What is most disturbing about the Dominionist / Christian Nationalist ideology is the coercion of conformity to their narrow vision of Christianity. The true gospel fits into any culture or people group. It is not based on strict rules to be obeyed but on the love of Christ for every culture, as relationship with God based on what His Son accomplished through His death and resurrection to purchase salvation for all people everywhere. It is His love and grace. It is not a religion of laws and regulations,, it is about knowing Him and caring for the flourishing others the same way that He cares about one's own flourishing. It is in both the Old and New Testaments, the idea of justice, the care of the poor, the sick, the alien, the weak, of sharing resources so none lack, which is what love in practice looks like. How can we say we love God and not love the people all around us? That is hypocrisy. What the Christian Nationalists have done is to create a Jesus that fits into their own mindset of privilege and power. The God they are worshipping is not the Jesus of scripture, but a Jesus that they can manipulate to serve their desires for preminance, power, and greed. It is nothing more than idolatry. They may as well craft a golden calf and bow down to it. It is serving self rather than serving another. It is the same temptation offered Jesus during His wilderness fast. " Worship Me, and I will give you power over the kingdoms of this world." It was in essence, a shortcut to Christ's inheritance by evading the suffering and self sacrifice of the cross. We serve God by serving one another. "As much as you have done it for the least of these, you have done it unto Me." Thank you for this excellent breakdown of this dangerous heresy. This really is the exact opposite of what Christ's Kingdom proclaims. It is of great importance that these dissections of what Christian Nationalism is really all about and the idolatry at its core, be shared widely. God bless you.
Christian nationalists are not against helping the poor and the needy. I think it's a smear to argue that they are. Their argument is about identity, and given so much confusion about identity, they have a point. People can't live in an abstract reality or IDEA; they need to belong to some group tangibly. The biblical standard of family and tribe is replaced with identities based on trades, interests, political parties and sexual preferences. These constructs challenge God-given authority structures and ultimately produce children of disobedience who are set for destruction. So, the ultimate question is whether obedience is essential or doing good as you see fit. Remember, "common good" originated in Aristotle, not the Bible.
I'm an evangelical who has watched U.S. politics since the 80s. During the entire time, off and on, some professor is warning about the supposed dangers of Christians in politics, or announcing the obituary of the Religious Right. But this part of the electorate has remained.
God rules in the kingdoms of men and gives them to whomever He will. Christian nationalism seeks to usurp the prerogative of God to govern in the name of Christ.
For me freedom means owning yourself. Not having any debt, financial or moral or any other kind, that will unduly affect your ability to make your own decisions and charter your own path. And to implement those decisions.
Certainly God rules in the kingdoms of men. But He rules without respect of persons. Sometimes He uses Christians sometimes others depending on His purpose for the time. Never does He use the church. That is Yeshua's kingdom. A kingdom not of this world.
