Author: Pat Liberty

How to Talk About Political Differences

Pat Liberty

Hello Faithful Readers, it’s nice to be back.

After a few weeks’ hiatus, it is nice to be back in your inbox, and as always, I thank you for reading. My absence was due to a construction issue that ended up flooding a good part of our house and destroying my professional library. Mopping up and digging out has been a herculean task. Now that we are seeing some progress, I can focus my energy back to this forum.

The topic for today is how to deal with people who are politically different from you and maintain a relationship. Admittedly it is a difficult thing to do. If, however, we desire to stay in relationship with people who are politically different from us, we need to learn some skills. Here is a list of best practices as set forth by the Center for Media Engagement. I am indebted to them for their work.  https://mediaengagement.org/research/divided-communities/

Our findings revealed five main strategies for talking across political differences:

  1. Focus on the people, not the politics
    1. Build a relationship before talking politics. Don’t take comments personally. Share your own relevant experiences
    1. Give a relatable hypothetical situation
  2. Find common ground
    1. Bond over less polarized issues. Be open to listening and understanding. Ask questions to understand a different viewpoint
    1. Focus on shared beliefs
  3. Stick to the facts and avoid confrontation
    1. Stick to information that can be verified. Back up your opinions with evidence. Limit emotion in discussion
    1. Avoid confrontational language
  4. Be an advocate rather than an opponent
    1. Adapt conversational style to audience
    1. Avoid words that might upset people
  5. Pick your battles
    1. Talk about local politics instead of national politics. Focus on policy instead of party
    1. Avoid hot-button issues

For more information visit the above website for illustrations and strategies.

One More Circle ‘Round the Sun

Pat Liberty

Today is my sixty-eighth birthday. Most days I live as though I had all the time in the world, but the truth of the matter is, I have lived far more days than I have left to live. I don’t think about it a lot, but when I do it is rather humbling.

There are days I spend enormous amounts of time doing nothing, bingeing on Netflix, thinking something to death and thinking about it some more. I used to say I was wasting time, but in truth there is always something that is working on me unconsciously. There is value to this time, although from an observational standpoint it seems pointless. I have learned not to apologize.

I am a journal keeper and I spend hours journaling my innermost thoughts. I work out a lot of my own stuff on the pages of my journal. Most early morning hours will find me hunched over my journal writing madly away about whatever is uppermost in my mind that day. It is often a stream of consciousness writing that finds me in a place I never imagined I would go. I fill at least one journal a month, and after fifty years of the practice I have boxes and boxes and boxes of notebooks. They tell the story of my life in all its beauty and brokenness.

Spending time with family is a priority. I take care of my ninety-one-year-old dad a couple days a week. In the past eighteen months I have spent more time with him than I have in my entire life. He was a trucker and spent a lot of time away from home. He was always there for the important stuff, to be sure, but day to day found him miles away. I treasure this time with him in his fading years, there is nowhere else I would rather be. I also have a sister, and we squeeze in what time we can. We are on opposite schedules in taking care of dad.

I treasure the time I spend with my wife. I spent years waiting for this wonderful woman to come into my life. Now that she is here, I will not waste a single minute. I savor our time together whether we are doing something special or just hanging out at home. Even cleaning house together is cause for celebration.

Time with friends is also a priority, though at times it gets squished in by the demands of full-time ministry and tasks of keeping home and hearth together. Still, even when we can’t be together as often as we like, the love we have for one another reaches across the void and keeps us connected.

I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I get to put my life together pretty much as I want and I know a great level of contentment in how my days unfold. Sometimes it’s just good to sit back and consider this amazing gift called life.

Sure, the world is a mess, our country teeters on the brink of too many disasters to name, and our planet is crying for help and deliverance from our selfishness and exploitation. That just serves to make me committed to living each day with purpose. Remembering that I can’t fix it keeps me from despair. Yet, I also know doing nothing is not an option. So, I decrease the amount of household plastics we use, buy earth friendly products, recycle and eat lower on the food chain. As the old Native American proverb goes, “If everyone swept in front of their own teepee, the world would be a cleaner place.”

I also use my voice and my platform to speak truth to power and try desperately to wake people up to what is happening. I have the privilege of preaching the gospel each Sunday and pray for the wisdom and humility to feed the flock entrusted to me for this moment in time with faithfulness and integrity.

