Who Cares Whether We Keep Our Democracy?
True Christians Should
If you have been tuned into the news at all, you know it has been an eventful few weeks, and sadly, much of the nasty rhetoric and cruel policy decisions of the last few weeks are rooted in Christian Nationalism. Many of the writers I follow are focusing on the threat Christian Nationalism poses to our democracy. I commend their work. The focus of my blog has always centered more on the threat Christian Nationalism poses to the credibility of our faith, and I still believe this is the most important. After all, all earthly systems of government are ultimately temporary, whereas the credibility of our faith has eternal implications, for both the lost sheep whom certain politicians and influential pastors have led astray, promoting a cultural Christianity that isn’t Christian at all, and for the secular world who witnesses this flagrant misrepresentation of Christ and wants nothing to do with Christianity. But what I am coming to better understand this time around is that the will and the courage to defend, and exercise the rights granted to us by our Constitution is actually an essential ingredient in addressing the threat Christian Nationalism poses to the credibility of our faith.
During Trump’s first term, I never signed any petitions or contacted my representatives in Congress to urge them to oppose his hateful, reckless policies. What was the point? What difference would my small, insignificant voice that I couldn’t magnify with multi-million dollar campaign contributions make? But this time around, having spent the Biden administration gaining a better understanding of Christian Nationalism from theologians and historians, I am thinking differently.
Isaiah 10:1-2 says, “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” These verses are a very fitting description of what Donald Trump, and co-president Elon Musk are doing. Their policies will make the rich even richer while devastating the most vulnerable of society. But since Donald Trump was duly elected in a democracy, we are all responsible for his unjust laws and oppressive decrees, so we all, especially true Christians, are morally obligated to speak out. Our efforts may not make a difference in this world. The Bible is clear that only Christ’s return will vanquish the evil powers and principalities of this world once and for all. Christ does not expect us to save the world. He just expects us to show evidence of spiritual fruit in our lives by boldly, confidently choosing to be on the right side of history. We are all sinners who give into the temptations of this world sometimes and are dependent on Christ’s grace and forgiveness. But overall, did we choose God’s kingdom, or this world? If by God’s grace we were blessed with a high standard of living, did we consider those less fortunate when we made decisions like how to spend our money, or use our God-given talents, or did we think only of our self-interest? If by God’s grace, we were born into the privileged race, gender, religious group, with the right sexual orientation, did we take the Bible seriously and defend the dignity of all humans as all are made in God’s image, or did we buy into the myth that our privileged group is superior to everyone else and favored by God? I speculate that God may judge us by a higher standard than at any other time in human history, because speaking truth to power, championing the cause of “the least of these” is safe and easy in a democracy, and when we are blessed, we are called to be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2).
On that note, I encourage all readers to consider checking out Faithful America, a grassroots organization whose mission is “putting faith into action for love and social justice.” They send regular updates and have sponsored several petitions you can sign. If you are uneasy as I was at first, start by signing a petition. It is as simple as entering your name, email address and zip code and an optional comment, then clicking the sign button. As pointless as signing a petition may seem, it is surprising how rewarding it feels to know you did something, signed your name to an important cause, and this small step is a confidence booster, a springboard to more substantial actions like contacting your school board or representatives in Congress. Another excellent way you can get involved is to visit Christians Against Christian Nationalism. They are working to start virtual and in-person groups in every state to resist Christian Nationalism at the state and local level.
In this article, Kristin Kobes Du Mez highlighted an article that was recently published in Foreign Affairs, written by Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way. They assert that the breakdown of democracy in this country will not lead to a dictatorship in the classic sense, where opponents are imprisoned, exiled or killed. What we are headed for is what Levitsky and Way call “competitive authoritarianism, a system in which parties compete in elections but the incumbent’s abuse of power tilts the playing field against the opposition.” The cost of publicly opposing the incumbent will rise considerably. Democratic donors and businesses that fund civil rights groups may be subjected to heightened tax and legal scrutiny, and their work may be impeded by arbitrary regulations. Media outlets will likely find themselves mired in costly defamation lawsuits or other legal actions, or face retaliatory policies against their parent companies.
But in New Testament times, classic dictatorships were the only kind of government the people knew. If the people had gathered thousands of signatures to petition for an end to oppressive tax policies, or staged a protest outside the palace, the king would have laughed, then had them exiled, imprisoned or brutally killed. Many early Christians were brutally killed just for refusing to worship the earthly king, and yet they courageously endured, knowing that their earthly persecution was temporary, but heavenly treasure would endure forever. Yet today, even before Trump’s second term began, media outlets censored articles and political cartoons critical of Donald Trump in anticipatory obedience. Most Republicans, many of whom I have heard profess to be Christian in television interviews, and many of whom had the wherewithal to resist eight years ago, are cooperating with Trump this time around. Too many pastors are silent about the cruelty of Trump’s rhetoric and policies so as not to appear political—Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde being the beautiful exception—and some pastors outright agree with Trump’s policies, believing that God saved Trump’s life for a divine purpose. And ordinary Americans are too exhausted and despairing this time around to protest to the extent they did eight years ago.
