[Book Excerpt] "Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism"

I think your boss' fears are completely unfounded. Neither the Religious Right nor "Christian Nationalists" will ever control the political agenda of this country. On a few issues they will wield heavy influence but the idea of them turning America into a "Christian Fascist state" is ridiculous. If this was 1980, I could understand the concern but the last 20 years have proven there is a limit on the amount of influence they can wield. On top of that, George W Bush's failed presidency has been their worst nightmare (IMO) because after he is out of office their influence will plummet like a stone. They can go nowhere but down from here. Whoever is elected in 2008 will be much less beholden to them than W. I promise you that if McCain is elected in 2008 with their help he will disappoint them much more than W is now. If a democrat is elected in 2008 it will be even worse for them. For better or worse (and I think worse), American as a whole is becoming more secular with each passing year.

These folks will never push their agenda on all of America via the ballot box. Forget it. If there is anything to fear, it's that a few more of these people will resort to violent methods when they realize the majority will not cooperate with them.

For the record: I am a Christian who is an anti-Democrat, anti-Republican and anti-Religious Right (though I agree with them on a couple of issues). IMO, the Religious/Political zealots pervert the Gospel's message to unbelievers by soiling it with the GOP.

 

Christians aren't persecuted in America!

Christian persecution historically comes as a result of evangelism.
That is documented in the book of Acts in the Bible, it is referenced in the Apostle Paul's epistles and it is historically accurate in missions work and in countries today such as Saudi Arabia, North Korea, China, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Iran, etc. where Christian evangelism is illegal.

There are persecutions in some nations do to religious reasons, this is proactive/reactive type persecution where one religion feels threatened by the other.

But for the most part persecution is a result of Christian evangelism.

And I have read that less than 10% of American Christians regularly evangelize others so I don't think persecution is the right word.

Displaced - would be a better description.

Where Christianity in America was generally held to be relevant to American culture for the first 175 yrs of our nation's history- much of American life was sharply intertwined with Christianity. God ended up on all kind of places in public view- coins, buildings, courthouses, public schools, holidays for example. Christian's influenced public standards for TV, movies, criminal justice, business law, sports... The Congress opened each session with a Christian Chaplain saying a Christian prayer and Christian military chaplains were deemed essential- Christian prison chaplains were expected and many public schools had a Christmas play depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Often public school was opened with the Lord's prayer. Christian prayer was the norm for graduations, sporting events and public ceremonies.

Over the last 50 yrs. there has been a change to this. Without judging the right or wrong of this there has been a secularization effort. (secular being without God and with direct respect to the affor mentioned Christian culture in America).

Whatever the strength of conviction that incorporated prayer in schools, God on money, scriptures on buildings and holidays for Christian traditions, those influences have changed.

Without making any judgment as to this being a good thing or not, it is the facts.

I think some Christians see this displacement as persecution. It is not persecution. It is simply a loss of influence in the life and culture in America.

That is not to say that America has always been a Christian nation, whether you could say 60, 70 or 80% Christian. America was never 100% Christian population, but it is to say that the vast majority of Americans historically identified culturally with Christianity. So much so that other nations recognized Amercia as a Christian nation. So much so that most of the original states had state constitutions that made Christianity the official state religion. (back when states were not federalized)

Today there has been displacement of Christianity. That may be for the good.
When China suffered its harshest persecution the number of Christians began growing. Estimates are that there are 25,000 Chinese becoming Christians daily. (in the persecuted underground church) The home church movement in China (illegal church) has grown to over 80 million Christians. The government controlled church has about 15 million members and is declining.

Persecution was the common denominator when the early Christian faith grew across the mideast and asia in the Bible accounts. It is not always bad for the Christian faith.

 

The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity. -- Tertullian

in many places in the world, a profession of faith is a death sentence.

 

I cannot even fathom the thought of McCain in office. I don't even want to think about the stranglehold McCain and the Defense Dept. would wield over the general American psyche.

 

i think he'd be far more careful...judicious...cautious...than our current president in using force.