Ten Central Beliefs of Christian Nationalists

Ten Central Beliefs of Christian Nationalists

1. America is a Christian Nation – The U.S. was founded explicitly as a Christian country, and its laws should reflect biblical values.

2. The Constitution is Divinely Inspired – The Constitution is viewed as guided by God, almost on par with scripture.

3. Separation of Church and State is a Myth – Church and state should be integrated, not separate.

4. Christian Morality Should Shape Law – Government should enforce Christian teachings on issues like abortion and marriage.

5. Religious Liberty Is for Christians First – Freedom of religion mainly applies to Christians, not equally to all faiths.

6. Christianity Confers Cultural Authority – Christians (white, Protestant, conservative) should hold primary influence in society.

7. America Has a Divine Mission – The U.S. is chosen by God for a special role in history.

8. Decline in Christianity Equals National Decline – Secularization is seen as the cause of America’s problems.

9. National Identity and Religious Identity Are Bound Together – To be truly American is to be Christian.

10. Authoritarian Leadership Is Justified to Protect Christian Order – Strong rule is acceptable to enforce Christian dominance.

Vermin, Cockroaches, Human Scum: Words That Lead to Death

Three who described their opponents as human scum: 

Josef Stalin, Donald Trump and Adolph Hitler

Every tyrant needs an enemy.  In the malignant moral world of tyranny there must be Us and Them.  The Them for a tyrant is never spoken of as human.  Hitler called Jews vermin; Stalin called many groups "enemies of the people" then slaughtered them; Hutu leaders called the Tutsi cockroaches, then Tutsi men, women and children were butchered in Churches with machetes.  The two most murderous leaders in the 20th century are being quoted in the 21st century by the U.S. President when he refers to his enemies as human scum.

So far, in every case but America, calling the opposition vermin, cockroaches, enemies of the people and human scum has led to murder.  America may take longer to go from words to murder than Germany or the Soviet Union, but Trump's words will eventually cause death.

This week I am leaving on a five-week trip that will include visits to some of the places where 20th century genocide was at its worst: Dachau and Flossenberg, Germany; Kiev, Ukraine; and Rwanda. Since the summer of 2017, I have been to most of the countries in which The Holocaust occurred, as well as the Yugoslav genocide. I want to see how countries recover from mass murder.

For me, The Holocaust is just as much about the 400 million Christians between the Pyrenees and the Urals who participated in or turned a blind eye to the slaughter of six million Jews.  I am convinced that a Church with temporal power will eventually kill or condone killing.

Trump's Church of white Evangelical power seekers and idol worshippers will bless every outrage he commits. And when Trump's words lead to death, the false prophets like Graham and Falwell will say dead Americans are God's will.