It was not what we thought. It was not rural rage. It was not inflation. It was seething resentment, grievance, and nostalgia for the way we never were: a white, Christian nation of intact, happy families where everyone was blond, beautiful, straight, employed, and able- bodied.
It was also not our fault. In spite of the predicted “spike” in Black support for Trump, Black men rejected Trump more resoundingly than any other group except Black women.
White Christian nationalism is white evangelical’s belief that Christians are mandated to victory in a cosmic war to vanquish evil and reclaim “their” country; to “return” it to an exclusively white Christian nation. There are plenty of self-appointed “leaders” of this movement, but their revered “heroes” of January 6th are their true prophets.
But it is worse than that. These are the Americans who re-elected a shrunken celebrity who covets our attention, admiration, our envy, and our fear. These “values voters” championed a rabidly racist, twice impeached, convicted sexual abuser who incited a sadistic insurrection when he lost the last election. This consortium devoutly imagines that “discrimination against white Americans has become as big a problem as discrimination against Black Americans and other minorities.”
Their chief compares his self-inflicted legal liabilities to “the persecution of Christ”. He likens himself to the Messiah. He refers to “our religion” in speeches to his apostles. His mission is to “free” white Christian America. He declared that one of the first acts of his second term will be to set up a task force to root out his perceived “anti-Christian bias”. In one of Frederick Douglas’ autobiographies, Douglas recalls hoping that since his recent Jesus, he would emancipate his slaves, or least “make him kind and humane.” Instead, “If it had any effect on his character, it made him more cruel and hateful in all his ways. He was ostentatious about his piety—praying morning, noon, and night,” joining revivals, and hosting traveling preachers, but he used his faith as license to inflict unprecedented pain and suffering upon his slaves.
White Christians expect to impose their supremacy on us, too. Over one third believes the federal government should “stop enforcing” the separation of church and state and “declare” the United States a Christian nation. Almost a third foresee the federal government advancing its “Christian values.”
Republicans’ passion for theocracy created an opportunity for venerated figures like William (“Dutch”) Sheets, whose motto is “We decree that America shall be saved!” He predicts a Third Great Awakening proclaiming that “Trump is a necessary part of this reformation.”
But white Christian nationalism is not biblical. No scripture endorses white Christian nationalism. People who claim their nationality places them under Christ’s favor deny the Gospel truth. People who elevate their country to Christ are idolators.
Christians know this earth is not our home. We live on Earth, but our true citizenship is not of this world (Philippians 3:20, John 18:36). Christians submit to earthly leaders (Romans 13:1). White Christian nationalists are determined to commandeer any governmental dominance, even to the point of violence, if that power does not align with their principles
Obeying earthly directives doesn’t equate submitting to an ungodly culture. We will defend our principles.
When political turbulence lurks, we will stand firm not on any worldly institution, personal conviction, or righteous cause. We will only recognize the authority of God.
