by Bill Faw
July 2, 2023
INTRODUCTION
Happy Birthday, America. Happy 247th Birthday. What kind of a nation are you? What kind of government do you have?
Let us begin to answer that by considering this distinction between “nation” and “government”. The “nation” constitutes the land and the people, while the “government” is the network of administrative, legislative, and judicial forces which governs the nation.
Christian nationalists generally blur that distinction and suggest the double claim that we were founded as a Christian Nation with a Christian Government. Let us look at both parts of this claim.
First Claim: U.S. As a “Christian Nation”
In their claim of the U.S. being a Christian Nation, Christian Nationalists often state that the founders and the vast majority of people in the U.S. have been pious Christians from the beginning.
They do not seem to realize – or they ignore — a fact that most of you know: that many of our founders, such as Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Franklin, were rational deists who were considered heretics by orthodox Christians, and who saw orthodox Christian beliefs as being dangerous superstitions; and that in 1776 as few as 4% to 30% of the people in the colonies were formal church members – the lowest level in American history, according to religious historian Martin Marty (1985).
There have been many cycles of growth and decline in Christian self-identification, with a gradual growth up to the 1950s when about 90% of U.S. adults self-identified as Christian – a level kept until the mid-1970s. But, since then, there has been a constant and sometimes rapid decline in Christian beliefs – the 90% has shrunk to 63%, with all signs of continual decline!
Yet, despite all of these changes, even today’s 63% or so of Christians is a far higher percentage than that of any other religion (Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu – each 2% or less) or of atheists plus agnostics (10% combined); and far more Christian self-identification than the 10% to 20% in most European countries. So, in a “majority rules” sense, we might be considered sort of a “Christian nation”.
Second Claim: U.S. as having a Christian Government
But the U.S. government was set up do that the majority would NOT rule in matters of basic Rights, thus, to guarantee the religious rights of minority religions and of those with no religion. In fact, the U.S. constitution created for the new United States the first religiously-pluralistic government in world history. This may be the most creative contribution the U.S. has given to political science. We see this spelled out in the Bill of Rights in our Constitution: in the first amendment’s “establishment clause” and “free exercise clause” – and in the sixth amendment’s “no religious test” clause. Let’s look at these three clauses.
The First Amendment Establishment Clause (“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion). This at least means that we could not set up an official “national religion”. Nine of the 13 colonies had official establishments of religion (colony denominations, which included governmental support and control) – New England colonies basically Puritan Calvinists, and southern colonies basically Anglican. The four middle colonies allowing freedom of religion.
As James Madison wrote in “Memorial and Remonstrance” in 1785 – two years before the constitution: “…the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians in exclusion of all other sects”.
So, to blend the 13 colonies together, the Constitutional Convention either had to
a) reach an impossible agreement on one “national denomination”
b) take the divisive step to let each state choose its own state church, or
c) break the universal pattern and cut churches loose from state support and control.
As Rabbi Jeff wrote recently in a newspaper open forum: “Had we not adopted the value of religious liberty…the Revolutionary War would have been lost to religious wars among the colonies.” So, Establishment Clause
Second: The First Amendment Free Exercise Clause (“Congress shall make no law… prohibiting the free exercise thereof (of religion)”). This protects our right to ‘exercise’ or practice our religion as we please, so long as such practice does not violate “public morals” or a “compelling” governmental interest.
Many religious groups have tested this Free Exercise Clause with court cases regarding taxing church buildings & budgets, financial support for parochial schools, using peyote in sacred rituals, establishing alternative service to the draft, legalizing bigamy, exemptions from required inoculations, and the like.
While, obviously, not every form of religious ‘exercise’ has been allowed, the Free Exercise Clause does seem to favor religion: perhaps explaining the later official adoption of the phrases: “In God we trust” on our coins (1864) and as an official motto in 1956; and “under God” in our pledge (1954). So, Free Exercise Clause
Third: The Sixth Amendment No Religious Test Clause (“no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States”). According to the English jurist, William Blackstone, England’s religious tests at the time prevented “non-conformist (protestants), infidels, turks, jews, heretics, papists (Catholics), and sectaries”. Several of our colonies had “religious tests” that limited office holding and some other rights to protestant Christians.
Rabbi Jeff wrote: “the laws of the United States made Jewish residents free citizens like any other for the first time in world history. In the United States, Jews were never not citizens, unlike every other country in the world.” I would add: Being non-citizens in other countries often meant that Jews would not be able to vote, hold public office, own property, or take on a number of professions.
