There was a commercial that aired when I was a kid that asked the philosophical question, "how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?" After three licks the wise old owl gives up and bites the sucker.
I thought of that when compiling my list of scripture passages from my seminar on The Church and Politics which is largely built upon Pastor Gregory Boyd's book, The Myth of a Christian Nation (click for my response to the book). How many passages of scripture would it take to refute 'Christian' Nationalism? If God had given us two or three such admonitions, would it be enough to sway those infected with this heresy? This is the first post in a (intended) series of 62 such passages. Some of them will be redundant, but that too adds strength to the case against this ideology. This is not an exhaustive list, other portions of scripture could be cited, but in the end the question remains: Are 62 passages of the Word of God enough?
Note: History refutes 'Christian' Nationalism. Any non-jaundiced look at history will show time and time again the danger to both Church and State when the two are melded together, but people have an amazing ability to ignore history (See: The Puritans in England under Cromwell) or rewrite it to suit their agendas (See: the Lost Cause in the South after the Civil War). The Word of God is supposed to be different for Jews and Christians. It is supposed to have an authority greater than that of philosophers, historians, politicians, and even pastors. Are those who call themselves Christians in America today willing to listen to God's Word?
Genesis 25:29-34
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
At first glance one might wonder what this passage has to do with 'Christian' Nationalism, but it offers up two powerful moral lessons: (1) Perspective is important: Esau overvalued his immediate hunger and undervalued his birthright. In so doing he placed the fear/worry of now above concern for the future. 'Christian' Nationalism does the same by proclaiming that Kingdom of the World (human nations) cares and concerns are greater than Kingdom of God (The Gospel, the Church, Spirit) commands. It is an imbalance in priorities, the putting of that which is essential below that which is temporary. This is a theme we will see repeated in many of the passages to come. (2) God decides who we are supposed to be: 'Christian' Nationalism fails to appreciate the reality of what the Church is supposed to be, i.e. its birthright. Why are we here in this world, what are we to strive for, and how are we to go about it? All of these questions are answered in detail in the biblical texts (again, themes we will be returning to) and all are under-represented, if not outright ignored, when following the path of 'Christian' Nationalism.
Lastly, a definition that will help bring this ongoing discussion into focus:
What is 'Christian' Nationalism? "Christian Nationalism is an ethno-cultural ideology, that uses Christian symbolism to create a permission structure for the acquisition of political power and social control." - Jemar Tisby, author, historian, and committed Christian
Note: The use of 'air quotes' around the term 'Christian' is on purpose. It is not the generally accepted usage, but one that I will endeavor to remember to always use that signifies my deep felt conviction that there is nothing historically, theologically, or biblically Christ-honoring about 'Christian' Nationalism. As such, I choose to use the air quotes as a reminder of the danger of allowing people (especially non-believers) to believe that Christians in general support this aberrant heretical position.
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