It seems it’s become less and less unfashionable in America to identify yourself as a “Christian Nationalist.” It’s difficult to describe Christian Nationalism in a concise way, but at its heart, it consists mostly of people who believe that they have to “take back the country” for God. That often means a return to straight, white christian men being in charge, so it’s no surprise that these folks immediately identified with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Before we get too much further, I’m going to need you to take a minute & forty-five seconds to watch this clip of a Christian Nationalist theobro named Joel Webbon talk about his belief that the only way forward for America is to have a “Caesar-type” leader to rise up, who “Constitution be dammed, just rules with an iron fist.”
Joel probably gives away the plan here a little more than some people might like. The truth is that “Christian Nationalism” has always been a disguise for saying “Fascism” while that word is still largely unpopular. Nazi talking points like focusing on ‘birth rate” and the lie that is “the great replacement theory” belie the REAL end-goal 4 these theobros: Democracy won’t preserve their power, so they need use FORCE. That force is fascism. And there are snakes all over the garden, whispering “Is fascism REALLY that bad?”
If you speak of the virtues of democracy, more and more you’ll hear people bring up the quip that “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.” And don’t be surprised to have someone mansplain & correct you about how we’re ACTUALLY a Constitutional Republic. And what’s so frustrating is that these christian nationalists paint themselves as “patriots” when they HATE what America has traditionally stood for. Speaking of which, watch this short clip of Jamie Raskin destroying Re. Glenn Grothman with actual context, intelligence, & understanding on the popular right-wing Republican/Republic talking point.
Trump started his presidential campaign making hatful, racist, comments about Mexicans, and proudly displaying nativist, exclusionary plans for banning Muslims. And republican voters LOVED him for it. This is why we see so many people on the political right identifying Immigration as their number one concern… even in states that are nowhere NEAR a border. Though it shouldn’t be overlooked that their preoccupation with ending U.S. immigration NEVER seems concerned with people coming across the Canadian border. Their nativist focus is on Brown people who don’t speak “our” language. For them, the model American is a white, straight, christian English speaker… and each deviation away from that model make an immigrant less desirable. This is why christians who would normally clutch their collective pearls at the use of the word “shithole” all decided to let it slide when Trump lamented that people from all the SHITHOLE countries (Haiti and African nations) were sending their people, rather than places like Norway (with their famously diverse population).
Trump is the perfect solution to the problems Christian Nationalists point out. Hence, their “tolerance” for trump’s constant praise of & affinity for despots, strongmen, & dictators. They act like they endure some of his nativist, xenophobic comments, but in actuality, it’s a large part of why they love him. Many white Americans have been absolutely simmering for decades about being told that they can’t say certain words anymore… You know, like they could back when America was “great.” Many republican politicians question whether diversity is really a good thing, and they do it with impunity. They idealize and hold up Japan as a model of a functioning homogeneous society, and they’ll ask the question, “Why can’t we do that HERE?” These are the sorts of talking points that—until fairly recently—were only heard from the fringes… from people with white hoods or swastika tattoos. Now we hear them echoed in the halls of Congress. For the Republican Party, virtues like Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion have become effective boogiemen to scare white christian voters to the polls.
Their goal is out in the open: It’s fascism. But make no mistake: They can’t accomplish this goal without the church… Without slimy “pastors” like Joel Webbon making a theological case for their plan. And these power-hungry predators often hold sway over 1000s of voters. Look at the aimless shlubs still attending JP Miller’s church (If you don’t know this tragic story, you can read about it HERE). The people in those pews watched their pastor use his position of power groom a teenage girl, divorce his wife & mother of his 5 kids, and then abuse Mica Miller until she saw no other option than to take her own life. Even when they see PROOF of his philandering while he’s still married, people are still showing up and handing over their money to this grifting charlatan. It fills me with rage and sadness.
Right wing pastors are the perfect pairing for people with fascism as a political plan. These abusive pastors already exemplify a brand of theological fascism from the pulpit. Religion has long been used to coerce the ignorant & impressionable to stay under the control of an abusive leader, w/ fear of HELL as a consequence for the betrayal known as “free thought.” This is why evangelicals will bristle so hard at any challenge to the doctrine of hell: LOSS OF CONTROL.
And control is the end goal of Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism is just a softer way of saying “Fascism, but with some people calling themselves ‘christians’ in control.” And that promise of power might actually be appealing to SOME christians… But when you dig a little deeper into the ideology, you find that their aversion to diversity does not stop with religion. These are the sorts of people who are rooting for the wrong side when they read or watch The Handmaid’s Tale. They want men in control. They want patriarchy. They want white power. And they do NOT trust democracy to get them there. And in walks an orange malignant narcissist with delusions of grandeur and 91 criminal indictments, talking about making America great again. Again. And these Christian Nationalists are willing to sacrifice democracy to a fascist narcissist if it means preserving even a *BIT* more of their power.
I feel like just about everything that can be said about trump has been said. At this point, if a person can’t see the evil of who trump is, they’re either not going to see, or that’s why he’s their guy. But in six months, we’re having another election. And the choice is—once again—between two old white men: One a fascist wannabe dictator… The other a flawed leader who has been largely unconcerned with the cries of the people of Palestine as Israel attempts to ethnically cleanse and genocide them. I wish so much that the choice we had was different, but it’s not. It seems that the power of protest has moved the moral needle of Joe Biden at least a little, as he recently paused the shipment of weapons to Israel. But the stakes are too high to throw away a vote. We must do everything we can to keep trump as far from the presidency as possible. It’s so important for us to not give in to apathy and hopelessness. It’s so import for us all to vote.
Thank you so much for reading. If you’d like to follow me on social media, you can do that on Twitter and on Facebook. If you’d like to leave a tip or help support my work, you can Venmo a tip to chris-boeskool or PayPal, or even become a patron on Patreon. Okay, that’ll be the last of the P alliteration for today… Love y’all.
The Boeskool 