Take a Stand Against Extremism and Political Violence
“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
In 1964, concerns about extremism tanked the Presidential candidacy of Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater (he lost 44 states). Now, extremism serves as a rallying cry for Christian nationalism, once a fringe viewpoint but now a growing anti-democratic force working to establish a white Christian nation in America where Christians have a presumptive right of dominance in matters of law and public policy.
Leading scholars define Christian nationalism as a “pervasive set of extreme beliefs and ideals” linked to the concept of “American exceptionalism,” the belief that God has given the US particular blessings and privileges not available to people in other countries. In this view, America can only be governed by Christians, and the country’s mission is directed by a divine hand.
While this notion has existed since colonial times, Christian nationalists are responding toa rapidly changing American society with a renewed sense of urgency. According to Census Bureau estimates, 44 percent of Americans identify as white Christians at a time when racial and ethnic minorities are increasing and there is growing public support for multiculturalism, women’s equity, and LGBTQ rights. Therefore, for Christian nationalists, the only solution is to fight the forces of darkness (liberals, Democrats, other religious believers, and minorities) using all means necessary to make the US a Christian nation.
How pervasive is this extremist ideology? It is a lot worse than you may think. According to the findings of a large national survey by the Public Religion Research Institute and Brookings Institution, two-thirds of white evangelicals and most Republicans (54 percent) are either adherents or sympathizers of Christian nationalism. Even more troubling, 71 percent of Christian nationalism supporters accept “The Great Replacement.” This theory posits that “elites,” mainly Democrats and Jews, are plotting to replace white voters with non-white and Muslim voters to reduce the political power and erase the culture and values of white Christians.
Of course, the theory is false. But that didn’t stop Tucker Carlson from peddling the great replacement on Fox News more than 400 times. And it didn’t keep other prominent figures on the right from using this narrative to stoke division and undermine democracy. The reason is this form of political manipulation works. As documented by PRRI, 40 percent of Christian nationalism adherents believe that “true patriots might have to resort to violence to save our country.” Among those that support political violence, 12 percent indicated that they personally threatened to use or have used a gun, knife or other weapon on someone in the past few years.
Translating these statistics into the real-world consequences, the great replacement theory has inspired four mass shootings in recent years, starting in 2018 with the murder of 11 Jewish worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. This was followed in 2019 with the attack on shoppers inside a Walmart in El Paso, Texas; a separate shooting spree in 2019 at a synagogue in Poway, California; and the mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York in 2020.
But these shootings are the tip of a very large iceberg. The 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia brought Christian nationalism into the mainstream with one of the largest extreme right rallies in recent US history. An estimated 1,500 Alt-Right white Christians and white supremacists carried torches and signs and chanted “Jews will not replace us.” Then came January 6, 2021, when throngs of Christian nationalists trying to overturn the 2020 Presidential election brought wooden crosses, Christian banners and “Jesus Saves” signs to the US Capitol. There, they smashed windows, ransacked offices, and severely beat policeman.
Fast forward to today and the tenets of white Christian nationalism are being spread to cities and towns across the country. A few months after the January 6 insurrection, Michael Flynn – President Trump’s first National Security Adviser – launched a revivalist-style campaign called ReAwaken America, which carries the message of a nation under siege to election deniers, anti-vaxxers, elected officials and state and local Republican party members. ReAwaken gatherings also take place in churches where pastors welcome attendees in the name of Jesus Christ and introduce outside speakers who deliver anti-democratic talks from the pulpit laced with anger and grievance.
The good news is Christian nationalism is now on the radar and Americans are starting to pay attention. Thus, people of faith can make a difference by understanding the political ideology and cultural framework of Christian nationalism and educating their family, friends and neighbors that this ideology poses a threat to democracy.
There is a scriptural truth that can start this conversation: when we view the world and its inhabitants through a lens of spiritual superiority or prejudice, it becomes impossible for us to treat others in a manner worthy of our Christian calling. Extremism cloaked in Christian dogma is never the answer.