OPINION
A lot of attention has been given to the phrase “Christian nationalism,” a recent label created by the radical left. While they present “Christian nationalism” as something to be feared, the truth is that this is just a scare tactic used to bully America’s Christians into submission and suppress Christian voices in the public square.
Just think of the number of Christian believers in America today, and the impact we could make on our nation if we were unafraid to engage in authentic patriotism by asserting our values in the public square.
The far left is all too aware of this — that’s why they have resorted to smears like “Christian nationalism.” But America’s believers see this slur for what it is: an attempt to intimidate the Christians into submission from speaking out in government, politics and culture.
Our faith teaches just the opposite message, and calls us to engage in patriotism. While Christians are called to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, we are also called to love the country in which God allowed us to be born as citizens.
By participating in the political system, we have the opportunity to express gratitude for the nation we inherited and love for both our neighbors and fellow citizens. Nowhere in Scripture are we called to hide our values, shelter our beliefs or bury our talents from those around us, or from our country.
When Jesus told the Pharisees that we must “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s,” he clearly instructed Christians to engage in the world and fight for his Kingdom here on earth. Our values are right and true, but Jesus knew that truth cannot defend itself.
Instead, truth needs good people committed to its defense, which is why we, as Christians, can be fully engaged citizens of the Kingdom of God and the United States of America at the same time.
Indeed, what better way can one “love his neighbor as himself” than by voting for biblically ethical policies? This is the essence of the sort of patriotism that America needs its citizens to express once again.
In fact, the public promulgation of these biblical values laid the very foundation for our nation. America’s founders cited the “laws of Nature and Nature’s God” in the Declaration of Independence, which laid the very foundation for our nation’s central promise that “all men are created equal” and therefore “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
Our Constitution drew upon these same principles, giving them a formal structure to protect the God-given rights of each citizen and defend the people’s freedom to exercise their faith in the very First Amendment. Indeed, faith has been the bulwark of American government and society for most of our history, and it has provided us with the vision, strength and moral clarity to overcome the challenges we have faced throughout history.
All of this is a threat to the left and their anti-Christian agenda, and a big part of the reason that they have been trying to replace the Christian faith with a new religious fervor of their own. While Christians stand for freedom, opportunity, transparency and life, the radical left has continued to mire our country in a culture of death, control, corruption and division.
For decades, the radical left has sought to silence our voices, restrict our worship, and push our Christian values out of the public square. Now, they smear us as “Christian nationalists” for desiring to return our society to our foundational values.
But we will not back down from this fight because the stakes are too high. Our values laid the foundation for the most just, most prosperous nation the world has ever seen.
We number in the hundreds of millions, and we have truth itself on our side.
American Christianity can revitalize our nation through a return to genuine patriotism, if only we have the courage to do so. As the left continues its campaign to smear American believers as “Christian nationalists,” it’s time we join together and speak with one united voice: American Christians will not be bullied any longer.
Dr. Chris Leader is the Founder & President of Vote Your Faith, a non-profit committed to encouraging America’s faith communities to vote their values at the ballot box. Dr. Leader also serves as the Chief Advisor for the Center for the American Dream at the America First Policy Institute.
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