The United States of America is not a Christian nation and never has been one. Does that sound shocking? Please let me explain. First, It is a democratic republic with many Christians living in it.
Our Constitution makes no mention of Christianity or any other religion. The Founding Fathers remembered what it was like when the colonies chafed under the authority of an absolute ruler. King George was head of the Church of England. As such, he could punish anyone who violated a religious rule, just the same as if civil laws were broken (kyrackkramer. com/2019/01/11/the-reign-of-kinggeorge- ii/). The result of rule by Christian Nationalism would be the same.
The writers of our Constitution did not want a monarch who ruled both government and church. They wanted religious freedom, either to worship as one chooses, or even to not worship if so desired. Remembering what it was like under the King of England, they wrote Amendment I, guaranteeing that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Secondly, Christian Nationalists rely heavily on Old Testament teachings. They typically ignore many of the basic teachings of Jesus. For example, many government officials in this country have ordered the Ten Commandments displayed in such places as public school classrooms and administration buildings. They do not seem to care about the Golden Rule of Christ. It would fit anywhere.
Why the Ten Commandments? They are part of the Law of Moses, which was for a specific group of people, the Jews. It was for a specific time, from when Moses received it, until the promised Messiah should arrive. Moses himself said, ”The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him (Deuteronomy 18:15 RSV). Jesus is that prophet!
The Law of Moses established a theocracy. It consisted of civil law, ceremonial law, and religious law. Breaking any of those laws resulted in punishment, such as exclusion from worship assemblies, all the way up to stoning a person to death. Breaking any of the Ten Commandments carried a mandatory death sentence. The first test of this was when a man was gathering wood on the sabbath. Moses said, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp” (Numbers 15:35 NIV).
Christian Nationalists’ heavy reliance on the Old Testament, with its rigid rules, does not appeal to me. I prefer the teachings of Jesus, who said we should treat each other as we want ourselves to be treated. We should love our neighbor as ourselves. He simplified things for us.
Jesus broke Moses’ laws repeatedly. For example, His disciples gathered grain on the sabbath. When challenged about it, Jesus cited the time when David and his men were hungry. They ate the consecrated bread from off the altar. This was illegal! But Jesus stressed human need is greater than legalism. “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent” (Matthew 12:1-8 RSV).
On another occasion, Jesus healed a man on the sabbath, again violating Moses’ law. Jesus asked if a sheep fell into a ditch on the sabbath, would His hearers rescue it? “A man is more valuable than a sheep” (Matthew 12:11 RSV).
If America were a Christian Nation, we would not have elected legislators who came within one vote of overturning the Affordable Care Act. This law makes it possible for about 45 million people to have health coverage who otherwise could not afford to get treatment for illness.
If this were a Christian Nation, men like Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt would not refuse federal government funding to feed needy children during the summer months, as he has done (kjrh.com/news/local-news/ fact-check-gov-stitt-commentson- rejecting-summer-foodfunds).
The great lesson Jesus taught about the final judgement is in Matthew, chapter 25. All nations gathered before Him. He divided people into two groups, those who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, welcomed the stranger, and visited the sick and imprisoned people, and those who did not do those things. Notice He said, “all nations.” That has a broad application for this country.
Jesus was always, always, on the side of the poor, the outcast, the stranger, the unwanted, the outsider, and the child. In my view, if we truly were a Christian Nation, these should be our priorities.
During the family separation policy of the Trump administration in 2018, children were torn from begging, weeping mothers, and put into cages. About 1,500 children taken from their parents at that time still cannot be located because of the careless, hasty deportation efforts. A “Christian Nation” would not permit such an injustice.
Oklahoma’s State Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters has required the “God Bless the U.S.A.” Bible, promoted by Donald Trump, to be placed in every public-school AP classroom in the state. He ordered all superintendents to show the video of him praying for President Trump (oklahoman.com/story/ news/education/2024/11/15/ ryan-walters-oklahoma-religious- video-order-trump-bibles/ 76338979007/).
This requirement enforces Christian Nationalism by imposing Christianity upon public school students.
The Law of Moses is no longer in effect. The Hebrew letter repeatedly emphasizes the supremacy of Christ’s sacrifice over the Law of Moses’ sacrifices. The Colossians epistle makes it clear, “He [Christ] forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code [Moses’ Old Testament Law], nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14 RSV).
When we diligently examine the life of Jesus, we see how Christian Nationalism is false. Jesus told us to pay our taxes. Apostle Paul told us to pray for the king [leaders] and obey the laws. Simple!
Nowhere in all the New Testament does it authorize Christianity to be the official religion of the state or to force it upon others. As I have pointed out, many of our policies are the opposite of what Christianity would require. I ask Christian Nationalists to read the Sermon on the Mount. Following it would change our practices completely.