On The Fence Voters

Our friend Jerry has another post out today. I’ve included a link at the end to continue reading over at his site, Grumpy’s Grumblings. Thanks Jerry!

I’m proud to have signed the statement produced by Christians Against Christian Nationalism (CACN). I’m ashamed that such a statement is needed. I’m also ashamed by the reaction of many, probably most, white evangelicals to the statement. Well, that is by the relative few who are aware of it. Here’s a key portion of the statement:

Christian nationalism seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy. Christian nationalism demands Christianity be privileged by the State and implies that to be a good American, one must be Christian. It often overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation. We reject this damaging political ideology and invite our Christian brothers and sisters to join us in opposing this threat to our faith and to our nation.

And while that above portion of the statement triggers most white evangelicals, this one drives them to red-eyed rage:

Whether we worship at a church, mosque, synagogue, or temple, America has no second-class faiths. All are equal under the U.S. Constitution. As Christians, we must speak in one voice condemning Christian nationalism as a distortion of the gospel of Jesus and a threat to American democracy.

Here’s how the evangelical publication Charisma news reacted to the statement:

Along with six George Soros-funded religious groups and a variety of other non-Christian organizations, the BJC is co-endorser of “An Interfaith Statement of Principles,” which stigmatizes candidates who appeal to voters based on faith as “inappropriate” and “divisive,” and calls for religious appeals to be removed from political campaigns entirely.

To all appearances, the message conveyed here implies that “We shouldn’t say that Jesus is the only way to heaven.”

A simple reading of the statement reveals Charisma’s assertion to be completely bogus.

I’d challenge anyone possessed of a reasonable level of honesty, integrity, and intelligence to read the entire statement and assess whether it implies that “We shouldn’t say that Jesus is the only way to heaven.” (If you think religion in general is nonsense, then ignore the religious aspects and simply examine the statement to assess whether Charisma’s claim has any basis in fact.)

Notice, first, that Charisma seeks to prejudice its readers by associating CACN and its statement with George Soros. I know well from my years in Focus on the Family’s Public Policy division that the fastest, easiest way to whip up conservatives—especially Christian conservatives—is to invoke the name George Soros. The man is almost universally vilified among evangelicals as Satan’s chief ambassador to the entire planet. Most evangelicals honestly know little to nothing about George Soros, other than that when his name is mentioned, it’s time to narrow one’s eyes and hiss out a curse against the planet’s primary personification and purveyor of evil.

Next, Charisma laments that “the BJC [Baptist Joint Committee] is co-endorser of “An Interfaith Statement of Principles,” which stigmatizes candidates who appeal to voters based on faith as ‘inappropriate’ and ‘divisive,’ and calls for religious appeals to be removed from political campaigns entirely.” Again, Charisma has taken statements so far out of context that their characterizations can be characterized as nothing short of outright lies.

To continue reading, please click here: Grumpy’s Grumblings