This post may be a surprise to some who know me and my lack of religiosity. It shouldn’t be though for those who have read much of my related literature or heard me speak on the subject of religion. Those folks know I believe that a strong social fabric within our communities makes democracy more stable and renders a better collective quality of life. They also know that I believe healthy faith traditions are cornerstones of that social fabric.

While I don’t claim a faith tradition for myself, I am a strong advocate for sincere faith organizations and practitioners. I admire those who respect each other’s differences while advancing selfless caring support for improving the human condition in the world generally and our democracy particularly.

Having said that, it frightens me to see that a large and growing segment of the electorate who call themselves Christians are endorsing and organizing around what I consider an anti-Christian and anti-American political ideology. They have decided to engage in and exercise political power in their efforts to force the American electorate to conform to the hateful and intolerant dogma they mischaracterize as “Christianity”. The term most commonly used to describe that movement is “Christian Nationalism”.

In my view Christian Nationalism is one of the most dangerous political ideologies rearing its ugly head in the US. The advocates have money, strong media presence, and they are peddling a reactionary message to which the casual and/or uninformed Christian community, as well as political conservatives in general, are likely susceptible. That is potentially destructive to both mainstream Christianity in this country as well as our democracy itself. Their hateful doctrine promotes the idea that there must be no separation between church and state as well as advocating white supremacy, hatred for Muslims, anti-LGBTQ+ rights, and other un-American themes.

Unfortunately, given my personal philosophy, I am not a particularly credible person to warn the broader Christian community on this issue and its dangers. Therefore, with his permission I am re-posting an op-ed on Christian Nationalism written by Reverend Timothy Ahrens for the Columbus Dispatch many months ago. Besides being a well respected Christian and Interfaith leader in the community, Tim writes in a way that laypeople can understand. I have observed and interacted with Rev. Ahrens in various interfaith forums over the years. I have great respect for his sincere commitment to his own faith as well as his respect for others who see things differently. Whether coincidence or otherwise we seem to share the same concerns about Christian Nationalists, except that he describes it much more eloquently than I do. Following is his unedited op-ed as it appeared in the Columbus Dispatch:

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Christian nationalism is not Christianity

Tim Ahrens – Guest columnist

A growing number of people have lost track of Christian faith and values and replaced them with a devastatingly corrupt and disturbed idea: Christian nationalism.

In the name of patriotism, a frightening movement of Christian nationalists has gained strength, and now big money is behind them. Michael Flynn, Franklin Graham, Tony Perkins and others have taken their show on the road, with right-wing politicians claiming their view of Christian faith combined with their views of American politics are the right and only view.

Let’s be clear. Patriotism is the love of country.

Patriotism is good because all of God’s creation is good and patriotism helps us appreciate our particular place in it.

Our affection and loyalty to a specific part of God’s creation helps us do the good work of cultivating and improving the part we happen to live in. As people of faith, we can and should love the United States — which also means working to improve our country by holding it up for critique and fighting for justice when it errs.

Nationalism is not patriotism. Nationalism is very different. Nationalism is an argument about how to define our country. In an article in the evangelical magazine, Christianity Today, Paul Miller defines nationalism as grounded in the belief that humanity ‘is divisible into mutually distinct, internally coherent cultural groups which are defined by shared traits like language, religion, ethnicity, or culture.’ Nationalists believe that these groups should each have their own governments; that governments should promote and protect their nation’s cultural identity and that sovereign national groups provide meaning and purpose for human beings.

Christian nationalism asserts that America is and must always remain a ‘Christian nation.’ This is not merely their observation about American history. They present this as a prescriptive program for what America must continue to be in the future.

Scholars like Samuel Huntington have argued that America is defined by its ‘Anglo Protestant’ past and that we will lose our identity and our freedom if we do not preserve our cultural inheritance.

Christian nationalists falsely teach that there is no separation of church and state — and that conservative Christians should seize complete power by any means necessary. Let’s be clear, Christian nationalism is not Christianity. Recently, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said, ‘If you look at the complex of white Christian nationalism as an ideology and you lay it alongside Jesus of Nazareth, we are not even talking about the same thing.’

Christianity is grounded in Christian scriptures where Jesus teaches love, peace, unity and truth. Christian nationalism preaches hatred, violence, separation, and disinformation.

Christian nationalism is the single biggest threat to both democracy and the Christian faith.

With hundreds of far-right political candidates using Christ’s name to deny election results, demonize their opponents, and spread dangerous conspiracy theories, all with the blessing of pastors and televangelists, the name of Jesus is disparaged and mockery is made of true Christians.

Here is a truly pressing concern. Christian nationalists don’t call themselves this. They call themselves ‘true Christians.’ They are not. They are nationalists who wrap themselves in pseudo-Christian language. Like wolves in sheep skins, they hide behind their true purpose, which is bigotry, racism, separation of people and our nation — all in the name of Jesus.

Jesus would never approve of this. He would call them what they are — false prophets and blasphemers of our faith. More clearly, as in Matthew 23:17, Jesus would call them ‘Blind fools!’

Let’s join with Jesus and call Christian nationalists what they are — destroyers of a great faith and a great nation. And that has nothing to do with either democracy or Jesus Christ.