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit! Most of the founding fathers of this republic came here fleeing religious persecution in their native lands. Not only does the US Constitution forbid a religious test to qualify for government service and office, they took steps to ensure that all religions got the same freedom to practice their faiths that the founding fathers were after themselves. The two words Christian Nationalist are totally incompatible with our constitution.
Here’s what the two words Christian Nationalist mean when you strip away all of the political sophistry and bullshit. They are a far right political fire alarm for every racist or low education far right religious zealot to make them feel better about their piss poor lives. The logic is simple, I’m a Christian, and this is my nation, so I’m a Christian Nationalist, which makes me mentally and religiously superior to all of these other races and religions wandering around out there. After all, it’s our nation, we just let them hitch along for the ride.
I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we take the Christian Nationalists, and combine them with the far right militias, and call them by 2 other words instead. I’m thinking of Domestic Terrorists. I like the ring of that, because that’s what they are. Christian Nationalists don’t have a Christian bone in their bodies. They use the cloak of their Christianity to give them license to hate and strike out at anybody who is different from them. Because they’re the root of all problems, aren’t they?
And don’t even get me started on the far right militia groups. Their use of the term militias is an overt reference to the constitutional phrase Well regulated militias. But they’re not well regulated, and they’re not militias. What they are is domestic terrorist cells. Just look at the inane screeds and infantile blather they engage in. They claim to be true patriots, defending democracy from a government that has turned imperial. And their only goal is the overthrow of the US government. Read the mentality as follows, I’m a total loser, and my life is in the shitter, so it’s all the gubbmint’s fault for giving all the help to minorities and gays. Time to overthrow the gubbmint, and take back out White, Christian nation! Helpful hint. Try a bar of soap, ashower, a shave, a GED, and a job, and see if things don’t look up for ya!
The 1st Amendment of free speech is the crown jewel of our constitution. But it has also been misread and misapplied that it is muddied. The only thing the 1st Amendment does is to protect citizens from government retribution from expressing their feelings about the government. But when those citizens turn into organized cells or organizations, with their sole purpose being the overthrow of the duly elected government, then they become domestic terrorist groups. And congress must find a way to deal with this threat. Believe me, I’m well aware of the fallacies of the politicians in the US Congress. I screamed and wailed, and gnashed my teeth at the passage of The Patriot Act. But there has to be a solution. Because the implication is clear, when you stop being a citizen, standing on a soapbox and shouting through a bullhorn, and instead organize into a group to overthrow the government, you’re not a citizen anymore, you’re a domestic terrorist. And law enforcement and the FBI must have a way of keeping the rest of us safe from you.
The ones that want to impose their “faith” on everyone else could also be called the American Taliban. And the ones that just want power for power’s sake are American Nazis.
They are the same ones screaming about Muslims imposing Sharia law that governs day to day life on their fellow Muslims and others yet can’t seem to find the parallel between Christian Nationalism, what they want to impose on themselves and the rest of us.
Talibangelicals, mostly. Dominionists are the nastiest ones.
Talibangicals! Perfect title!
This development, Murf, is what happens when you run out of acceptable enemies abroad and tacit sanction to beat the shit out of the vulnerable. Hard to say when their peak was, though I’d peg it at the mid-2000s. Now the world is changing again, they’re getting older and they’re taking a doomed last stand against both.
So called Christian Nationalists and their militias have distorted both the 1st and 2nd Amendments. Free speech doesn’t give you the right to slander, denigrate and lie about an opponent to the point of endangering their lives. The right to bear arms doesn’t give you the right to tote around an assault rifle so you can terrorize or murder anyone who doesn’t agree with you.
Good article Joe. They are the American version of the Taliban. They may as well hold their Bible upside down since they have no respect for the collection of ancient documents that are full of mystery. Knowing nothing, they make up whatever they want to believe. That’s bad enough, since the truth, whatever it is, doesn’t interest them, but they then force it on the rest of us at the point of a gun. They are evil. Watching DeSantis talk about “putting on the armor of God”, while violating the second greatest commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself”, by busing people to Florida, then dumping them on Martha’s Vineyard, is sickening. No wonder a lying pissant like Santos will be seated in Congress with the help of Russian money and the morally bankrupt gop. Keep calling them out. Keep telling the truth. Somewhere in the Bible it says “the truth will set you free”.
They bus them to Chicago, or NYC, or DC – blue cities, blue states. They don’t bus them to Florida.
I remember a news story that they first bussed them to Florida from texas since they have no border with Mexico. Then they flew them north. It’s the Texas governor bussing them directly.
“Most of the founding fathers of this republic came here fleeing religious persecution in their native lands.”
As I understand it the first three colonies were business ventures. Two of them disappeared or got absorbed by the native populations. I think the only one that survived was called Jamestown. I believe the pilgrims founded the fourth colony. And of course this doesn’t count the Spanish, French, Dutch and German colonists and the already established natives. The pilgrims were only one of many groups who came here. To say they own the place is a lie.
But when you have 300,000 churches teaching an alternative reality that isn’t evidence based, you can make whatever reality you want.
Another think I’d like to add. People who are not religious tend to shy away from proselytizing and now we are rediscovering how much people are susceptible to believing lies like election lies. This is what happens when you don’t counter lies, they become believable. People start to think “oh no one is countering the lie, so it must be true”. Thanks for posting this article, people need to start proselytizing the truth.
The clearest did proof of their claims came from John Adams who.assured the Sultan of Morocco.that this is *not*a Christian Nation. and the Senate, which backed him up.by approving the Treaty of Tripoli.
That is the reason I always refer to them as pseudo-christians, with a small “c”.