The boogeyman of Christian nationalism

OPINION:

With the midterm elections just a couple of weeks away, the woke cries of Christian nationalism are again on the rise. We hear the portents from coast to coast. Everyone from California’s dear leader, Gavin Newsom, to George Soros’ sock puppet, President Biden, is warning that “Christian nationalists” are perhaps the greatest threat to our country.

“Beware of the heartland conservatives,” they shout! “These Bible-thumping rubes are dangerous. They’re destroying democracy and must be stopped, or the next shoe to fall will be forced conversions, inquisitions, public floggings and witch hunts.”

“Religion has no place in politics,” they scold. “Our Founding Fathers made it explicitly clear that America is not, and never was a ’Christian nation.’ The Constitution protects us from these monsters of the Church meddling in the glorious business of the state.” 

At the risk of appearing a tad pedantic, I’d like to suggest that all those parroting this nonsense would do well to read a bit.

I’d recommend they start with this:

It is “self-evident that all men are created equal and are endowed by their CREATOR (emphasis mine) with certain unalienable rights.” — Thomas Jefferson 

“May the same wonder-working Deity, who long since delivered the Hebrews from their Egyptian Oppressors and planted them in the promised land — whose Providential Agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent Nation — still continue to water them with the dews of Heaven and to make the inhabitants of every denomination participate in the temporal and spiritual blessings of that people whose God is Jehovah.” — George Washington

“The Bible is best of all books, for it is the Word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and the next.” — John Jay, president of the Continental Congress. 

“The Holy Scriptures … can alone secure to society order and peace, and to our courts of justice and our constitutions of government purity [and] stability.” — James McHenry, signer of the Constitution

“The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally impossible for us to figure to ourselves what life would be if these teachings were removed. We should lose almost all the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals. Almost every man who has added to the sum of human achievement of which the [human] race is proud has based his life-work largely upon the teachings of the Bible.” — Teddy Roosevelt

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” — John Adams

“I have so much faith in the general government of the world by Providence that I can hardly conceive a transaction of such momentous importance to the welfare of millions now existing, and to exist in the posterity of a great nation, should be suffered to pass without being in some degree influenced, guided, and governed by that omnipotent, omnipresent, and beneficent Ruler.” — Benjamin Franklin

“I am perfectly satisfied that the union of the states, in its form and adoption, is as much the work of divine providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament were the effects of a divine power. ’Tis done! We have become a nation!” — Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence

“America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.” — Woodrow Wilson

Or, if those aren’t good enough for you, let’s go back to our third president and principal author of the Declaration of Independence:

“No nation has ever yet existed or been governed without religion — nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man, and I, as Chief Magistrate of this nation, am bound to give it sanction.”

“I shall need… the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessities and comforts of life: Who has covered our infancy with His providence and our riper years with His wisdom… and to whose goodness I ask you to join in supplications… that He will enlighten [our] minds [and] guide [our] councils.”

“Acknowledging and adoring an overruling Providence, which by all its dispensations proves that it delights in the happiness of man here … with all these blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people?” — Thomas Jefferson

Religion has no place in politics? We are not a Christian nation? Our founding fathers made it clear that those arguing for Christian morality in the public square are dangerous Christian nationalists?

Hmm.

• Everett Piper (dreverettpiper.com, @dreverettpiper), a columnist for The Washington Times, is a former university president and radio host.