Christian Nationalism: Good or Bad for Christianity?
Is the recent pro-life victory for conservative Christians a big step toward a Christian nation? It appears that legislating "Christian" values to supposedly bring back a "Christian nation" has been a major goal of many Evangelical leaders for many years, beginning with Jerry Farwell, former president of Liberty Bible College and Pat Robertson, founder and host of The 700 Club, and continuing with many current Christian leaders. It's a goal that sounds like a worthy one: "Christian nation," but the more I have thought on it and considered the policies currently advocated, I have begun to realize what a big mistake it would be for genuine Christianity.
Where to start with the problems? First of all, it's not sound theologically or Biblically. Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world. To His disciples He very definitely spoke of the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven in a spiritual sense, often with parables and allegories. He said that the Kindom of God is within you. He never directed his disciples to create a national kingdom, nor did any of his disciples/apostles after the Resurrection. Furthermore, Jesus strongly implied that only a minority of people would find the true Kingdom. "Broad is the way that leads to destruction, but narrow is the way that leads to life and few there will be who find it." Jesus taught his followers to be light in a dark world and to be salt to make a difference in the midst of unbelievers. That seems to have been the assumption in other writings of the New Testament.
Look at the evidence of what happens when nations try to legislate Christianity. Nations with state sponsored faiths, such as in Europe, have fewer active followers. Years ago Constantine had whole people groups undergo baptism, so supposedly with one ordered baptism the whole area had become Christian. That's a far cry from what Jesus and His followers taught, which us that being a Christian is a personal, spiritual experience, not something that can be legislated.
I agree that Christians should be involved in government and their faith should affect their vote. However, if Christians go too far legislating values not heId by the majority, we will have a Christian nation in name only. I believe there is evidence that when a nation starts thinking of itself as a Christian nation, the average person living in that nation assumes they are Christian with little personal spiritual experience. On the one hand, the church becomes more institutionalized with more emphasis on ritualized behavior than on the working of the Holy Spirit and thus less effective. On the other hand, other aspects of popular culture become confused with Christianity with the result that faith becomes less authentically Christian.
Another significant problem: when everyone, or at least everyone in a culture, thinks of everyone as Christian what happens to those with distinctively different religious beliefs? Will these people be treated as less than American and viewed with suspicion? Will Christians remember the meaning of the Golden Rule? Will people even think it important to read the Bible and follow the teachings of Jesus? To a certain extent, we have already reached that dangerous point in some areas of the country. Unconsciously, where I live, we think of everyone around us as Christians. Everyone talks about prayer when a need arises, but the inner life is being nurtured by only a few. Care for the less fortunate has become weaker. If this situation increases, will discrimination against non Christians increase? We Christians need to be careful what we wish for!
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