by Senior Minister Rev. John Morehouse
Christian nationalism is, by Jesus’s own teaching, a contradiction in terms. “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s;” Jesus said in Matthew 22:21, “and unto God the things that are God’s.” In short, Christian nationalism is neither Christian nor nationalistic. Christian nationalism is dangerous not because Christianity is dangerous, but because it fuses a particular religious identity with national identity and political power. It threatens religious freedom, democratic equality, and the dignity of people who do not fit its vision of America.
And that vision is exceedingly narrow and problematic for most Americans: Christian nationalists believe that America was founded as a Christian republic and any religion or identity that does not conform to that falsehood is wrong and should be rejected. On this view, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism are considered acceptable means to a false end.
As Unitarian Universalists, we are called not merely to oppose Christian nationalism, but to embody an alternative: a society where people of many faiths can live together with equal rights, mutual respect, and shared responsibility.
This Sunday, Nov. 1, I will be outlining what is false about this idea and why it is particularly dangerous to us in a time of national backsliding and, for some Christians, apostasy. I hope you will join us for a scary subject with a hopeful ending.