John Adams made it clear that Muslims were also included, writing in our Treaty with Tripoli, Libya in 1797: “…the government of the USA is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion – and it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of (Muslims)…” So, No Religious Test Clause
Problems With Christian Nationalism
The Elizabethtown, Pa, Church of the Brethren, in conjunction with the Lancaster County Interchurch Peace Witness, adopted and published a statement in October of last year, titled: “The Perils of Christian Nationalism” – The church ran it in the newspaper as a full-page ad and placed it on their website. I will make several references to this Elizabethtown criticism of Christian Nationalism.
The Elizabethtown statement lists the key beliefs of Christian Nationalism as being: “America is God’s chosen nation. America was established as a Christian nation. Government should make laws to keep America Christian…. Christian symbols should be dominant in public places.”
John Adams’ statement that “the government of the USA is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion” makes clear that the most obvious problem with Christian Nationalism is that it contradicts the genius of our form of government.
I think we can best understand both the ‘mainstream’ and ‘extreme’ versions of Christian Nationalism, if we look some more at the decline in U.S. Christian beliefs since its peak of about 90% from the 1950s to mid-1970s, to 63% today. And, add to that a separate distinct decline in the percentage of non-Hispanic Whites: dropping from 84% in 1965 to 62% in 2015. I heard on TV last night that white Christians constitute 42%.
In terms of religion, the U.S. nation is far more secular now than it was in the 1950s, due to ‘global influences’ and large increases in educational opportunities, with a more wide-spread understanding of evolution, other cultures, and religions.
The U.S. nation is also far more diverse now than it was in the 1950s. In terms of ethnicity, the immigration law of 1965 is given major credit for that non-Hispanic White percentage dropping from 84% in 1965 to 62% in 2015.
In terms of white-straight-male political, economic and social dominance: the major ‘civil rights’ movements by Blacks, women, and LGBTQ persons, in that historical order, have led to large changes in the standings of each group.
Christian Nationalists seem to consider the 1950s as being the U.S. “golden age”, but also as a major and dangerous turning point; and so sharply condemn each of the major forces which they feel have led to this decline of whites and self-identified Christians. People of color, liberated women, Asians and Africans kept out of the U.S, and LGBTQ persons see the 1950s as anything but a golden age!
The Elizabethtown statement put it this way: Christian Nationalists “decry the waning influence of their views of Christianity in American life and what they see as the increasing persecution of Christians. And some fear being outnumbered by non-white people.”
I would add that this seems to be the root for such slogans as the need to “take our country back” and to “Make America Great, Again”, by using any means necessary to stop these changes and restore the 1950s .
The Elizabethtown statement concludes that “We deplore Christian nationalism. Our understanding of Jesus calls us to stand strong for the country we love and for the faith we cherish. We applaud America’s promise to protect religious freedom – so that every faith is treated with dignity and equality.”
‘Mainstream’ and ‘extreme’ Versions of Christian Nationalism Today
Many recent Supreme Court rulings and state laws can be seen as mainstream Christian and/or White Nationalist attempts to roll back these secular social changes and civil rights gains since the 1950s.
Rolling back some aspects of two of the most prominent advances of the Black civil rights movement: affirmative action and voting rights.
Reversing major woman’s rights through religious-driven restrictions on abortion and birth control.
Rolling back LGBTQ advances by chipping away at the 1964 Civil Right Act’s mandate that businesses not refuse customers of protected classes, and limiting Pride and Drag performances and Trans medical care. Also, hinting at eliminating ‘marriage equality’.
Long-term efforts to attack secularism and restore Christian prayer, statues, and symbols in schools and public places. Even attempts to finance public school religious chaplains and religious schools.
Attempts to reverse inclusive trends in public schools and colleges, and their teaching about slavery and LGBTQ issues. Removing offending books from school libraries. Threatening teachers’ roles and funding, seemingly to weaken public schools — in favor of religious schools and home-schooling where their views can be taught without challenge.
Attempts to limit or shut down immigration; attack secular globalism; Reverse new goals of “inclusivity, diversity, and equity”.
Labeling all new rights efforts by Blacks, Women, and LGBTQ as being “Marxist” “Socialist” or, heaven forbid: “woke”.
All of these are ways that Christian and/or White Nationalism is becoming mainsream.
Finally, as if the mainstream forms of Christian Nationalism were not scary enough, watch this brief video (which we show with written permission) with its example of Christian Nationalism at its extreme. I believe you will recognize the event. Follow the printed words along the bottom.
(Jan 6 prayer) https://youtu.be/270F8s5TEKY
Video: start at 7:50 and end at 9:20.
May it NOT EVER be so, again!