I learned a while ago that tomorrow is promised to no one. Years of working for hospice and seeing that death is no respecter of persons or of age drove that lesson home loud and clear. Time is not something to take for granted. So even though I may not use every minute in the most productive way, I am not bound by our culture’s definition of productivity. I cherish the rhythm of my days and as I close my eyes to sleep each night I remember to count my blessings, acknowledge my failures and celebrate the gift of making one more circle ‘round the sun.

Check out Peter Mayer’s song on my music page.  

Ageism, Statesmanship and the Common Good

Pat Liberty

The first thing to be said about President Biden’s decision to not seek a second term is that ageism is alive and well in the Democratic party. At eighty-one President Biden is still a vital, viable elder statesman who has more on the ball than half the people half his age. At eighty-one he is only three years older than the former Occupant. The media joined the trope of the former Occupant’s rhetoric that Biden is a doddering old fool. The media is as much to blame as is the former Occupant.

Let’s not forget that.

His poor performance at the debate does not minimize a lifetime of accomplishments as a public servant. Biden is an elder statesman who has devoted his life to public service. In his brief three and a half years as President, he and Vice President Harris have:

  • Passed a 1.2 trillion dollar bi-partisan infrastructure package.
  • Provided cogent leadership to address the disaster the former Occupant made of the pandemic.
  • Created enhanced background checks for gun purchases and provided funds for youth mental health.
  • Made a $369 billion dollar investment in climate change.
  • Pulled troops out of Afghanistan, ending the longest war in American history.
  • Gave $10,000 to $20,000 in college debt relief to Americans with loans who make less than $125,000 a year.
  • Capped prescriptions costs at $2000.00 per year.
  • Achieved historically low unemployment rates.
  • Imposed a 15% minimum corporate tax on America’s largest corporations.
  • Rejoined the Paris Agreement.
  • Strengthened the NATO alliance in support of Ukraine.
  • Gave Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices.
  • Imposed economic sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
  • Increased the budget of the Internal Revenue Service to reduce tax evasion and increase revenue.
  • Created 6.6 million jobs, more than any other president in history.
  • Decreased healthcare premiums by $800.00.
  • Signed the PACT Act to address service members’ exposure to burn pits and other toxins.
  • Signed the CHIPS act to strengthen American manufacturing.
  • Reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act
  • Reinstated the ban on the death penalty.

The media should spend as much time talking about his accomplishments as they do about his stutter and poor debate performance. It is a flaming example of ageism.

There is far more to the story than what the lopsided media reports. It is interesting to note, as an aside, that every major news outlet including national networks is owned by supporters of the former Occupant. There is a stench in the air of neutrality. The media doesn’t report the news, it makes the news. And the one who pays the piper calls the tunes. But I digress.

What Biden knows in his bones is that government is meant to serve the greatest number of people in the best possible way. This requires a wide-angle lens on the big picture and a crystal-clear sense of how the parts move together and influence each other. While this can be described as political savvy, it is also deeply theological. As a man of faith, Biden has a foundation in understanding the public good.

There are instances a-plenty in scripture that illustrate the preferential option for the poor. In the first testament Israel is constantly measured against the plumbline of God’s justice and righteousness.  The witness of the prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah and Amos is that God’s desire for humanity is to treat one another with compassion and equality and be good stewards of the resource of creation. These premises saturate scripture on just about every page.

The purpose of government is to serve the needs of people. The mark of any civilized society is how well it treats its most vulnerable members–the poor, the ill and the disenfranchised. These are complex social problems that defy simple solutions. The concrete actions of administrations that alleviate suffering, create jobs, sustain social safety net programs and look at the long term well being of creation are in line with biblical values.

The old saying that we don’t mix religion with politics is nonsense. We need the witness of scripture to inform our political opinions. We are called to look beyond individual self interest to the needs of those most in need of protection. We would do well to immerse ourselves in scripture as we approach this election season. If we are to claim our identity as people of faith we need to be grounded in biblical values and let those values inform our actions when we speak with others, cast our vote and assess the options before us in this political season.

Totalitarianism, Authoritarianism, Fascism and Faith

Pat Liberty

The words totalitarian, authoritarian and fascist are used interchangeably, but each of them is a political system in its own right. While there are similarities and overlap, there are important differences that can help us critique the direction in which American politics is heading.

