Message: Hi,
I really enjoy reading the articles on Fulcrum 7 and the various topics that are being addressed.
I was wondering if you could do an article on Christian Nationalism? I'm becoming concerned about it and would like to hear about what others are seeing and what concerns, if any, they might have.
Thanks,
Janice
Hi Janice,
I first heard the term Christian nationalism in 2021. The term is difficult to define, because the term is a pejorative— an insult. Here’s how it came about.
In 2020, social justice and wokeness ruled the western world. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, there were 500+ violent and destructive demonstrations and riots in cities across America. The vast majority of these riots were related to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Of the roughly 530 violent demonstrations (riots involving vandalism, looting, arson, or clashes), most occurred within this BLM-related wave. The left was pretty much ok with this —they wanted it known that their side controlled the streets.
This coincided with pandemic lockdowns, amplifying online activism, corporate statements (e.g., black squares on social media), and DEI pledges. Identity politics, racial justice, DEI initiatives, cancel culture, language policing, and corporate virtue-signaling surged to their zenith in 2020, fueled by ideologically-left national media and liberal colleges and universities. Media and academia embedded "woke" norms, leading to phenomena like widespread self-flagellation among white liberals and peak cancel culture. Books like White Fragility and How to Be an Antiracist were purchased by millions in 2020 as Critical Race Theory and cultural Marxism became a cultural supernova. Churches were not immune to this woke revolution, with many progressive churches adopting white privilege, critical race theory, and anti-capitalism into their mission and messages.
In our own community, many Adventist churches, conferences and pastors jumped on the woke bandwagon, eager to harvest virtue signaling points. Andrews University’s DEI Officer poured CRT gasoline on the flames of unrest in Adventism. In June of 2020, the North American Division endorsed the book White Fragility as recommended reading for members, churches and leaders. This was an era of profound ferment.
In 2020 social justice had won the day. It was everywhere, and there wasn’t any debate. People were participating in marches and using woke phraseology, including many Adventists. In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd, anybody who questioned wokeness got their head chopped off. The left was on the offensive, and they liked it.
Pushback
By the end of 2020, thinking people and Christian believers began to catch their breath. In 2021 we began to see the rise of the anti-woke movement, and there was significant pushback. There was the Dallas Statement which became popular in 2021. People were saying social justice is unbiblical, social justice is a Trojan horse. The woke movement was knocked back on its heels, and they didn’t like it.
As light began to be shone on these ideologies (CRT, wokeness, cultural Marxism) the true nature of them became evident. But as books, sermons and podcasts began to look into critical race theory, leftist academics shifted and said “Our colleges are not really teaching that, but the real problem is Christian nationalism.” They shifted from being on the defensive, and they went on the attack again.
This happened roughly in April-May, 2021. Prior to that, I had not heard of the term Christian nationalism. Now we were hearing it from 100 sources, all at once. It’s like they had gotten in a huddle and called a play, or they were all sent the same memo. “OK everybody, on a count of three we all start talking about Christian nationalism.” And the people that are using this term all of a sudden—are the same ones who were in the woke mob, including the former president.
When they started referring to it as White Christian nationalism, then it all fit! They were still playing the same game as 2020, just using different terms (White Christian nationalism is a triple word score, by the way). Throughout all of this, the main enemy to these antichrist individuals is Christianity. They are proponents of critical race theory and cultural Marxism, and they are enemies of God.
Christian Nationalism
First off, it is a pejorative term, an insult. It’s designed to shut you up.
Secondly, who defines the term? If someone calls you a CN, or asks if you are one, say “What do you mean by that? How do you define the term?” I’m a little put off by the accusation, because most of the time it doesn’t mean what the accuser or I think it means.
For some people, if you are opposed to LGBTQ and CRT, you are a Christian Nationalist (CN). Okay. Call me what you will.
In other circles, if you are against abortion, you are a CN. If that’s the criteria, count me in.
If you oppose drag queen story hour with vulnerable young children, as I do, you may get called a Christian nationalist. I have, and I do not mind.
