Why America is Better off NOT Being a Christian Nation
Christian Nationalism Part 2
Photo by Aaron Burden
I believe the notion of America as a “Christian nation” distorts both Christianity and America. I focused on the Christian half in my last post; so now let’s turn to America.
Perhaps you, like many Christians in the U.S., feel that your values are being attacked, your beliefs are being silenced, and that the church is on its way to “persecution.” Perhaps you found it encouraging to hear the name of Jesus invoked in prayer, and the message of people “giving their lives to the Lord” on national television (via the RNC). Perhaps you love the sound of “making America Christian again.” You’re not alone in those feelings and desires…
It is with those things in mind that the Trump campaign strategically tapped into the hopes (and fears) of white evangelicals.
The support of 81% of white evangelicals BENEFITED him GREATLY the first time around (in contrast to less than 2% of Black women…what does that tell you?), and polls seem to indicate that they will continue to do so! One thing we can surely all agree on is that Trump WANTS TO WIN. And he’s not the only one. The Democratic National Convention also included moments of Christian prayer and Bible quotations throughout, likely in hope of appealing to/swaying evangelical voters (even though America is comprised of many, many religions).
What I’m getting at: both sides know full well that checking “Christian boxes” in America means tapping into a wide and deep network of POWERFUL influencers and a POWERFUL voting base. Note: not persecuted, powerful.
The Republican strategy is a particular kind of genius, though — one which benefits from white evangelical power, WHILE ALSO feeding the narrative of white evangelical persecution. Saying in every possible way: “Trump is YOUR ONLY HOPE. No one else will have YOUR interests in mind. No one else will protect YOUR religious liberties and values!”
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While the reality is: the USA is a majority-Christian nation.
Arguments could be made that other “contrary to the norm” religions are discriminated against in this country, but it’s awfully hard to see the Christians in that light. Christianity is not only legal, but it’s the assumed religion. There is nothing dangerous or even controversial about being a Christian here. It’s the Christians who hold the most power — by a long shot!
*The attached article shows a breakdown of religious affiliations: The U.S. as 100 people = two Jews, one Muslim and 71 Christians (with 25 Christians specifying “evangelical,” making “evangelicals” the largest of ANY religious grouping, including the religiously “unaffiliated”!!!)
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That’s not what you mean though, is it? You’re not concerned about Christianity becoming illegal, so much as you’re concerned about restraints being placed upon what you consider to be your “religious liberties,” or the removal of certain privileges that your church currently enjoys.
I hear ya…but my sympathy can’t extend past the point where your religious freedom begins to limit, restrict, or infringe upon someone else’s religious freedom. I love the idea of religious liberty, but only when it applies EQUALLY to people of ALL religions!
If America is to truly be the “land of the free,” it cannot require assimilation into Christianity to access full American identity and belonging! Anytime Christianity takes precedence OVER other religions…the American ideal of “freedom for all” falls short.
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What I think we Christians regularly miss is how self-centered and arrogant we come off when we assume life revolves around us/our beliefs…when we complain of “persecution,” with little or no reference to how unfairly people of other beliefs are treated in America.
Put yourself in the shoes of an atheist-American, for instance, who might be blocked from adopting a child in their state because the adoption agencies are all church-based, preferring Christian candidates. Or prohibited from running for public office due to some antiquated, discriminatory laws. Or generally made to feel suspect or shunned in professional or personal environments for not conforming to religious “norms.” Or incessantly inundated with “God bless you”s, invitations to church, offers of prayer, religious language and symbols — all of which they are expected to tolerate without complaint.
Belief in God is the “norm,” so atheists (in the minority opinion, going against social expectations) are regularly prejudged as abnormal, immoral, or untrustworthy. They constantly face the social pressure of blending in with the Christians (and gaining the associated privileges), OR risk being pushed to the margins if they are forthcoming about their beliefs.
One of these things on its own would not be such a big deal, but when you add one on top of the other, again and again and again, you end up with a very frustrating, threatening, and/or traumatic reality. Altogether, these interactions serve to communicate the message: “you are not valued as highly; you are a lesser person; you do not deserve the same rights or protections in society”…making one wonder if they can belong in any space as they are, or only on the pretense that they might change or be “won over.”
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Now put yourself in the shoes of a Muslim American. Thanks to media portrayals (especially since 9/11), many have come to associate Islam with little other than terrorism — thinking all Muslims either are terrorists themselves, are associated with terrorists, or need to be saved from terrorists.
This is like attributing a school shooting to Christianity because the shooter was a “radical Christian terrorist.” Have you ever heard this kind of language? I haven’t! We might reason that this is because our scripture promotes love, not hate/violence…but, that just goes to show we haven’t read the Old Testament lately! Christians can become “radicalized” based on wrong interpretations of Christian scripture, just like people of any religion! In fact, Christendom is responsible for some of the MOST violent, cruel, and immoral things in world history! Yet, as Christian Americans, we see ourselves as individuals (not a monolithic representation of our religious group).
But, when we flip it back around, we have no problem seeing a “radical Islamic terrorist” as a reflection of their group (not individual) identity. This has led us to paint all Muslim Americans as “enemy” — a message they continuously receive from religious and racial profiling, vandalism and threats against Mosques, the inability to take days off of school/work to celebrate holidays without penalty, “random airport checks,” and travel bans!
When our president and media outlets blatantly spread anti-Muslim bigotry in rhetoric and policies, basic safety is never guaranteed for Muslim-American families! Can you imagine facing that level of uncertainty, fear, humiliation, hate, threats of violence — based on your religion — every day? In AMERICA?!
Next time you see a headline about Islam, try replacing it with “Christianity” or “Judaism” and see how it hits you. Does the same phrase feel okay when you flip it around or are the standards somehow different? Watch for times when a Christian symbol, prayer, or scripture verse gets a free pass when its Islamic counterpart WOULD NEVER FLY.
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Just like white supremacy is unacceptable, Christian supremacy is unacceptable! And, unfortunately (especially among white evangelicals), there is some significant cross-over! White Christians have enjoyed a place alone at the top of the social hierarchy for so long, now it feels “unfair” when we are asked to share “our toys” with anyone else; when we are asked to make space for people of other beliefs…
It feels “unfair” when prayer is no longer included in the school curriculum; when a Nativity scene is paired with a menorah; when non-religious people are allowed to omit “under God” from the pledge (even though, those words were only just added in 1954 as a response to the threat of Communist, atheist Russia 😳).
It feels like OUR GOD-GIVEN RIGHTS being taken away…but it’s only revealing the special Christian privileges we’ve had all along.
As one might say to the white supremacist: “You’re not being ‘oppressed’ when another group gains rights that you’ve always had” (Unknown).
What we’re feeling is NOT “persecution,” but our special privileges falling closer in line (though, still above!) those of other religions…and, no, it’s not fair!
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I know this is a hard sell for some of you, but this is what I see in vivid color and clarity when I look through the eyes of my non-Christian friends.
Because, I know when they tune into a broadcast *Live from the White House* and hear Christian prayer and scripture spoken, they are made to feel “outside,” “other,” like they don’t belong, like they value less, in THEIR OWN COUNTRY.
White evangelical, YOU have the power. The only question is, whether you will use it for the good of ALL Americans, or only for yourself?
Data from that 2014 Religious Landscape Study: “If the U.S. had 100 people: Charting Americans’ Religious Affiliations”
Voting data from the 2016 election: pay special attention to how far removed white and Black voters are from each other!
