A Dangerous Merger!

Blog 23-12, written by Jerry Elman, August 21, 2023

Throughout history, extreme nationalism has created most wars and massive death. There has never been a good outcome when any nation has embraced extreme nationalism.

Religion has been the second-most creator of wars and massive death. But religion comes nowhere close to the historical devastation caused by extreme nationalist movements taking power.

In their Encyclopedia of Wars, Charles Phillips and Alan Axelrod classified only 123 0f the 1763 wars they studied as religious. 

World War II, the most nationalistic war in human history, killed more people in six years (70-85 million) than all of Europe’s religious wars since the eighth century combined. 

Nationalism divides the world into “them” and “us,” making no distinction between military and civilian, man and woman, adult and child. Civilians accounted for more than 80 percent of the Allied deaths during World War II, many of them murdered in deliberate genocides perpetrated by Germany and Japan. 

Extreme forms of nationalism lead to exclusion and division within society. When extreme nationalists emphasize their superiority over others, it creates an “us versus them” mentality that marginalizes or discriminates against minority groups or those perceived as outsiders. This exclusion can lead to social tensions, conflict, violence, war, and genocide. The factors contributing to deadly outcomes of extreme nationalism involve a combination of historical, political, social, and economic factors that interact in complex ways.

Religious violence involves differences based on interpretations of religious doctrine or practice. Religious fundamentalism is closely associated with this kind of conflict, which exists in all religions. Religious fundamentalism rests on a strict interpretation and intense adherence to a set of principles established by a religious group. The conflict arises when religious fundamentalists see other religious or secular groups as being insufficiently pious. Extremism is the idea that fundamentalist religious goals can be justified by almost any means. Some groups are convinced that they have divine blessing have few limits to their behavior, including resorting to violence. The comment, “killing in the name of god,” is an extreme example of the end justifies the means in religious fundamentalism.

Today, in the United States, we face the most dangerous situation of all time, the merger of religious fundamentalism and extreme nationalism! Extreme evangelicals have thrown in their lot with the extreme nationalist MAGA movement. For them, “Make America Great Again” also means only the extreme evangelical definition of Christians is welcome in the United States as both a religious and nationalist posture.

Today’s Evangelical Nationalism intersects evangelical Christian beliefs and nationalist ideology. It is a complex and sometimes controversial phenomenon that involves blending religious convictions with a strong sense of national identity, often manifesting in political and social contexts. Here are some key points to understand about Evangelical Nationalism:

1. Religious Beliefs: Evangelical Christianity is a form of Protestantism that emphasizes a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, adherence to biblical teachings, and the importance of spreading the Christian message. Evangelicals often hold conservative theological views and prioritize evangelism and conversion.
2. Nationalism: Nationalism is a political and social ideology that promotes the interests, culture, and identity of a specific nation or group of people. Nationalists often emphasize a sense of unity, patriotism, and loyalty to their country. Nationalists also define who belongs and who doesn’t.
3. Overlap and Tensions: Evangelical Nationalism occurs when individuals or groups merge their strong religious convictions with a fervent sense of national identity. This leads to blending religious and political values, where religious beliefs guide political attitudes and actions.
4. Political Engagement: Evangelical Nationalists engage in political activism to promote policies aligned with their religious and nationalist values. This could involve advocating for specific legislation, endorsing political candidates, or organizing around social issues that they believe align with their faith and vision of the nation.
5. Cultural and Social Issues: Evangelical nationalists focus on cultural and social issues, such as abortion, same-sex marriage, gender roles, and education. They may see these issues as central to preserving what they perceive as the nation’s moral fabric.
6. Patriotism and Exceptionalism: Evangelical Nationalists view America as uniquely blessed by God and believe that America has a special role in advancing Christianity or specific moral values important to them.
7. Critiques and Concerns: Critics of Evangelical Nationalism raise concerns about the potential blurring of the lines between church and state, the exclusion of those who do not share the same religious beliefs, and the risk of using religious rhetoric to justify discriminatory or exclusionary policies.

Nowhere is the unhealthy alliance of religion and politics more blatantly manifest than in the “ReAwaken Tour” making its way across the country in organized rallies.

Retired general and Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn launched the movement after the failed Jan. 6 insurrection. At one gathering, Flynn declared, “There is a spiritual war, and there is a political war” going on in the United States. 

The “ReAwaken” road show holds rallies in cities nationwide, touting a bizarre blend of QAnon conspiracy theories, political rhetoric, and revivalism. Events feature Trump-supporting speakers like Eric Trump, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, and former Trump advisor Roger Stone, as well as Flynn. Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Scott Perry, Paul Gosar, Mo Brooks and other Republicans are participants or cheerleaders of the ReAwaken road show.

Vendors hawk expensive merchandise while others distribute literature featuring “research recommendations,” including “Alex Jones’s InfoWars, a John Birch Society speech and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a notorious, century-old antisemitic hoax.” The Protocols of the Elders of Zion fueled Russian anti-Semitism and pogroms and were the basis of Hitler’s beliefs as written in his book “Mein Kamph.”

Most recently, Flynn spoke about how Jews were the blame for their genocide during the Holocaust.

At these rallies, speakers repeat the big lie that Trump won the 2020 election and promote QAnon conspiracy theories. Antisemitism, racism, and many more themes of hate.

The ReAwaken America Tour touts the Evangelical Nationalist belief that the United States was founded as a white Christian nation and must return to being one, governed according to their ultra conservative religious principles. 

Many of its adherents go further, embracing “American exceptionalism.” They see the United States as a nation blessed by God, provided it remains true to its fundamentalist Christian identity and provides that example to the rest of the world. 

Evangelical nationalists advocate for school prayer, state funding for religious education, and abortion bans. Its adherents have been supporting politicians like former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor, who summed up her platform as such:  “Jesus, Guns, & Babies.” 

Like much of far-right extremism, Evengalical nationalism manifests itself pervasively as an ideological movement rather than as an organization, although members of many designated extremist groups espouse its beliefs. 

Evangelical nationalists figured prominently in the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville. Many could be identified by the “Deus Vult” (“God wills it) symbol displayed on their signs and flags. 

The red cross on a white background was supposedly introduced by Pope Urban III when he called for the first crusade in 1095. 

Contrary to what the movement claims, the framers of the Constitution were not evangelical Christians. 

Drafters of the Bill of Rights created the disestablishment clause of the First Amendment for a good reason. To avoid the intolerance and bloodshed caused by established European churches, they mandated that “Congress shall make no law respecting establishment of religion.” 

Most Evangelical Nationalists realize they cannot get their view of Christianity declared the national religion, so they pursue an equally dangerous agenda: legislating their narrow version of Evangelical morality at the state and local level and using the courts to support that agenda. 

They are very focused and have been very successful with this agenda. By combining their religious views with their nationalist views, most red state legislatures today have Republican “supermajorities” that are enacting laws exactly as dictated by the voters who put them in office. Fox News promotes their extreme religious and nationalist agenda non-stop in its 24 hour cycle on the air.

What makes this movement the most dangerous is that it is much bigger than Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. Even Donald Trump does not control it! He has embraced it for his own power and benefit, which is what has made him so popular and worshiped by the Evangelical Nationalist movement.

But Donald Trump and the MAGA movement going away will do nothing to stop or slow this movement down. Their real focus is on state-by-state legislation and controlling the agenda in Congress and the Supreme Court. The White House is just a bonus to their cause.