The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Texas

Christian Nationalism is a growing belief among several segments of the population within our Great State of Texas (and the country, but I am choosing to focus on Texas). The most prominent intention of this group is to elevate Christianity in public life by indelibly intertwining American and Christian values, symbols, and identity. All I can say to that is, "eek."

"Now it comes to this; it's like we're back in the Dark Ages. From the Middle East to the Middle West, it's a world of superstition."

Christian nationalists most often cite their belief that "America was founded to be a Christian nation", a patently false premise based on the idea that the Founders wanted Christianity to be the American national (i.e., state) religion because they were predominantly Protestant Christians. Of course, nobody within this group seems to have studied any of the historical documents, papers, or correspondence that were actually written by the Founders, all of which expressly prioritize religious freedom (i.e., having NO state religion) over any concept of adopting Christianity as a state religion.

"We can only grow the way the wind blows on a bare and weathered shore. We can only bow to the here and now in our elemental war."

And yet, there's a growing belief among some of the population here in Texas that our laws should be based solely on Christian doctrine and morality. Taken to an admitted extreme, what this group seems to be working toward is a theocracy, a form of government where all government leaders are members of the clergy and whose legal system is based solely on Christian doctrine and morality. Hmm, "Christian law". Why does that sound so familiar? Oh, right. "Sharia law" is a legal system based on Islamic fundamentalist beliefs, so the institution of "Christian law" is probably a direct counter to their fear that Muslim political leaders are slowly inculcating their heathen beliefs into our justice system. How dare they?

Welcome to the New Crusades.

"Now it's come to this; wide-eyed armies of the faithful. From the Middle East to the Middle West, pray, and pass the ammunition."

The problem that I have with the idea of a theocracy, or any form of government based on a religious law is its total and utter hypocrisy. Now, let me be clear; this hypocrisy is not about Muslims versus Christians (versus Jews versus Hindus versus … ad nauseum). This hypocrisy is about Sunnis vs Shi'ites. It's about Protestants vs Catholics vs Mormons. Basically, it's about the fact that there is no agreement on what is and what is not permitted, even between participants of the same theology.

There are, at the very least, 10 different major Christian denominations just within our Great State of Texas. For most of them, the only tenet of the Christian faith upon which they all seem to agree to is the idea that "Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins". Within every theology on this planet, there are always those who believe that theirs is the only "one true way" and that everyone else is a heretic. So, who (if anyone) is actually correct, and whose belief system should we enact into law?

"Now it's come to this; hollow speeches of mass deception. From the Middle East to the Middle West, like crusaders in a holy alliance."

If the "truth" of theism (i.e., a belief in the existence of at least one god) is indeed as "plain and graspable" as those who advocate for its official institution claim it to be, then I must ask why it has, throughout history and regardless of any specific theology, relied so heavily on non-rational actions to convince the masses of their 'righteousness'. There are multiple instances throughout the historical records of Europe and yes, even America, which illustrate the deliberate intransigence of Christian thought, even among other Christians: the Crusades, the Oxford Martyrs (1555), the Salem Witch Trials (1692), and even late 18th century New England laws specifically written to curtail the immigration of Catholics to the Americas and dispossess those already dwelling there.

"Now it's come to this; like we're back in the Dark Ages. From the Middle East to the Middle West, it's a plague that resists all science."

Wherever religious authorities have had the political power to do so (and have found that the threat of otherworldly hellfire to have somewhat lost its efficacy), they create a literal (or figurative) simulacrum - a very worldly inferno to ready the heretic for the inferno that's to come in Hades - reducing heretics to literal ashes in full view of anybody else who might have the temerity to question the authority (and compassion) of the church.

"Like the solitary pine on bare wind-blasted shore, we can only grow the wind blows in our elemental war."

America is not a Christian nation, and was never intended to be a Christian nation. And I will continue to defy anyone who claims otherwise.

Conservative Christians Wouldn't Vote for Jesus [Article Link]

As long as he had an "R" beside his name on the ballot, conservative Christians would overwhelmingly vote for B.L.Z. "Bubba" Satan.