Patriotism

Don’t Fall for the ‘Christian Nationalism’ Straw Man

It was Dr. Jordan Peterson, the Canadian psychologist and bestselling author, who once warned, “Social media gives everyone a voice, but it also amplifies resentment, envy, and tribal conflict.”

In recent days, a variety of memes have been swirling about in the social media ether regarding one of those areas of tension, specifically so-called “Christian nationalism.”

In reality, it’s been a topic for years, and also a label that many socially conservative evangelical Christians have been unfairly and recklessly slapped with. Our friend Dan Darling even wrote a book about it.

In Defense of Christian Patriotism was his effort to untangle the differences between “Christian nationalism” and a believer’s healthy love of their country.

“As I speak to ordinary believers around the country, I meet good people who want to love America but are constantly being told that this passion is in direct conflict with their love for God,” Darling observed.

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, shares this frustration:

The self-appointed guardians of secular America are going to call you a Christian nationalist. Do you believe in the defense of the unborn and that abortion should be prohibited by power of law? Then you will be labeled a Christian nationalist. Do you believe that there are two and only two genders, male and female? Then get ready to be put in the stocks as a Christian nationalist. Do you believe that your Christian convictions on these issues are to be translated into your position on questions of government policy? You guessed it: You are a Christian nationalist.

The five memes that I saw in recent days made the following statements:

  1. “Nationalism replaces Christ with country.”
  2. “Nationalism distorts the global mission of Jesus.”
  3. “Nationalism elevates one people above others.”
  4. “Nationalism baptizes political power.”
  5. “Nationalism divides the family of God.”

Shared in the context of evangelical Christianity, these five declarations are what you might call a “straw man” series of assertions – intentionally misrepresented propositions made in order to then easily strike down.

That’s how Mike Farris, former president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, rightly interpreted them. In response, he wrote:

“I know no one who is a serious Christian who call themselves Christian Nationalists.”

In other words, believers are not putting America over their devotion to Jesus. It’s not the serious Christians claiming the designation but rather a label akin to an epithet used to marginalize and criticize.

To be clear, Focus on the Family’s President Jim Daly has noted that, properly defined, “Christian nationalism is dangerous.”

He explains:

If you think government and God are co-equals, you’ll be motivated by the wrong things and might even be susceptible to being swept up into violent mobs … Conversely, good Christians are good citizens who have an obligation to serve the Republic. We engage our civic duty and privilege out of our love of neighbor. Christian nationalism is putting love of country (and our self-interests) over love of God.

In Dan Darling’s excellent book, encouraging Christians to be unapologetically patriotic, he amplifies Daly’s distinction and also offers explains why patriotic Christians are falsely accused of mis-prioritizing love of country over love of the Lord.

“Often it is Christians trying to arrest change who are labeled as the aggressors, backwards, weird and retrograde, while the Left, which made the changes in the first place, is the enlightened, fair-minded, justice-oriented cohort.”

Don’t fall for the straw man silliness. Serious Christians know their ultimate and eternal allegiance is to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, even when taking the Pledge of Allegiance with their hand over their heart. 

Photo credit: Getty Images/Shutterstock

104-Year-Old WWII Vet Performs National Anthem Before Islanders Game

Dominick Critelli, a 104-year-old veteran of World War II, performed the national anthem on Saturday at UBS Arena before the New York Islanders’ game against the New York Rangers.

The veteran, born in 1921 and sporting the team’s jersey, was helped into the arena by Islanders’ cheerleaders. He performed a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on his saxophone.

As Critelli held onto the last note, the crowd cheered his performance and broke out into exuberant chants of “USA.” Critelli acknowledge the crowd’s praise and gave a quick salute before exiting the arena.

You can watch his performance below:

Critelli “spent 151 days in combat during World War II” and survived “the Battle of the Bulge … flying behind enemy lines to provide isolated American troops with much-needed supplies,” NHL.com reported.

He earned the “European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, the American Theater Medal, the WWII Victory Medal and a Good Conduct Medal.”

“I love this country,” Critelli, who immigrated to the USA from Calabria, Italy as a young boy, told The New York Post in an interview before the game. “If I hadn’t come to this country, I’d be stuck with Mussolini.”

Critelli’s performance and remarks provide a good moment for reflection, considering national pride in America has fallen to an all-time low.

“A record-low 58% of U.S. adults say they are ‘extremely’ (41%) or ‘very’ (17%) proud to be an American,” Gallup found in a poll earlier this year. That’s “down nine percentage points from last year and five points below the prior low from 2020.”

This trend is driven almost entirely by Democrats, whose pride in America has fallen precipitously from 87% in 2001 to just 36% today. At the same time, Republicans’ pride in America has increased from 90% in 2001 to 92% today.

Stories like Critelli – of an immigrant coming to America, escaping a fascist government, honorably serving our nation, and helping to save and free the West from fascist Germany – remind us that America, for all its faults and failings, remains a remarkable place with remarkable people. A place we should all be proud to call “home.”

We tip our hats to Dominick Critelli, and thank him for his service to our nation and remarkable musical performance.

Related articles and resources:

Inspiring Stories of Faith on the Front Lines

The Greatest of These is Love

Learning to Love America Again

Honoring Our World War II Veterans

Photo from X.