Pastor Joseph
I am alarmed by the rise of “Christian nationalism.” This ancient theory that rulers derive their authority from God is dangerous to a free society. The church should never be assimilated into the government as a tool to consolidate power. Rulers who want to cloak themselves in religion without living a life that exemplifies the faith they claim to espouse should be avoided. Faith is not a means to an end. The way of God is a lifestyle of humility that denies the flesh for the sake of the Kingdom. By embracing a government that combines faith and power, Christianity loses its divinity and becomes a mere creature of men’s whims. This debasement is forbidden by the Ten Commandments which instruct us to have no other “god” before us. Rather than tyranny, society can exist within a framework of democracy when church and state are separated.
It should be terrifying to hear the rhetoric that has emanated from the Donald Trump campaign. His justification for criminal proceedings concerning his violations of the rule of law screams heresy. Donald Trump is not Jesus Christ. He never was and never will be. By anthropomorphizing Jesus’ existence and positioning himself as a modern replica of the suffering Savior, Donald Trump blasphemes Jesus’ legacy. Evangelical circles across the country should be raising alarm bells, but they are silent. It appears Jesus’s end-time warnings to the disciples are actualized daily through Donald Trump’s grandiosity and claim to messiahship. Jesus said there would be those who claimed to be him, and many would follow them believing they were joining themselves to Christ. Donald Trump appears to be setting himself up to take on the mantle of anti-christ. We cannot be certain that he will be the Anti-Christ, but it is safe to assume he will be one of the many anti-christs that flood the world with falsehoods and distractions.
Aligning the church with the government only results in pollution. By nationalizing Christianity, Constantine endangered it. The Catholic church became powerful and dictatorial trashing the pure lineage of Christianity in their quest for undisputed control. Constantinism was far from utopian. It caused many to reject their living faith for dead ritualized habits. Medieval Europe was characterized by darkness because of the convoluted philosophy promoted by political and spiritual masterminds. Christian tenants were forsaken for world dominance. Instead of embracing the least of these the ruling tyrants sought to reward the wealthy at the expense and abuse of the poor. This abhorrent behavior was sanctioned by the church and popularized by the government.
Though the surface landscape has changed, humanity’s underlying impulsivity has not. Christian nationalism, an age-old diabolical concept, has been gaining popularity among Conservatives. Conservatives want to abolish human rights in the name of divine enlightenment. They want to disregard democracy and implement a theocracy. The chosen leader and Savior is Donald J. Trump. He is the embodiment of Christian nationalism. Not because he himself adheres to God’s commands but because he sees the advantage of deploying God to demand people obey his commands. Donald Trump sees himself as Constantine – the defender and protector of Christianity. This warrior mentality is not utilized for the advancement of God’s Kingdom agenda, but for the advancement of Donald Trump’s agenda. Faith is a means to an end and will be exploited to empower a dictator who only seeks to serve himself at the expense of the republic. Don’t be fooled by Christian nationalism. It is a curse not a blessing. One that will repeat itself if we do not stand up for our God-given freedoms.
