Your observations triggered in me 2 thoughts. One was recalling some observations that Alex de Tocqueville made about our democracy. He suggested that the 2 impulse of individualism and common good were being held in tension. He predicted that one day individual freedom would become dominate and some form of anarchy would result. A second was some thoughts of me own. It has been my contention that Ronald Reagan preached a form of democracy where all could seek their own self interest. His assumption was that the result would be the common good. He did not take into account that every individual did not have the same power to seek their own self interest. Reagan's approach to self interest has resulted in the current imbalance of wealth and the anger that many feel as they have been left out of that accumulation of wealth. Hence the restoration of "Christian" nation is more about wealth and power than ethics.
I am enjoying "Freeing Jesus" and will write a more personal note to you on that experience at a future date.
The morals we uphold as being Christian are the same morals upheld over the world. Those morals are the basis of this country as it is all civilizations. God is in all of us so we America is not exclusive just because we have a religion called Christianity. Choosing good over evil should be the hallmark of any society that obeys our Creator.
I find it interesting that this is the discussion we are having over Christian Nationalism. That has to be one of the biggest threats for non-believers from ever believing there is a God in our time. Not only that it is generating so much hatred towards Christians by, as you outlined, blaming almost every political problem as the result of some Christian doctrine. Isn't our number one responsibilities to take care of our brothers and sisters? Why are we idly sitting by when everything we believe in and love is being trampled upon? Where is our leadership speaking against nationalism that creates exclusivity that creates oppression and hatred in hearts?
Thank you for this. You have made thoughtful and thought provoking statements.
I’m not completely on board with your historical analysis. I wish you offered some references from reliable church historians.
But perhaps you are a church historian yourself. That would not surprise me.
I appreciate very much your comments about the importance of the Bible in our culture. I have knowledgeable European friends who are baffled by this, as they are baffled by the importance in our national life by our reverence for the US flag.
I wish you had addressed the fairly new alliance between conservative Evangelicals and conservative Roman Catholics. This concerns me very much.
The Supreme Court is reshaping American life.
I hope you receive these comments in the positive spirit that I offer them. As I said earlier, thank you for your thoughtful and thought provoking statements.
You're right, Diana, that the relationship between religion and politics in the US does not reduce to a nice and simple phrase. A couple of other variables must also be accounted. The first is this nation was founded for wealth-making among a certain class of eurochristians. To that end Calvinist doctrine provided grist for the mill that ends up with the rich justifying themselves and blaming poverty on the dispossessed. That's worth a series of blogs
Second, the ascendancy of conservative Catholicism. None of the Federalists or Antifederalists foresaw a Catholic dominated SCOTUS.
These two additional variables give depth to what the US Christian Nation-ism means for realizing this Promised Land as the post-millennial Pearly Gates.
My late first generation father always told me that "your rights end when your fist reaches the end of the other person's nose". I naievely belived that the reverse was also true. I think of myself as a Christian and that informs my moral code but not my view of the rightness of my choice to be an Episcopalian. I can only hope that everyone can experience peace and embrace all humanity in their chosen way of communing with that greater power all the while recognizing that it is the embrace of all that is the real reward.
I love this! Thank you.
I love your insights.
A great dissection of the difference between Christian nationalism and civil religion. I try to unpack those traditions myself in today's post for my Substack: https://nickcoccoma.substack.com/p/american-nations-part-vii
This is most insightful and helpful
Thanks. Mona K.
Your observations triggered in me 2 thoughts. One was recalling some observations that Alex de Tocqueville made about our democracy. He suggested that the 2 impulse of individualism and common good were being held in tension. He predicted that one day individual freedom would become dominate and some form of anarchy would result. A second was some thoughts of me own. It has been my contention that Ronald Reagan preached a form of democracy where all could seek their own self interest. His assumption was that the result would be the common good. He did not take into account that every individual did not have the same power to seek their own self interest. Reagan's approach to self interest has resulted in the current imbalance of wealth and the anger that many feel as they have been left out of that accumulation of wealth. Hence the restoration of "Christian" nation is more about wealth and power than ethics.
I am enjoying "Freeing Jesus" and will write a more personal note to you on that experience at a future date.
Amen.
Insightful and helpful.
Thank you for this very interesting article. Your knowledge and analytical ability really shone through.
Hi, I used to l know you thru Westernville, Where are you now?
Hi...I'm still alive, You know I always have your back! Where are you preaching now?
The morals we uphold as being Christian are the same morals upheld over the world. Those morals are the basis of this country as it is all civilizations. God is in all of us so we America is not exclusive just because we have a religion called Christianity. Choosing good over evil should be the hallmark of any society that obeys our Creator.
I find it interesting that this is the discussion we are having over Christian Nationalism. That has to be one of the biggest threats for non-believers from ever believing there is a God in our time. Not only that it is generating so much hatred towards Christians by, as you outlined, blaming almost every political problem as the result of some Christian doctrine. Isn't our number one responsibilities to take care of our brothers and sisters? Why are we idly sitting by when everything we believe in and love is being trampled upon? Where is our leadership speaking against nationalism that creates exclusivity that creates oppression and hatred in hearts?
A soft tool? I think we need a bullhorn.
Thank you for this. You have made thoughtful and thought provoking statements.
I’m not completely on board with your historical analysis. I wish you offered some references from reliable church historians.
But perhaps you are a church historian yourself. That would not surprise me.
I appreciate very much your comments about the importance of the Bible in our culture. I have knowledgeable European friends who are baffled by this, as they are baffled by the importance in our national life by our reverence for the US flag.
I wish you had addressed the fairly new alliance between conservative Evangelicals and conservative Roman Catholics. This concerns me very much.
The Supreme Court is reshaping American life.
I hope you receive these comments in the positive spirit that I offer them. As I said earlier, thank you for your thoughtful and thought provoking statements.
You're right, Diana, that the relationship between religion and politics in the US does not reduce to a nice and simple phrase. A couple of other variables must also be accounted. The first is this nation was founded for wealth-making among a certain class of eurochristians. To that end Calvinist doctrine provided grist for the mill that ends up with the rich justifying themselves and blaming poverty on the dispossessed. That's worth a series of blogs
Second, the ascendancy of conservative Catholicism. None of the Federalists or Antifederalists foresaw a Catholic dominated SCOTUS.
These two additional variables give depth to what the US Christian Nation-ism means for realizing this Promised Land as the post-millennial Pearly Gates.
Diana, this essay hits the nail on the head! It rings so true to me. Thank you for bringing so much clarity to the subject.
My late first generation father always told me that "your rights end when your fist reaches the end of the other person's nose". I naievely belived that the reverse was also true. I think of myself as a Christian and that informs my moral code but not my view of the rightness of my choice to be an Episcopalian. I can only hope that everyone can experience peace and embrace all humanity in their chosen way of communing with that greater power all the while recognizing that it is the embrace of all that is the real reward.
Thought-provoking. I will be coming back to this I am sure.