Donald Trump has said that if (or in his mind when) he is elected, he will be a dictator from day one. What the three political systems have in common is that each requires a singular political leader who demands ultimate allegiance. The difference is in the system that surrounds them to carry out their “vision.” A dictator is one who exercises complete authority and has absolute power. They are subject to no checks or balances to prevent the abuse of power.

Twentieth century dictators included Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Communist part of the Soviet Union; Adolph Hitler, Fuhrer of Germany; Augusto Pinochet, President of Chile; Mao Zedone, Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party; Benito Mussolini of Italy; and Kim Jong-un of North Korea.

“Totalitarianism, fascism and authoritarianism are all forms of government characterized by a strong central rule that attempts to control and direct all aspects of individual life through coercion and repression.” 

In totalitarianism, there is unlimited power in the state. It controls virtually all aspects of public and private life, morals and beliefs of the people and political and financial matters. “One distinct feature of a totalitarian government is the existence of an explicit or implied national ideology–a set of beliefs intended to give meaning and direction to the entire society. Totalitarianism is typically distinguished from dictatorship…by its goals of replacing all existing political institutions with new ones and elimination of all legal, social and political traditions.”

An authoritarian state has a strong central government and allows people a limited degree of political freedom. However, it is all controlled by the government without any constitutional accountability. Its leaders cannot be replaced through freely conducted elections. The ability to form opposing political parties is limited or prohibited entirely.

Fascism is the most extreme expression of totalitarianism and authoritarianism. It is characterized by the “…imposition of dictatorial power, government control of industry and commerce, and the forcible suppression of opposition. Historically, fascism has kept nations in a constant state of preparedness for war. There is also a quest for ‘racial purity’ that defines anyone other than white Europeans as inferior.” Fascists see democracy and free/fair elections as obsolete. They also emphasize one party rule to accomplish their perpetual readiness for war.

What these repressive forms of government have in common is that concern for the common good is eliminated. To accomplish their goals, these regimes will divert resources from social safety net programs like Women Infants and Children (WIC), Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), early childhood intervention programs and more. All resources are directed toward whatever goals the regime has stated as primary. It creates widespread suffering among the poorest of the poor. Further, it makes those on the bottom of the middle class downwardly mobile into the working poor.

These governmental regimes also tend to create wealthy oligarchs who control the nature and the means of production. Unions are dismantled and worker protections are eliminated in the name of increased productivity for the regime’s stated goals. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few at the expense of the many.

Further, such regimes often adopt a singular “religious” emphasis that corresponds to their goals and suppresses all other forms of religious expression as dangerous. There can also be propaganda that lulls religious institutions into a state of complacency. This was clearly on display in Nazi Germany when the German church was hypnotized into a coma that was blind to the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

What this means to us as people of faith is that we must remain alert to the implications of proposed and hinted at changes to our democracy. Government is intended to be “of the people, by the people and for the people.” This means that governmental system, structure and process should benefit the greatest number of people, beginning with the poorest of the poor. Jesus’ primary concern was for the poor, the outcast and the needy. He regularly criticized the powers for treading on that vulnerable population. He advocated for a radical redistribution of goods and services to benefit the neediest among them.

We are tempted to check our faith at the door in favor of some distorted view of the separation of church and state.  In fact, the establishment clause of the Bill of Rights was intended to assure that there would not be a state sponsored church (as there was in England). Further, the first amendment guarantees the right of free exercise of religion. We cannot allow the demands of our faith to be eclipsed by our sense of hopelessness, powerlessness and despair. We must listen carefully to the hyperbole and doublespeak that seeks to lull us into either a false sense of security or an utter mental check out of the process because we are so disillusioned. This is the goal of disinformation and gaslighting political rhetoric.

In this time, we must be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

Resources

Longley, Robert. “Totalitarianism, Authoritarianism, and Fascism.” ThoughtCo. December 5, 2022.

Political But Not Partisan

Pat Liberty

In the ever-thinning line that separates church and state, there is a lot of confusion and misinformation that clouds an already murky situation. It helps to understand the Constitution, even though it is becoming a less authoritative document for conducting our nation’s business (thank you Supreme Court).

The First Amendment makes two claims concerning religion: the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. According to www.uscourts.gov

“The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from ‘establishing a religion.’ The exact meaning of ‘establishing’ is unclear. Historically, it meant prohibiting state sponsored churches, such as the Church of England.

