Christian Nationalism (UPDATED)

     We’re being told that we should be afraid of this:

     And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying:
     Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
     Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.
     Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
     Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
     Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
     Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
     Blesses are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.
     Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
     Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.

     [Matthew 5:1-12]

     And this:

     And behold one came and said to him: Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting?
     Who said to him: Why asketh thou me concerning good? One is good, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
     He said to him: Which? And Jesus said: Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

     [Matthew 19:16-19]

     And this:

     But the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, came together: And one of them, a doctor of the law, asking him, tempting him: Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?
     Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.

     [Matthew 22:34-40]

     But we’re not supposed to be afraid of this:

     “Islam says: Whatever good there is exists thanks to the sword and in the shadow of the sword! People cannot be made obedient except with the sword! The sword is the key to Paradise, which can be opened only for Holy Warriors! These are hundreds of other psalms and Hadiths urging Muslims to value war and to fight. Does all that mean that Islam is a religion that prevents men from waging war? I spit upon those foolish souls who make such a claim.” — Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

     “The minarets are our bayonets; the domes are our helmets. Mosques are our barracks, the believers are soldiers. This holy army guards my religion. Almighty Our journey is our destiny, the end is martyrdom.” — Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister of Turkey

     Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the Shaitan. Fight therefore against the friends of the Shaitan; surely the strategy of the Shaitan is weak. [Koran, Sura 4:76]

     “I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their fingertips off them.” [Koran, Sura 8:12]

     “But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem…” [Koran, Sura 9:5]

     “Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, of the people of the Book, until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued.” [Koran, Sura 9:29]

     “O Prophet! Struggle against the unbelievers and hypocrites and be harsh with them.” [Koran, Sura 9:73]

     Puzzling, eh?

     It’s becoming rare that my boiler gets lit over anything, these days. I’ve said too much…written too much. But among my remaining hot buttons, this one may be the hottest: people who promote contempt toward Christianity and malice toward Christians. From the way they whine and rave, you’d think we had our hands in their pockets, if not down their pants.

     Celebrities (i.e., people who are famous for being famous) who promote antipathy toward Christianity are among the worst of the breed. They know the damage they can cause. They’re gleeful about it. Often it’s one of the sources of their sense of importance.

     The latest to poke his head above the high-slime line is superannuated actor-director Rob Reiner:

     On December 7, the outspoken Democrat announced that “God and Country,” a documentary about the left’s boogeyman du jour, will be hitting theaters in February just in time for election season. “Christian Nationalism is not only a danger to our Country,” Reiner assured his 2.5 million X followers, “it’s a danger to Christianity itself.” This raises the question of what exactly Reiner thinks Christian Nationalism is.
     The two-minute trailer that accompanied his announcement failed to provide a definition, but an interview he gave to the Hollywood trade publication Deadline last year provides clues. In it, Reiner says that Christian Nationalism is reflected in “stacking the Supreme Court.” By that he apparently did not mean Congressional Democrats’ 2021 push to expand the Court from nine to 13 justices, but Republicans doing what they had every right to do when they held control of both the White House and Senate – fill SCOTUS vacancies. Did Reiner think Republicans were obligated to appoint and confirm progressive atheists like himself instead of the three conservative Christians they chose?
     Reiner also cited the overturning of Roe v Wade as evidence that Christian Nationalism poses a grave danger to our body politic. In that case, the term appears to mean religious people making use of the same Constitutional remedies – freely speaking, freely associating, and electing candidates who promise to enact their preferred policies – that secularists do. How dare they!

     Once again, we see the Left’s protectiveness over their sole sacrament: abortion. Apparently, if you feel abortion is wrong, as nearly all Christians do, and should be a criminal offense, as many of us do, you’re a threat to the body politic. Do you think Reiner has any knowledge of Islam’s position on the matter? Or its positions on homosexuality, adultery, and sex outside of marriage?

     It’s rarely surprising to discover that a celebrity is an idiot or an ignoramus. They’re not celebrated for their intellect or erudition. The highly intelligent are seldom found among them. Just as rare are practicing Christians who are open about it. Practicing Christians who have substantial careers in the entertainment industry are among the rarest of all species. Some have withheld any mention of their faith until they retired.

     But we’re supposed to fear “Christian nationalism.”

     This “Christian nationalism” chimera has very blurry edges. What, specifically, are we supposed to fear? A Christian theocracy? A regime where priests and ministers are legally empowered to arrest people for adultery? For blasphemy? For not praying enough?

     It’s absurd from the start. It gets even more absurd when one considers the number of Christian denominations and the substantial differences among them. But it makes a convenient boogeyman with which to frighten the impressionable.

     It wouldn’t frost my buns quite so badly if it weren’t for anti-Christian militancy. Note how that swells each year at this season: the time when Christians prepare themselves to celebrate the birth of the Son of God in human flesh. The militants simply must do what they can to defame our faith and despoil our jubilation. It must be vital to the maintenance of their self-concept as “brights.”

     I’m sick of it and I will have no more of it. Whenever and wherever I encounter it, I plan to do my utmost to mock, deride, and shame it. It’s not hard; simply ask a militant a couple of sharp questions:

• Are you against all religion, or only Christianity?
• What do you mean by “Christian nationalism?” Be specific.
• Show me the Gospel passage you think mandates a Christian nation.
• Has someone tried to compel you to practice a religion you don’t believe in?

     Here’s the Ace of trumps:

     Be careful about using that one; it’s the nuclear weapon of the bunch.

     Perhaps God will forgive them – in the main, “they know not what they do” – but He might not forgive me for failing to oppose them while I still have breath to do so.

     Merry Christmas, by the way. Now, back to our previously scheduled programming.

     UPDATE: As usual, an atheist stopped by to say something both factually incorrect and irrelevant:

     > What are *your* moral premises?
     > How do they differ from those held by Christians?

     I don’t have “faith”, which means belief contrary to evidence. I won’t believe in extraterrestrial aliens with technological capabilities for telepathy and teleportation (aka “God”), without detailed evidence of their existence. I don’t know what created this thing which I perceive as the universe. Since I know I don’t know, I don’t believe specific details such as that the creation mechanism is sentient, good, loves us, appears to us in human form minus reproductive organs, or behaves like an alcoholic father.

     Note that he:

• Evaded the question;
• Mis-defined faith;
• Insulted those of us who believe in God.

     Faith is not “belief contrary to evidence.” It’s belief despite the unavailability of conclusive evidence. There is evidence both for the existence of God and for the life, ministry, Passion and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians take to be the Son of God. It’s just not so compelling that it eliminates all possibility of doubt. But you can always count on a supercilious atheist to get that sort of thing wrong. The evasion and the insults, of course, are de rigueur.