Column: The once-secretive right-wing ideology emerging as an overt threat to American democracy

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As a film enthusiast and someone who has followed American politics closely for decades, I find the rise of Christian nationalism in the United States to be a deeply troubling development. Growing up, I was taught that America is a nation founded on the principles of religious freedom and separation of church and state. Yet, today we see public officials advocating for the Bible to be placed in every classroom and the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school.

Last week, Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri’s Republican party made a revelation that could have previously surprised his colleagues.

At the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, Hawley addressed an audience and acknowledged, “Some people might argue that I’m labeling America as a Christian nation. Yes, I am. They may also claim that I support Christian nationalism. Correct, I do. The crucial point is: Is there any other form of it worth considering?”

Conservative Christian supremacy is on the march.

In Oklahoma, the head of education has directed all public schools to keep a Bible in each classroom and adapt their curriculum to include biblical principles.

In Louisiana, it’s been decided that each public school classroom should have the Ten Commandments prominently displayed.

In our country, established on the values of spiritual autonomy and the distinction between religion and government, what transpiring events occur?

Stephen Ujlaki, the producer and director of the thought-provoking documentary “Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy,” noted that Josh Hawley’s views a year ago would have been different. Now, according to Ujlaki, Christian nationalists are more confident and aim to portray their victory as a fait accompli, trying to intimidate others into compliance.

Approximately six years ago, as Ujlaki neared the end of his tenure as dean at Loyola Marymount University’s Film and Television School, he pondered a perplexing question: How was it possible for Donald Trump – with his history of infidelity, alleged sexual misconduct, and penchant for dishonesty – to secure the presidency, given that many of his most ardent supporters professed strong Christian beliefs?

Trump’s presidency and strong following among religious conservatives can be attributed to the half-century-old political movement known as Christian nationalism. This ideology seeks to roll back social advancements of the past century by tapping into the fears and apprehensions of white conservatives regarding demographic and political transformations in America.

Christian nationalists don’t necessarily see eye to eye with Trump, but they view him as both their champion and their tool for destruction. It’s astonishing how effectively he’s used his influence, including reshaping the Supreme Court, to undo over fifty years of reproductive rights progress.

A Republican congressman spoke in the House on Thursday, expressing his belief that we should return to the social norms of 1960 if Trump gets elected. He lamented about what he saw as the weakening of masculinity due to an intense women’s liberation movement.

Christian nationalism is a white supremacist political ideology masquerading as religion.

“Russell Moore, former editor of Christianity Today, expressed his view that they falsely identify as Christians,” he parted ways with the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission due to their advocacy for Trump in 2016.

The movement did not arise, as is widely believed, in response to the Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion. It formed years earlier in response to decisions ending the tax-exempt status of racially segregated schools such as Bob Jones University. Abortion simply became a more palatable cover than racism.

According to Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith America, the core concept of Christian nationalism is that America was specifically designed for a specific white Christian group holding a distinct ideology and perspective. This group is considered superior, with others expected to yield inferiority. Force may be employed if required to maintain this hierarchy. (Referencing: Jan. 6 events)

At the recommendation of his friend and collaborator Ken Burns, Ujlaki chooses to tell the story of “Bad Faith” in a timeline fashion. He begins with the establishment of the Council for National Policy in 1981 by conservative Christian activists, led by Heritage Foundation co-founder Paul Weyrich. Weyrich famously expressed his preference that not everyone participates in voting, stating, “Frankly, our influence is greater when fewer people vote.”

In 2021, The Washington Post characterized the council as the “least familiar, most enigmatic conservative group” in Washington D.C. They prohibit journalists from attending their gatherings, and the members, which include former Vice President Mike Pence and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Ginni Thomas, have pledged secrecy regarding the organization’s business.

One of the council’s close partners is the Heritage Foundation, known for its extensive 900-page document called Project 2025. This plan serves as a roadmap for potential policies during a second Trump administration. It advocates for the following objectives: dismantling government agencies and replacing employees with supporters of the former president, reducing regulations, eliminating protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, abolishing the Department of Education, mandating all pregnancies to reach full term, imposing stricter voting laws (affecting certain groups), and shrinking social welfare programs (implying that those in need are responsible for their circumstances).

“In ‘Bad Faith,’ the Reverend William Barber II of the Yale Divinity School’s Center for Public Theology & Public Policy asserts, ‘This isn’t Jim Crow.’ Instead, he warns, we face a new threat: ‘James Crow, Esq. He attended law school and now aims to silence every progressive voice in this country.'” (Exhibit A: Hawley, alumnus of Stanford University and Yale Law School.)

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in February revealed that approximately half of American adults are unfamiliar with the concept of Christian nationalism. Notably, the majority of Republicans admitted they had never come across this movement. It’s alarming that many Americans remain uninformed about a movement that could potentially pull them back into history.

The distorted beliefs of the Christian nationalist movement have been encapsulated more effectively by none other than Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist and homophobic figure, as depicted in the book “Bad Faith.”

“F— democracy,” Fuentes says. “I stand with Jesus Christ.”

Except, you know, he really doesn’t.

@robinkabcarian

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2024-07-18 18:09