Today, what constitutes an ‘establishment of religion’ is often governed under the three-part test set forth by the Supreme Court in Lemon v. Kutzman (1971). Under the ‘Lemon’ test, the government can assist religion only if (1) the primary purpose of the assistance is secular, (2) the assistance must neither promote nor inhibit religion, and (3) there is no excessive entanglement between church and state.

The Free Exercise Clause protects citizens right to practice their religion as they please, so long as the practice does not run afoul of ‘public morals’ or a ‘compelling’ governmental interest.

Sometimes the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause come into conflict. The federal courts help to resolve such conflicts, with the Supreme Court being the ultimate arbiter.” (Somehow this does not inspire confidence given our current Supremely partisan Court).

Historically, these Clauses have been understood to mean that the church does not play partisan politics and government does not manipulate religion. The rise of Christian Nationalism is significantly impacting this practice as right-wing religious views are melded into political positions and political views are melded into religious teaching. Churches are promoting candidates and questioning people’s faithfulness if they vary from the “party line.” The flow of dark money (which I prefer to call anonymous money) into the church to support a political agenda that is anti-just-about-everything is staggering. In addition, anonymous money is pouring millions of dollars into specific congressional races to help assure wins. Rallying the conservative Christian vote is crucial to making their plan work.

This is wrong.

People of faith are, however, confused as to what an appropriate political expression is during these fractious times. The answer is to be political and not partisan.

Scripture has more than enough examples of political integrity and faithful action. First, this includes the preferential option for the poor. Jesus spoke more about economic inequity than anything else. He routinely lambasted both religious and political officials for their collusion to make the lives of the poor untenable. The realm that Jesus ushers in is one of radical inclusion for all people, a redistribution of goods and services to benefit the poor and a perspective on justice for all people, not just the wealthy elite.

Second, there are examples of righteous leadership throughout scripture. David, for all his broken humanness was an instrument of God in the rule of Israel. Throughout the history of Israel, whoever was in power, whether the judges in the early days of national identity or the kings that began with David, one thing that remained the same was the demand of God for righteousness, justice and fairness. This is the standard against which all political actions, past and present, are measured.

The church has a prophetic mandate in this time to put forth the values of God’s realm and preach the gospel as it is revealed in the total message of Scripture. This is not a time for proof-texting and trotting out favorite verses to support a narrow political or religious perspective.

Third, the bible is a political book. There is no escaping this truth. Jesus was political. It’s what got him killed. He was executed as an enemy of the state for preaching about the last being first and the first being last. Our task in this time is to be political but not partisan. The Christian Nationalists are trotting out their favorite scripture verses and twisted biblical perspectives to support a dangerous political agenda (think Project 2025). Most of us don’t know our own bible well enough to counter with a different perspective. It is a sad state of affairs for the church as most of us know it.

There isn’t a lot of time to get educated about the overarching message of scripture. That ship sailed a while ago. This is the time, however, to read! Books like the “False White Gospel” by Jim Wallis is a good place to start. It may be the most important book you read this election season.

Preachers, ours is prophetic duty to walk the fine line between being faithfully political while not being politically partisan. A candidate’s name should never be mentioned in public worship. A political party should never be mentioned in public worship. I believe it violates the separation of church and state.  That said, there are political messages throughout scripture that speak to God’s realm and the demands of righteousness. We need courageous and faithful preachers who aren’t afraid to walk the razor’s edge.

What is at stake is the heart of our democracy. If religious nationalism and radical political conservatism win, fascism is our future.

It’s not too late to change that. Everything is on the line.

On The Right Side of History

Pat Liberty

Christian traditions in the United States stand at a crossroad. This is the moment when we need to choose if we are going to be agents of empire or keepers of the Word. This may sound melodramatic, but I am trying desperately to get your attention.

A lesson in history is instructive. According to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum website:

” The population of Germany in 1933 was around 60 million. Almost all Germans were Christian, belonging to either the Roman Catholic (20 million) or the Protestant (40 million) churches. The Jewish community in Germany was less than 1% of the total population of the country.

The rise of Anti-Semitism in Germany was reflective of the dominant culture in most of Europe and had deep roots in Christian history. Misinterpretation of key scriptures seemed to support their prejudices.

