by John Bossange
Make no mistake about it. The Republican Party’s traditional beliefs of smaller government, less taxation, unregulated capitalism, less gun safety controls, free trade, no unions, and fiscal conservatism, are slowly being overshadowed by the Party’s belief that America should be an evangelical, Christian nation.
The Republican Party’s adoption of evangelical beliefs began in earnest once the Party realized the evangelical vote would help them win elections. President Reagan tapped into that base, and was successfully followed by Presidents Bush and Trump. But all along this 40 year journey, the voice and message from the evangelical community grew and was supported by many others in the political arena including Barry Goldwater, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, Pat Buchanan, and Mike Pence, all of whom found a way to carry the torch of their version of Christianity.
However, the strongest voices for a Christian America came from those whose job it was to preach, write, and convert the nation into believers. Notables like John Eldridge, Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed, Jim Bakker, Billy Graham, James Dobson, Mark Driscoll, Jerry Falwell, Phyllis Schalfly, and Robert Schuller used their skills to promote not just Christianity, but most importantly, what would happen to America if we did not convert to a nation of Christian believers. Little thought went into the historical fact that when a religion becomes that of a government, the drift from a religion of acceptance and compassion becomes one of narrow-mindedness, intolerance and bigotry. The world is filled with nations with one state endorsed religion where believers wreak havoc on those who believe differently.
The Republican Party’s understanding of the power of this movement has served them well. For sure, there are those in the party who believe in the messages from the Bible, but do not see the use of those messages to gain a political advantage or to convert our nation. However, since the campaign and election of Mr. Trump in 2016, the evangelical movement has become the most powerful voice in the Party. Using the “Orange Messiah” as their messenger has proven to be very successful in local, state, and national elections. The Party has evolved into a religious cult focused on a religious-based culture while the traditional Republican Party’s foundation of fiscal conservatism has all but disappeared from the election radar.
This march towards making the country the ”United Christian States of America” exposes the Party’s hypocritical position on the role of government. Now the Republicans want to use “big government” to their advantage. Federal and state laws codifying their belief systems are the new long arm and overreach of the government they once despised. Gone are local control and less regulation. In its place we have laws, policies and regulations created to control the Party’s religious and cultural agenda marching us toward Christian Nationalism.
Hypocrisy is nothing new to the Republican Party. Their cry for smaller government, freedom and smaller budgets stop when their call goes out for FEMA disaster relief, for federal dollars to fund roads and bridges, for laws to ban reproductive rights and censor book content, and for policies to subsidize the fossil fuel and agricultural industries. Of course, Social Security and Medicare continue to be acceptable big government overreach as well.
As the primary season gears up, this blatant hypocrisy has gone by the wayside because no candidate can defend it. Now it’s all about establishing an evangelical culture and creating a Christian nation, a much more unifying and easy to understand message for the Party to promote. What used to be the Republican foundation of fiscal conservatism is now Christian conservatism.
Will this sea change work? Listening to the Republican candidates who have announced their presidential aspirations so far, all of them yearn for the evangelical vote and none have renounced the goal of formalizing a Christian America. Further, we have yet to hear a candidate speak about the dangers of a religious state. Even more troubling are the orthodox religious beliefs (Opus Dei) of five Supreme Court Justices who have not been timid about their vision of America and big government overreach when it can be used to enforce their opinions and rulings. Given that legal cover, Republicans will be even bolder in their march towards Christian Nationalism.
Get ready. We’ll hear talk about the debt ceiling, bloated budgets, high taxes, deregulation reform, freedom, bureaucratic waste, and defunding federal and state agencies. But you will never hear a Republican now running for office remind us of George Washington’s statement: “The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.” Nor will you hear a Republican candidate quote the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an established religion.” Or Article VI, Section III which states: “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification for any office of public trust in the United States.”
Our Founding Fathers got it right. They never wanted America to become a Christian nation. They understood the dangers and the inevitable drift towards intolerance and persecution. So far, our Constitution has held up against those who wish to distort history and proclaim one faith as superior because it is more “American.”
