CHRISTIANS ARE DENOUNCING ALT-RIGHT "CHRISTIAN" NATIONALIST GROUPS
Evangelical Christian leaders across the United States are banding together to denounce Christian nationalism.
Christian nationalism is a cancer in our churches. While the vast majority of Christians are good people following God’s call to love our neighbors and shine our light into the world, a small faction of self-proclaimed “believers” are destroying the Christian name.
As Christians living to serve, it’s our duty to learn how to identify and deny these false prophets, who claim to speak for God for their own earthly political gain, so we might protect ourselves and the Christian community from their evil influence.
Examples of Christian Nationalism
This faction goes by many names: KKK, Michigan Militia (Oklahoma City Bomber), and Oath Keepers to name a few. But what they all have in common is a sick desire to manipulate the Holy Bible and the words given to us from our heavenly father to justify their misguided, criminal, and dangerous ideologies.
One example: after the Oklahoma City Bomber, Timothy McVeigh, was executed by the United States Government for killing 168 innocent people, a member of one of McVeigh’s militia groups said, “Timothy McVeigh DIED FOR YOUR SINS!!!!!!!!!” His sacrilegious words were intended to galvanize more members of the militia towards committing acts of hate.
These Christian Nationalists have twisted sacred religious symbolism for their dark schemes, including cross burnings at the lynchings of innocent men, invoking religious language in suport of alt-right political candidates, and justifying race-motivated killings with biblical stories.
Over the course of time, repeated instances of Christian nationalist rhetoric and actions subverting God’s Commandments, as well as basic decency, has greatly harmed the reputation of our Christian faith, and by extension, our ability to bear witness to the world.
Oklahoma city bombing aftermath.
Leaders Denounce Christian Nationalism
To distance our faith from the sins of these believers in name only, Christian leaders across the country have taken action to denounce Christian Nationalism and racism of any kind.
In 2017, the Convention of Southern Baptists nearly unanimously voted to condemn racism and white-supremicist teachings in the church.
Another group of Evangelical Christians wrote a letter condemning the Christian Nationalist groups who invoked Christianity as their reason for storming the Capitol in an attempt to change the outcome of the 2020 election. The letter said:
"We choose to speak out now because we do not want to be quiet accomplices in this on-going sin. Just as it was tragically inconsistent for Christians in the 20th Century to support the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi ideology, it is unthinkable for Christians to support the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, QAnon, 3 Percenters, America Firsters, and similar groups.
Instead of seeing any particular political leader or party as divinely appointed, we believe in the prophetic and pastoral ministry of the church to all political leaders and parties. Instead of power through violence, we believe in and seek to imitate the powerful, servant love practiced by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Since these leaders spoke out, white Christian Nationalists have continued to wreak havoc on our society. Most recently, the Buffalo grocery store shooter killed 10 innocent people in a racially motivated attack. In his online manifesto, he claimed it was because he “seeks to live out Christian values.”
We Must Act
If we are to save the perception of our faith from evil people, it can not be just our leaders who act. Everyday Christians across the country must firmly denounce Christian nationalism and live our lives as God has called us to do–loving our neighbors, serving the least of these, and bearing witness for our Lord and Savior.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” –Galatians 5:13