[Title: The Threat Posed by White Christian Nationalism
The photo of a White man praying with his head against a wooden cross, facing the US Capitol Building, taken during the Jan. 6 insurrection, is a poignant reminder of the threat posed by the White Christian nationalist movement. This movement has been emboldened by President Donald Trump’s victory and now has unprecedented access to power, with many followers holding positions in government.
Historian and Christian nationalism expert, Kristin Kobes Du Mez, warns that this movement will transform the US government and society, with its goal of establishing a “Christian America.” White Christian nationalists have a long history of opposition to the Department of Education, seeking to eliminate the department and transform the public school system to teach a curriculum aligned with their Christian nationalist ideology.
Du Mez also notes that there is no remote chance that White Christian nationalists would support a candidate like Kamala Harris, given her gender, race, and political beliefs. The movement’s us-versus-them mentality requires an enemy, and within Christian nationalism today, the enemy is often an internal one – secular humanists, feminists, and Democrats.
Trump’s promise to give Christians power has excused his Christian nationalist base of any shame for supporting him. This has transformed the movement and emboldened its followers to speak out with militant rhetoric. Du Mez argues that Trump has been transformational for White evangelicals, particularly in his rhetoric and actions related to race.
If the movement achieves its goals, the US will become a country with no meaningful religious liberty, a two-tier society, and rewritten laws and rights. Individuals who do not subscribe to this ideology will be marginalized, with limited access to education, employment, and basic rights.
Source link