Often we hear people talk about the ”Soul of America.” This is what all Americans should be concerned about this election season. Our national soul has always been defined by the words of wisdom given to us from our Founding Fathers and written into our Constitution, not by the words of narrow-minded preachers and self-serving politicians seeking to create a Christian nation.
The author is a retired middle school principal and resident of South Burlington.
Categories: Commentary
Well said, John! I’ll second that opinion.
I guess I don’t view it as trying to turn the US into a “Christian nation “ but more along the lines of trying to return to traditional Judeo/Christian values. The out of control “Pride” movement, trans people, generally males forcing themselves into females sports and locker rooms, the huge uptick in births to unwed mothers, drug addiction, large scale looting, abortion at any time and so much more are behaviors that are destructive of the individual, family and society. An embrace of basic religious values would perhaps help our country reject the harms these practices are causing.
Mr Bossange’s characterization of the stance of the Republicans comes across as oversimplified and as avoiding the true depths of corruption in the so-called leadership of our country by both parties. I think he is unaware of a deep yearning in the world for a return to human values regardless of religious affiliation, and he appears to be putting all the blame on Republican Christians. Both parties are nearly totally corrupt and both parties should disappear from the face of the earth. Neither party represents the will of the people. There is deep and ugly illness in our government as all the evidence coming to light of money laundering and human trafficking shows us.
The Orange Messiah as you called him did not come up with the quote IN GOD WE TRUST. That quote did not mean man, but God! You should do a little more background on the Bible before you condem it, maybe the ten commandments would be a good start. The corruption and evils in this world were not created by God it was created by man alone. God gave man the choice of following his teachings or not, the problem being there are too many who do not because of their own weaknesses. Do not blame Our Father for the mess we have created! And don’t try to turn religion into politics for your personal self-gratification!
Coming from the oh so tolerant left! Our form of government can only work with a moral righteous people. We have drifted so far from both that the constitution in is doubt of survival.
https://youtu.be/TRdJ1p66gvg The evidence backing up what John Bossange is asserting is simply not there. I feel for all the students this ‘educator” has influenced in his career. No wonder our constitutional republic is in such a terrible state of decay.
So many are falling head first into the Devil’s traps. There has to be a group to blame, slander, divide, and conquer. Over millenia, it is always the followers of Jesus Christ. The irony the ministry of Jesus Christ lasted 3 1/2 years? However, the persecution has lasted for centuries. Goes to show how powerful and magnificant His name truly is doesn’t it? The hyperbole persecutors mix man-made religious doctrines to ridicule followers and believers of Jesus Christ. The purpose is always to demoralize and smear with impunity. The blasphemy does not go unnoticed, undocumented, and will have significant consequences to the blasphemer. Declared and decreed.
@ Melissa
Sorry but if you want an example of a religion and people that have been persecuted for a long time it’s not Christianity but Jews. And the Christians have done a far amount of that persecuting themselves. Facts don’t care about your feelings.
Legend describes: “Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was circumcised, was baptized by John the Baptist, began his own ministry,[10] and was often referred to as “rabbi”.[21] Jesus debated with fellow Jews on how to best follow God, engaged in healings, taught in parables, and gathered followers.” All arrows shot at me simply fly over the bunker at this point. I’d rather raise the standard, stop the bull(bleep) narratives, and pray for a better outcome that what Satan and his army have in store for all. Happy Independence Day!
Your daily reminder as to why we need school choice!
This article is an excellent example of straw manning. Maybe he would be better served defending why the left want to impose their “religious” beliefs on us.
Mr. Bossange. It is very clear you need healing. May the Lord bless your soul.
So let’s say your buying what he is selling. The alternative is ? The Democrats and Progressives ? Isn’t a “super majority” of ultra liberals what has brought us to the place we are today ? They broke it, it’s time to fix it.