After Germany’s defeat in World War I, the rise of Nazism seemed a welcome relief from the Weimar republic. For the most part, the German Evangelical church saw itself as a pillar of German culture and society with a theologically grounded loyalty to the state. During the 1920’s, a movement emerged within the German Evangelical Church that embraced many of the nationalistic and racial aspects of Nazi ideology. Once the Nazis came to power, this group sought the creation of a national “Reich Church” and supported a “nazified” version of Christianity.

The “Confessing Church” emerged in opposition to the nationalist “Reich Church.” Its most noteworthy leaders were Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemoller. These two movements created an ongoing struggle for control of the German Protestant church.  

The Roman Catholic church was not as divided largely because nationalism was not as deeply rooted in Roman Catholic culture.” (Edited for length and clarity)

For the most part the dominant Christian church of the 1930’s made an uneasy peace with the rise of Nazism. Concerned about schism, state interference in church affairs and the rise of “Aryanism,” the church kept its head down and avoided confrontation.

In other words, with very few exceptions, it sold out.

In our time, as we face the rise of religious nationalism and an increasingly fascist political system, churches stand at a crossroad. Will our concern for not pissing people off quell our faithful sensibilities about the demands of the Gospel? Will our unwillingness to speak truth to power eclipse our prophetic responsibilities as people of God? Will our stupid and arrogant notion that “it can’t happen here” blind us to the fact that it is happening here?

The jury is out.

We need to speak out against the Supreme Court’s decision to grant widespread immunity to a president. This, in effect, makes the President above the law. This paves the way for policies that stand in opposition to the Constitution without consequence.

We need to educate ourselves about the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 and other behind the scenes decisions that are unraveling the heart of our democracy.

Mostly, we need the courage to speak truth to power. To stand firm as followers of Jesus and say no to the agenda of a political machine that seeks to undo decades of progress in caring for our environment, caring for our most vulnerable members of society, and reaching for equality for populations that are “othered.” 

The bizarre notion that America is meant to be a nation for white European descendants, to the exclusion and subordination of all others, dovetails with the rise of religious nationalism. (I can’t bring myself to call it Christian.) A very narrow definition of “Christian” is at the heart of this religious nationalism. It is homophobic, fundamentalist, anti-just about everything and firmly nestled within the political machine. They feed off each other and enable each other’s goals.

Oklahoma now requires the bible to be taught in public schools. You can bet it will be a “bible” that leaves out the verses about justice and righteousness and caring for the alien, widow and orphan. You can be sure that proof texting to condemn homosexuality will roll off the tongues of those who teach the lessons. It is a sure bet that there will be one Christology, one definition of salvation and one understanding of church. Other Christian traditions will be demonized, minimized and ultimately silenced by the onslaught of the joining of (some version) of church and state.

In short, if you aren’t outraged, scared and deeply troubled by what is going on, you aren’t paying attention. By the time the German churches realized where their uneasy peace with Nazism landed them, it was too late. Let’s be on the right side of history this time.  

The views in this blog belong solely to the author and do not reflect the position of any religious institution or church.  

And What of These Years?

Pat Liberty

It seems like yesterday I was sweating bullets on a hot June day, wearing a robe that was ten sizes too big which made me feel even more like the little girl imposter. I was certain the role was right for me, but was unsure of how I would grow into it, because it surely felt far too big for me in those moments, just like the robe I borrowed from the pastor across the street.

I stood knees knocking together as my childhood pastor read my vows and I responded, “I will, with the help of God.” I was pretty sure it was only with the help of God that I had any hope of pulling this ministry thing off in any believable kind of way.

It was forty-two years ago today, the day of my ordination to ministry, the office of word and sacrament.

I knelt in the chancel and felt the hands of all the clergy resting on my head and shoulders as my mentor prayed the ordination prayer. I don’t remember a word of it, but what has stayed with me all these years is the feeling of their hands on my body. It felt like all the history of the church before June 20, 1982 was being infused into my being. I was taking my place with Martin Luther, Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King, Jr., my childhood pastor, my mentor and the millions who had taken vows before me, whose names I will never know. It was the most humbling moment of my life. I was being entrusted with this sacred office, and with God’s help I would find my way through the myriad of paths, as yet unseen, that would become my ministry.

So, what of these forty-two years? I have been a settled and interim pastor, hospital and hospice chaplain, Executive Director of a non-profit, consultant, seminary lecturer, domestic violence counsellor, advocate for survivors of clergy sexual abuse and a few more things I can’t think of at the moment. At times I have felt like I have professional ADD.

