Putting Religion into Law Has Never, Will Never, Save a Country


It's certainly true when certain ideas swamp a culture they can ruin the very culture they are appealing to. Nazi Germany is an example. When the collective German mind felt injured and humiliated by the loss of WW1 and the terrible cost imposed by the surrender, there was an opening for bringing back self-esteem. By demonizing the Jews, developing cult-like admiration for Hitler and no opposition from the big religion, Catholicism, a religious-like zeal for Hitler took German society over a cliff.

Today U. S. society has a strain of Christian nationalism pushing us toward the same kind of cliff. Nazis demonized Jews. Our Christian version demonizes homosexual people and women. The latter in the form of anti-abortion politics. This version of Christian nationalism will not save our country but instead destroy it.

The link author claims it is not "real Christians" who are to blame for over-the-top Christian nationalism. Polls show, he says, those participating in Christian-based threats of armed insurrection seldom if ever attend church. They have little to no knowledge of the Bible-based principles of the faith he claims. 

This is consistent with polls that show Christianity self-identity is strong among middle to low-income people with little college education. It is in this group, the link author claims, Christian nationalism, including anti semitic and racial prejudice, thrives. It is not, he says, as popular among well trained church-going Christians. His conclusion is Christianity is not responsible for Christian nationalism.

My question is this: If practitioners of Christianity are not responsible for Christian nationalism with its anti sematic and racial prejudice, who is responsible? Certainly, it is not atheists.

Those like the Christian link author need to take the long out of their own eyes. When Christians preach against gay marriage, abortion and repeating the tales of some Jews wanting Jesus dead they are planting the seeds of Christian nationalism. They are telling the public Christians should be running things and others should be getting out of the way. 

The kinds of seeds the Christian faith plants in the heads of people will never help this country leave prejudice and hatred behind.

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