This person taught children? No wonder our collective knowledge and understanding of history is in the toilet. Perhaps he doesn’t recall John Adams’ — kind of a key founding father — quote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” The writer quotes the first half of the religious clause of Amendment 1, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” but weirdly (intentionally?) leaves out the second half… “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Ergo, government’s role on the topic of religion is simple: Sit down and shut up. Period. Government can’t tell you how to worship, or how not to worship. It is entirely up to the individual without any interference from the state. The First Amendment does not exclude religion from the public square, but rather invites all religions into the public square, where they are free to compete in the free marketplace of ideas. Hence the founders carved “In God We Trust” into the marble of pretty much every government building and printed that on all the money. It’s why every meeting of congress begins with an invocation. The author’s accusation that there is a call going forward for a “United Christian States” is absurd. No one is calling for “an establishment of religion.” Nor is anyone calling for a “religious test… required as a qualification for any office” as one existed in Great Britain at the time of the Revolution. What I do see Christians demanding these days is the right to exercise their religion free from any government interference (law), which is their Constitutional right. What I also see coming from the Left is attempt after attempt to pass laws that do, in fact, interfere with citizens freely exercising their religion (as well as their right to peaceably assemble, aka associate) — especially regarding Christians — which is unconstitutional and a violation of the promise of what our country was founded upon.
Excellent, Rob.
I would like comment a dozen times if I could.
Oh gracious…for this poor fella to have so expose his delusional network is
embarrassing. He’s in crisis. Let’s keep him in our prayers.
Amen!
Maybe the “anti-religious,” “anti-GOD,” and “anti-Bible” author should consider taking up his issues with those who make up the long list of the existing “Demonic and Evil Cult Religions” that are ruling our United States Culture?
Such as: The Pro-Death Human Murder/Abortion Cult, The Sex-Crazed if it Feels Good Just Do It Cult, The Hook Up Have Sex Anywhere and With Anyone Cult, The Anti-Constitution and Celebrate Lawlessness Cult, The Earth Worshiping Climate Change Cult, The Do Drugs You Deserve to Feel Good Cult, The Gender-Dysphoria Pick Your Gender Child Mutilating Cult, The Poor Me Victimization and Irresponsibility Cult, The Non-Working Get All the Handouts You Can Cult, Etc. Etc Etc.
After ALL …….. we are doing so ………. well ignoring the obvious existence of our GOD and CREATOR.
This is our daily reminder as to the importance of school choice and the need for education reform. Unfortunately…it is no longer hard to believe this person was a career educator…but still shocking none the less.
Christian nationalism is something only a tiny minority of people with very limited influence want. Most people are just realizing that all the depravity and corruption is ultimately a result from the nation turning away from God. The answer is to call people back and be a light to the world, not to force people into a religion as that would be anti-christian.
But I doubt the author of this piece really believes his straw man rhetoric. It’s just propaganda.
Nope. This is a total mischaracterization. We can be people of faith and still believe in the freedom to worship as you see fit. We still believe that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. We need God, but this article is not who we are.
I wanted to comment but I had too many issues with this article to choose one.
After reading the comments I’m glad I’m not the only one.
Unbelievable he’s a teacher if children.
Right now it appears accommodations are being made to Christians based on their religious beliefs. How long before others of different faiths wish similar accommodations? What happens if they are oppositional? Then I guess the gloves come off and we find that we’re only accommodating one form of god, which is not what is being put forth today
What accommodations are you referring to?
You mean like prayer rugs in every public building, school, airport, etc.?
Like racially segregated (no whites allowed) “safe spaces” in colleges and universities?
Like satanic groups granted use of public schools for “after school activities”, uses not granted to Christian groups.
Like FBI-trained BLM/Antifa protests and graffiti taking over our streets and kid-glove treatment by law enforcement not granted to peaceful protests by right-to-life and patriot groups?
The accommodations I see and experience are censorship, doublespeak, and banning of any moral messages for being “racist” or coming from “white privilege”. I see a tyrannical suppression of debate among both medical and earth scientists, greased with government, non-profit and global corporate and global billionaire elites fueling the deceit.
A s we see playing out in our justice system every day, a law of double standards is no law at all.
Sometimes we all need a reminder that the idea of God is subjective to each individual. God isn’t catholic or Jewish, or Muslim. He’s God. The writers fear is that Christ will overtake God in our govt., which kinda feels like it’s happening. But once again, it is all completely subjective.