Our democracy never was perfect, and we have never truly achieved liberty and justice for all. But democracy coupled with our Constitution where our founders enshrined the separation of church and state, is the best of all the imperfect governing options imaginable in this fallen world for the credibility of true Christianity, the kind of Christianity Jesus intended, where the surrounding cultures are free to worship as they choose but can be drawn to Christianity by the radical love, joy and peace that they witness in their Christian friends, neighbors and colleagues, rather than a cultural Christianity based on white supremacy, hypocrisy, domination, coercion. And in a democracy, even one sliding toward competitive authoritarianism, one way we can manifest this love and compassion to a watching world is by speaking truth to power, peacefully protesting and contacting our representatives to oppose policies that will harm those less fortunate even if said harmful policies might lower our taxes.
I will grant that I don’t know what it is like to face a defamation lawsuit, or the prospect of losing a prestigious career you worked hard to reach. But I have studied the Bible enough to notice that while God never promised our lives wouldn’t have troubles—in fact he guaranteed we would have trouble—he tends to reward those who have the courage to say/do what is right, even and especially in the face of worldly opposition. Sometimes people are rewarded in this life, such as was the case with the Hebrew midwives who defied the king’s order to kill the baby boys, and were rewarded with children of their own (Exodus 1:15-21). Of course, it is important to remember this kind of direct transaction by God was unique to that particular moment of Jewish history, but I believe that God still rewards those who do right in subtler but no less profound ways. They may never be able to return to the career status or income level they had, but I believe God would provide what they needed, and it may be that their new career is the new lease on life they didn’t realize how much was desperately needed in their former lives, a career that offers better work/life balance so they can spend more time with loved ones, or better sleep at night knowing they no longer have to compromise with their conscience. Their reputation may be irreparably shattered with old friends and colleagues, but I believe God would reward them with new friends that would surround them with so much love and support that they never look back. Some politicians have expressed fear for the personal safety of themselves or their families, and these fears are understandable. The Foreign Affairs article noted that in Trump’s first term, he wanted to order the army to shoot protesters, something I had forgotten about. In his first term, he was constrained, but in his second term where he was careful to only hire loyalists, he could issue such orders. This would mean the only thing standing between the loss of innocent life, and our constitutional right to peacefully assemble, would be the courage of military servicemen and women willing to defy Trump’s order. In Russia, too many opponents of Vladamir Putin seem to die under suspicious circumstances. I don’t go for fearmongering, but it would be naive to say that could never happen here, given Trump’s admiration for Vladamir Putin. Trump’s decision to pardon 1500 insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 is also disturbing, not only because it adds insult to injury for the police officers who were hurt, and the family members of those who lost their lives as a result of the trauma from that day, but also because it may provide a permission structure that emboldens future perpetrators of violence against political opponents. But as alarming as these new realities are, we still have it far easier than the apostles under Niro, who systematically burned Christians at the stake, or Herod, who had opponents crucified or beheaded. And yet Jesus, who witnessed, and ultimately experienced this brutality firsthand said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell” (Matthew 10:28). If you profess to be Christian, and you chose a career path that puts you in a position of influence such as a pastor, an attorney in the Department of Justice, a member of the majority party in Congress, or a judge on any court, or even if you are just an ordinary person whose conscience is disturbed by all that is going on, but have been avoiding obedience to this nudging by the Holy Spirit for fear of losing your socioeconomic status, earthly reputation, even your life, perhaps it’s time to start asking hard questions about the sincerity of your faith. “Blessed are you when men hate you, reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (Luke 6:22-24).
The watching secular world, some of whom are my friends and family, are tired of apologetics arguments, sermons, big-budget productions and Bible tracts. They want to see evidence of genuine faith in action, a faith that strives to live out the teachings of Christ, a faith that is courageous in the face of persecution and truly trusts in God’s promises. The murder of innocent Hebrew baby boys was still carried out by other people (Exodus 1:22). We may not be able to ultimately stop the course of evil in our day either. But we can draw inspiration from these midwives and show God, authoritarians who misuse God’s name, and the watching world whose side we are on.
That Reminds me of a Song: As I was writing this, I found myself humming a folk song I first heard from Pete Seeger. Can you guess what it is? Which Side are You On is about a historic event known as the Harlan County War, when for eight years (1931-1939), Kentucky coal miners fought with mine operators and their private sheriffs in a series of skirmishes, executions, bombings and strikes for better wages and safer working conditions. State and federal troops would end up occupying Harlan County more than half a dozen times to restore peace. The song doesn’t go into any detail about the violence—I read about it on Wikipedia—and I agree with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr that violence is never the answer to oppression. But I admire the courage it takes to peacefully strike, trusting that God, via a supportive community, will provide for the basic financial needs of the workers and their families. Of course it is not a religious song, but it is a perfect metaphor for what it means to be Christian. God’s kingdom, and a fight for better working conditions, both require deciding whether you will stand with the oppressors or the oppressed. “there are no neutrals there.” In this moment in history, I imagine God too is asking “which side are you on boys (and girls)? Will you be a lousy scab, or will you be a man?