If you mean, do I believe that God has a covenant with America and the Bible ought to be wrapped in an American flag, and that wild stuff — count me out (there are roughly 50-100 people who believe that nonsense). The only flag that we should be wrapped in is the blood red banner of Jesus Christ (Song 2:4).
For some, they claim America is the new Israel. If that’s the criteria, count me out. I’m not a CN.
Some believed that entering the Capitol building uninvited in January, 2021 was a good idea. I reject that nonsense.
Do I think drag queen story should be banned, under the guise of protecting small children? Yes. For some, that means you are a Christian nationalist.
It’s a game. They are attempting to marginalize and demonize people that they disagree with on these moral issues. Many liberal Adventists have joined in using the term. For many SDA religious liberty directors, anyone to the right of Joe Biden is a potential Mark-of-the Beast-monger (see the polilib SDA Conscience & Justice Council as a good example of this).
The same actors who are pushing LGBTQ and CRT and wokeism are usually the same ones pushing this Christian nationalism narrative. They are channeling racism and cultural Marxism into the church to make it more liberal. These people are a mixed multitude of ideologues, prospering on the soil of Adventism.
We have to be careful. When we see the list of people who are excoriating Christian nationalism, we might be tempted to think “Well if they’re all against it then I’m probably for it.” That’s not a good way to make a decision. Question the method. And don’t become complicit in the evils of this age, because you are intimidated by partisan people.
Many of the people who throw that term around are ashamed of being American. They don't like America. When you listen to these people, the narrative is that America is this horrible place that is responsible for all these evils. And I say we’ve had our problems, but we have also—under the blessing of God—been one of the greatest nations on earth for the cause of freedom. I don't know any other way to say it, than people like these are just anti-American.
They are combining wokeness and Adventist eschatology. They are angry towards America in a way that the Holy Spirit never intended them to be. Ellen White herself said that this country was a godly experiment, a bastion of personal liberty and human rights, in an otherwise oppressive world of coercion. She also said that would end, someday. The Bible says the entire world will wonder after the beast (Revelation 13:3). That’s everywhere.
I don’t feel compelled to defend the term Christian nationalism either way. The real question is in our desire to be governed by moral laws. Will we choose God‘s moral law or human constructs? It's one or the other. I believe that the government should not mandate religion. I do not believe that a government is best when it is godless or God-hostile (Proverbs 29:2). Some people use the term separation of church and state , when they really want separation of God and state. The Bible says that nations that forget God will be turned into hell (Psalm 9:17). I don’t want that, and you probably don’t either.
If you don’t know how to think critically about morality and culture in the public sphere, you end up relying on someone else’s version of morality in the public sphere. My people were a blend of pietism and Anabaptism (Old German Baptist Brethren).
In Pietism, you reduce your worldview to my salvation, and my relationship within the church, only, avoiding the public sphere and culture. What happens is you don’t even think about what’s happening in the culture many times until it’s too late. Then it comes crashing in on you, your life and your family. The culture is making demands that we have to engage with and we don’t have the tools to engage it properly because we’ve been asleep at the wheel.
The Bible doesn’t outline a prescription for the best government. I do believe a constitutional republic is the best attempt to harmonize biblical realities, such as the depravity of man and other things.
When you have a prince or a king, and that prince or king goes bad, you don’t have any checks and balances like you do with a constitutional republic. The Bible says when the rulers are righteous, the people rejoice (Proverbs 29:2). So there is an idealized goal to be drawn towards.
A lot of Adventists believed that if we left the culture alone the culture would leave us alone. Nobody's thinking that anymore — nobody's buying that lie anymore. Culture is not leaving us an option. It has gone so far left so fast that every person is now demanded to make a choice regarding the rightness or wrongness of this hostile culture.
Now the culture comes crashing in and says you must approve of this. You must use these pronouns, you must bake cakes for these immoral events etc.. There is no more middle ground. A person will either stand against it or genuflect before the king of culture.
Christianity shares the gospel of Christ with people. It doesn’t force people to accept. Men are called by faith to worship God, not coerced.
People say how can America be Christian when they did…. Don’t fall for that. Don’t fall for the erroneous claim that the country and people must be perfect. They aren’t. We are saying that the ethos of the nation was Christian.
