“Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before. Christ, the royal Master leads against the foe; forward into battle, see his banners go.”How many evangelicals have joyously sung this hymn in celebration of our role as foot soldiers for the teachings of Jesus Christ? At its start in 1865 in England, churchgoers sang this hymn on “Whit Monday,” a holiday observing the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples of Jesus – the original Christian soldiers. Today, the hymn interprets Christian soldiers as people of faith who wield the “sword of the Spirit” – caring for our neighbors and those in need – in a war against injustice and hate.
But now, a group of rightwing “Christian soldiers” are waging a vastly different war. These “soldiers,” who are primarily white and represent about 20 percent of the public, believe that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Thus, their war is to claim the U.S. as a “Christian nation” with an official Christian culture. In their world view, Christians are America’s first citizens and have a presumptive right of dominance in American law and public policy.
If this doesn’t scare you, it should. According to national surveys, those who identify as Christian nationalists are more likely to believe that it is “too easy to vote” in the U.S. and that voter fraud is rampant.
Christian nationalism also tends to treat minorities and non-Christians as second-class citizens, accelerating racial tensions. Think about voting restrictions on a massive scale; more aggressive police tactics targeting black and brown communities; prohibiting interracial marriage and transracial adoption; ending protections for the religious liberty of Jews, Muslims and other non-Christian faiths; and enacting policies that are hostile to immigrants and refugees. Now add to this the belief that women should be subservient to men and you have a dystopian society straight out of the Handmaid’s Tale!
Already, the influence of Christian nationalism is shaping policies at the state and local levels, including book bans and a reinterpretation of American history in school curricula. But the real threat is what is happening behind the scenes. According to published reports, a coalition of rightwing Christian groups are quietly advancing a package of Christian-right bills whose impact on American society would be immense. These bills range from requiring the motto “In God We Trust” to be displayed in government buildings and schools to religious liberty protection legislation that “favors” in public policy intimate sexual relations only between married, heterosexual couples.
So far, these policies represent potential risks to our way of life. But the danger is real. Christian nationalism is not an idea; the movement has grown in recent years, enlisting angry, aggrieved and militant people who now use violence to preserve Christian values.
These “soldiers” made their debut at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA and many joined the January 6, 2021 insurrection carrying a large wooden Cross and Christian flags as they broke into the U.S. Capitol.
Thus, as Christians and especially evangelicals, we cannot sit on the sidelines. We cannot talk of following the Prince of Peace and betray him with support for, or tolerance of, extremists. After all, the history of Christianity from Constantine to the 18th century was one of state-sponsored coercion and violence. Evangelicals have contributed significantly to America’s proud record of religious liberty. Let’s not destroy that record now.