What stays with me, however, is not the jobs or roles I have had, but moments that unfolded in the midst of all of them.

I have raged and cried over the church’s abject failure to be the life-giving radical community Jesus envisioned. I have been rendered silent by moments in and outside of worship that were so holy, so powerful that the only response was wide-eyed awe. I have sat with people as they breathed their last breath and felt the holy silence that comes when breath is no more. I have joined people in their most joyous and meaningful celebrations of life. I have sat with people in their deepest sorrow and faith crises, when all I could do was be with them in the land of no answers. I have railed against the minutiae and bullshit of the church and thought it sometimes survives in spite of itself. It has been a wild and wonderful ride, and it isn’t over yet. For that I am so very grateful.

Every day occasions new experiences of the Holy, whether in joy or sorrow. Life continues to unfold in miraculous, marvelous, mysterious and sometimes very strange ways. This life in ministry is pure privilege. To be invited into someone’s life in their most profound moments is a grace like no other. To stand before a congregation, with the prayer that “the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts (as the old prayer goes) will be acceptable in God’s sight and meaningful to those who people the pews. I get to remind people that cubes of bread and thimbles of grape juice are symbols of the life of discipleship to which we are called. I get to say words of blessing and benediction to the flock that is entrusted to my care for this moment in time. I have the privilege of being called pastor, and every time that word rings in my heart, I am on my knees in the chancel with the hands of those who have gone before me resting on my head and shoulders, blessing me into this life which is the greatest gift I could ever imagine.

Whoever You Are…

Pat Liberty

Each Sunday I open worship at the church where I serve as Interim Pastor with these words: “Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey you are welcome here.” I never get tired of saying it. Church is (or should be) a place where everyone is welcome. No exceptions.

It never ceases to break my heart when “religious” institutions play judge and jury for populations they deem “sinful.” They proclaim without humility that entire groups of people are going to hell because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning, intersex or asexual/agender. One sweep of their judgmental broom and millions of people are swept into the dustbin of eternal damnation.

This is the antithesis of what Jesus was all about. And, as the most perfect incarnation of God, this hatred is the antithesis of who God is. Jesus hung out with bums and whores, extorting tax collectors, the poorest of the poor, lepers and adulterers. He loved them, healed them and sent them on their way into a new renewed life based on grace instead of fear.

Jesus turned the world upside down by loving those deemed unlovable by the powers that were. His harshest words were reserved for corrupt political leaders and religious poohbahs who colluded with the politicians to make the already difficult life of the poor even more untenable. Jesus never feared speaking truth to power.

Jesus wasn’t afraid of the power of love to change the world. He died trying to show the world what love could do. He was put to death as an enemy of the state, a criminal, whose only fault was sharing the life-giving love of God with those the world called nobodies.

The church today needs a bunch of leaders who love those whom others are so willing to damn to hell. The church needs a bunch of Jesus-like leaders who aren’t afraid to speak truth to power. In short, the church needs to be the radical, life-giving community Jesus intended his followers to be. As the Rev. Dr. William Barber wrote, “We are either chaplains of empire or prophets of God.”

The church needs a few good prophets who are willing to risk seeing what love can do. Prophets are those who see the way of God with such clarity they cannot keep quiet. Prophets are not clergy, though they can be. Prophets are ordinary people called to extraordinary work because of their faith, wisdom, tenacity and courage. It begins and ends with love. If we can manage that, God will lay out the path. Who’s in?

White Christian Nationalism and Current Politics

Pat Liberty

As I write this, we are on the verge of hearing a verdict in the current trial against former President Trump. He is still facing multiple felonies in other states. I am mindful of the words of Maya Angelou, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”  Anything less than a not guilty verdict will unleash hateful rhetoric and cries of foul play, which will incite his base of supporters. The potential for violence cannot be overstated.

Riling up Trump’s base will lead to a surge in the entrenched position of white Christian nationalism, and this is dangerous. Working with an accurate definition of white Christian nationalism is important. Often, when people hear the phrase, they think of patriotic Christians. Surely there is nothing wrong with being patriotic and being a Christian. That’s not what we are talking about.  According to Philip Gorski, chair of the Department of Sociology at Yale, “Patriotism is an adherence to the ideals of the United States, and nationalism is loyalty to your tribe and not the country.” The Republican Party has ceased to be a political party. It is a cult of Donald Trump.