So Am I a Christian Nationalist?
What is meant by the question and who’s asking? As we said earlier, it depends on who is asking. Ultimately this a power play. Do not bow to the power play. Don’t allow yourself to be shamed for being a part of this wonderful republic. God has been good to us, and I for one am grateful. Ingratitude is one of the ugliest human traits; thankfulness is one of the most beautiful human expressions. It is good to be thankful for living in America.
Some people say “In patriotism your country is special to you.” Christian nationalism says that “America is special to God.” If that is the definition of Christian nationalism, I agree, we should have nothing to do with it.
The question is, when we see our culture going over the cliff, what should be our response to that? Should we approve these directions under the guise of eschatological freedom, or, should we engage the culture by rebuking and resisting sin?
The Bible recognized entities as nations, which have identifiable, borders, and in that sense I am a nationalist. America as a nation was by founded by Christian cultural norms. Christian nationalism is preferable to pagan globalism, by the way.
The pejorative term Christian nationalism is being used by those in the church and those outside the church. I believe those inside the church who are defending critical race theory and intersectionality have realized that continuing on that path is a losing proposition, so they changed the narrative to opposing a new bogeyman, i.e. Cristian nationalism. They accuse anyone who disagrees with their progressive agenda of promoting Christian nationalism.
Lauren Boebert has said that there were two nations blessed by God. Israel and America. I don’t want people, or myself to get their theology from a politician like Boebert.
If people come and ask if you are a Christian nationalist, ask them what they mean. Get a definition before you answer the charge or the question. Don’t buy into their viewpoint. Ask them what they mean if they say America is not a Christian nation.
We do believe that the government should enforce the last six Commandments, murder, etc..
Anything good that has come out of America, and there’s been a lot of it, has come as a result of God’s providence. But we do not believe that God has a covenant with America like he did with Israel of old.
When you have a church service for the 4th of July but cancel services on Thanksgiving, you may be a Christian nationalist. If you say the pledge of allegiance at church, you may be a Christian nationalist.
Don’t be compelled into calling women, men and men, women. Refuse to support drag queen story hour as something that is educational for children. It is child abuse, and sexual grooming of children.
Don’t follow Christian or Adventist leaders who have failed in the battle to understand the times in which we live. Evaluate their actions, and inactions by the Word of God (Acts 17:11; Isaiah 8:20). In the areas that I am talking about here, do not follow their lead (matthew 15:14). They are untrustworthy leaders.
When America was founded, thirteen colonies acknowledged Christianity as their guiding principal and the liberty of conscience that it brought. The starting point for each of them was that Christianity was true. It was truly a lamb like beast.
During Covid a lot of these government people began acting like they were popes and monarchs who could dictate everything, including the church and the family. And that’s just wrong. When the magistrate during Covid told people they couldn’t gather, they had no right to make that command. Because God’s authority is higher than that of the magistrate. And He says to forsake not the assembling of yourselves together (Hebrews 10:25). But some people believe that the magistrate is the highest authority (Matthew 4:10; Daniel 3:18).
More and more Christians, including some Adventists have been duped into believing this lie (Romans 1:25). Some of these people believe that the fact that a person can rent a room in a library and have drag queen story hour for young children is a blessing of liberty. On the contrary, I say these drag queens should be arrested for child abuse, and they would have been—100 years ago.
We are not called as a church to establish Christian governments (John 18:36). Nor are we called to be political action committees for liberal governments (like the NAD and Potomac Conference).
We are called to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). We have been given a mission, and that mission is found in the Three Angels Messages.
One of our tasks is to not only make disciples, but to help provide a culture where other Christians and their children are safe. First Timothy says that we should have prayers and supplications for our rulers that we may all live a quiet and peaceful life (1 Timothy 2:2). The Bible says righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34). As Christians we should engage in legitimate acts to help make our societies and culture better (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
Loving our neighbor includes doing what we can to help keep society safe and honest for them and their children. If that makes me a Christian nationalist, so be it. It’s way better than pagan globalism (Rev. 12:9; 13:3; 18:4; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 4:17-19; Lev. 18:24).
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