Make no mistake about what MAGA wants to do with America. These anti-democracy advocates believe their dream of replacing the American democracy is within reach through Donald Trump. Too many Americans are of the belief that the American democratic system will hold against those wishing to destroy it. Do not become complacent. The system is only as good as the people in the positions of power.
Democracy was almost ripped out of our hands on January 6, 2021. One man, Mike Pence, is all that stood in the way of a president becoming a dictator. In the four years before that day, one man stopped the president’s impulses to tear down democracy. Sometimes the one man was John Kelly. Other times it was Jim Mattis. Bill Barr even stood up and stopped an effort to steal the election. We were fortunate that some folks in Trump’s administration held the country higher than they held Trump.
But Trump learned from his mistakes and is gathering a list of sycophants to be installed to support his undemocratic and cruel tendencies. Trump isn’t even the biggest concern in protecting our democracy. The much more urgent concern are the folks who compose the core of MAGA believers. These people have had their mind set on tearing down democracy for decades. These folks realize they cannot remain in power when people are free to vote so they have been working to take that freedom away from the masses.
Just this spring an Arizona republican introduced a bill that would let the state legislature decide presidential elections instead of the people making that decision. I hope this bill doesn’t pass but this is the mindset of the MAGA believers.
The core of this group is majority white, majority male and majority Protestant. They see themselves as Christian Nationalists who believe America is God’s chosen country for white people. Do not believe that they are what their name describes.
If the Christian Nationalist movement was a Christian movement, it would look something like Jesus in its lifestyle. If Christian Nationalists were Christian, the teachings of Jesus would be their guiding principle. If Christian Nationalists were Christian they would look like the Christians described by Aristides in 125 CE (Very close to Jesus time on earth.) when he wrote to Roman Emperor Hadrian, “They love one another. They never fail to help widows. They save orphans from those who would hurt them. If they have something, they give freely to the one who has nothing. If they see an immigrant, they take him into their homes and rejoice over him as a brother.”
Sadly, this is not the case. Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament focus on loving others, providing for the less fortunate, welcoming the foreigner and stranger, being humble, gracious, and forgiving, and avoiding the love of money and power. If Christian Nationalists were Christian, they would know Jesus, who didn’t speak English, never mentioned America, The United States or North America. The kingdom of Jesus was not of this earth let alone limited to one country.
No, Christian Nationalists have latched onto the Old Testament (The Jewish scriptures) and conflated talk of conquering nations, killing all the enemies, and enslaving other nations in the name of their god. Jesus moved past these human constructs and taught about one family created by a benevolent Creator, not separate tribes fighting each other.
What Christian Nationalists want to create is a country where they are free to reap the rewards of their status as white protestants while the rest of the country works in servitude to provide those rewards. Jesus never speaks of anyone collection of humans being better than any other. Jesus tells us to care for each other, lift each other up and not lord it over others.
What Christian Nationalists preach is a lie on all accounts. The name itself is the inverse of anything Christian. Christianity supersedes any nation because it is universal and eternal.
Do not be fooled by these people attempting to replace our freedoms with bondage. Remain vigilant and beat this movement back at the polls.
See you next time.
oheckman 
Thank you always, Allen, for you articulate missives (though read in the afternoon usually). I have an unusual gap in my schedule while the “elephant” is sleeping, Health Care devotions were this morning, and the garden will get its attention later to write letters to a bunch of folks. Oddly and interestingly enough I’d not gotten up to date on the Christian Nationalism movement if that what it is called and had pulled out a WSJ analysis copy along with a rabbi’s pontifications from The Israel Times. I’ve given a few out here and am including them in my usual letter to assorted friends of many years. I am eager to hear how this lines up with your assessment — I also find Marc Levin to be the most convincing and studied apologist for the “State of the Union” at present but am always will to change my mind. Thank for being a good reference person on what seems to be the other side of the fence for me. I tend to thrive on this sort of thing so since Truth – Ethics – Reason & Metaphyics are the legs upon which the love of Wisdom (with a capital W) reside. Many blessings! Wes for us both
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Thanks for following Wesley. Always, a pleasure to share philosophical thoughts with you.
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