Christian Nationalism Fails as a valid Christian theology!
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.” Those words written by Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:3 are just one of the many reasons that Christian Nationalism fails as a valid Christian theology.
Christian Nationalism ignores the teachings of Jesus. Christian Nationalism preaches that the United States was founded by God to be a White Anglo Saxon Protestant nation. That it is the right and duty of all Christians to rule over all others. While some apologists for the movement say they do not want a theocracy, they admit that they want Christianity to enjoy a privileged position in the public square. This is political not spiritual.
It means that you don’t have to respect other viewpoints, and you can in fact discriminate against those who disagree or who do not practice your brand of belief. After all, if you have a pure Christian nation you do not have to respect adherents of Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, or any other religion. Their wishes mean nothing because a Christian Nationalist believes they are superior to all others.
You see this in today’s politics, where people are more concerned about showing their moral superiority than they are about following the teachings of Jesus. There is more to life than the here and now, and Jesus was emphatic about what he considered most important for His followers. It was not the most powerful army. It was not about being loud and flamboyant. It was not about making others bend to some arbitrary code. It IS about taking care of others.
Jesus could not have been plainer about what He wants Christians to do, when in Matthew 25:34-45, He specifically told the disciples how to act and how we would be judged.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’”
This might confuse some real Christians, who instead of pretending to be Christians but who actually include Christianity in the daily lives.
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’
Many who preach Christian Nationalism will find themselves in this next group. These are the people who put politics over people.
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’
Christian Nationalism is not about taking care of our brothers and sisters. It is about political and economic power. These are things that the early church fathers never had, they were persecuted, they were ridiculed and in many cases they were put to death.
44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
These politicians are preaching a false doctrine that flies in the face of the teaching of ALL of the Apostolic fathers.
2 Corinthians 11:3-4, “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”
Those who are supporting Christian Nationalism are being deceived. They aren’t preaching anything that Jesus taught, NOTHING, and need to study the Gospels and history of the church, especially the 1st 300 years. They will discover that Christianity grows best when Christians behave as Christians. So please don’t just call yourself a Christian, be a Christian,