Our nation was built on a two-party system that provides checks and balances to one another. Republicans, at their best, check the tendency of Democrats to spend more than is wise. Democrats, at their best, check the tendency to favor big business at the expense of the working middle and lower classes. Of course, it is much more complex than that. This is just an example of how a healthy two-party political system can function. We need a functioning Republican party for balance. What we have is a cult of personality and raging nationalism. It is complicated by the fact that this particular nationalism calls itself “Christian,” when there is nothing Christian about it. 

Christian nationalism plays on people’s fears. They argue that everything that is wrong with this country can be blamed on non-Christians. And since their definition of Christianity is very narrow, it excludes the LGBTQI community, women, people of color, and those with physical and mental challenges. By the time all the exclusions are made, the only ones left are healthy, white males. They believe the United States was founded as a Christian nation and that laws and policies must protect whites. They deny the separation of church and state which is enshrined in our constitution. It is their belief that the re-entrenchment of patriarchy as the interpreter of all things political and Christian, is the only hope for the future of the country.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Christian nationalism is anti-democratic and threatens to unravel more than the edges of our democracy. In fact, it has the potential to shred the whole fabric of our democracy.  The rise of authoritarianism in the political rhetoric of our current situation is more than troubling. The appeal is to groups who feel they have been anointed by God to take political power. All this is toward the end of protecting white privilege. Make no mistake.

Bart Bonikowski, associate professor of sociology and politics at New York University says, “Christian nationalism in the United States is exclusionary and nostalgic, seeing the nation as going downhill and needing to be recaptured by people who seem themselves as its rightful owners—possibly through authoritarian means.”

According to a recent survey from the Public Religion Research institute (PRRI), nearly one third of Americans now hold Christian Nationalist attitudes. And at the center of it all are fundamentalist churches who have been sucked into right-wing disinformation, conspiracy theories and fears promulgated by nationalists. These fundamentalists are told they need to “take their country back.” And indeed, they will–to about 1700.

There is nothing Christian about White Christian Nationalism. It slaps a little Jesus language on a philosophy that is filled with hatred, misinformation, outright lies and a theology that is twisted almost beyond recognition.

What is needed are moderate Christian voices that speak out against Christian nationalism. It takes courage. It requires being informed. It demands a capacity to articulate Christian faith in different terms than Christian nationalists. If we don’t find our voice and use it, we will surely lose it in the cacophony of political agenda baptized with Jesus language. At its heart it harbors a deep desire for political control, exclusive rights on interpreting Christianity and a systematic dismantling of our democracy.   

History is repeating itself. Knowing that gives us the perspective we need to be a louder voice than that of the Christian nationalists. The future of our country depends on it.

The Most Important Book to Read Right Now

Pat Liberty

This may be the most important book you read this year. The False White Gospel, Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True faith and Refounding Democracy by Jim Wallis is a stunning analysis of the religious landscape in contemporary American Culture and its impact on politics. “Wallis is America’s prophet and moral philosopher,” says Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ. He is passionately Christian and deeply faithful to the best of what Christianity stands for.

“It is time, says Jim Wallis, to call out genuine faith—specifically the ‘Christian’ in white Christian nationalism—inviting all who can be persuaded to reject and help dismantle a false gospel that propagates white supremacy and autocracy. We need to raise up the faith of all of us, and help those who are oblivious, stuck, and captive to ideology and idolatry.

Wallis turns our attention to six iconic texts at the heart of what genuine biblical faith means and what Jesus, in the gospels, has called us to do. It is time to ask anew: Do we believe these teachings or not? When we see a civic promotion of fear, hate, and violence, we need a civic faith of love, healing and hope to defeat it. And that must involve all of us—religious or not. Learning to practice a politics of neighbor love will be central to the future of democracy in America.

More than ever, the words of Jesus ring, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” From the book jacket

If you read nothing else this year, please read this. New York Times best selling author of The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy (which I also highly recommend) writes, “Wallis sounds the alarm—arguing that the rise of white Christian nationalism is not just another symptom of partisan conflict but a false white gospel that threatens to destroy both democracy and the integrity of white churches.”

Wallis is not one for hyperbole. He writes with fervent passion for scripture, an ability to see beyond what is obvious and a deep concise analysis of the contemporary landscape of religion and politics. This is NOT a partisan book; it is a Christian book. If you care about faith and democracy, this book should rocket to the top of your “to be read” pile. It did mine.