Christian values ​​should not be used to punish differences and dissent.

From the beginning there has never been just one Christianity.

Instead, over the centuries, conflicting Christianities have offered irreconcilable expressions of allegiance that forced moral choices. On the one hand, there was the Christianity of the slaveholders, who expected religion to legitimize oppression. On the other hand, there was the faith of the enslaved who, despite everything, never stopped believing in freedom. Today we see a similar split between MAGA Christians and Social Justice Christians.

First, think about the troubled days in which we live. As Nobel laureate Bob Dylan sings, “The times they are a changing,” or as the Mexican poet Octavio Paz puts it, we live not only in times of change, but in times of change.

The modern world, created over five centuries, is bursting at the seams. The developing world is not yet fully visible, so we talk confusedly about the transition from the modern to the postmodern world, but without clarity about the meaning of postmodern. What is certain is that we are in the midst of a complex cultural crisis, a long period of restructuring at all levels, from the globalization of the economy to the redistribution of power between men and women, closer to home.

Many welcome this kind of cultural ferment, even destruction, as an opportunity for repair, reconstruction and renewal. Think of all the justice movements of recent decades, seeking human rights for workers, people with disabilities, women, people of color and LGBTQ people, and protection of the Earth. At the same time, there was a violent reaction against these movements.

In times of great change, some react with fear and anger, becoming increasingly concerned about issues of immigration, gender differences, book banning, and the teaching of history, including the history of our national origins. People under duress may experience stress about the body and the body politic, focusing on securing borders, policing certain bodies (women’s bodies, black and brown bodies, and gender non-conforming bodies), and preventing the wrong people from voting. During periods of moral panic, fear of strangers and those “from afar” increases. Think Springfield, Ohio.

I find it sobering to see how this cultural crisis is playing out in the Christian tradition. MAGA Christians promote Christian nationalism and the use of government power to enforce ultra-conservative Christian values ​​and punish difference and dissent.

Far-right activist Jack Posobiec opened this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference with the words: “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to completely overthrow him” and complete the mission on January 6th. Holding up a cross, he then said, “After we burn the swamp to the ground, we will build a new American republic on its ashes, and our first priority will be to bring just retribution to those who betrayed America.”

The MAGA movement, a generally conservative Christian movement, is also a white power movement committed to advancing the interests of white supremacy in a white ethnostate. While Christian nationalism may attract followers of other nationalities and racial identities, it is fueled by white racial fears, grievances, and grievances.

Remember, it was white Christians who put Donald Trump in the White House in 2016 as a counterweight to Barack Obama, the country’s first black president. A majority of religiously affiliated white people—81% of white evangelicals and 60% of white Protestants and Catholics—voted to elect a white racist president. In 2020, even more white Christians voted to keep him in office, despite the pandemic and all the scandals.

Those of us who are white and Christian must wake up to the reality that white Christians have brought this nation to the brink of authoritarianism. Citing studies that show a strong correlation between frequent church attendance and authoritarian views, journalist and former evangelist Chrissy Stroop notes, “White Christian churches have become incubators of authoritarian politics.” While not all churchgoers are the same, it is well known that there are far fewer authoritarians among Americans who never attend church services and among those who identify as atheists, agnostics, or humanists.

I am grateful that there is another way to be a faithful Christian. By standing for justice and compassion in all things, we can support Martin Luther King Jr. and countless other justice-loving saints.

Today, we must invest our energy in mobilizing voters, encouraging voter registration, promoting awareness of candidates and policies, and supporting efforts to prevent voter suppression and all forms of political intimidation and violence. At the same time, the long-term goal is to build and strengthen an inclusive, multiracial, multireligious and culturally diverse movement for justice, based on respect for the Earth and the dignity and well-being of all peoples.

Our sacred calling is to live together, in community, as equals. The truth is that we belong together, suffer together, prosper together and have a future together, otherwise we will remain on the sidelines, at odds with each other, and cause the house to crumble around us.

My abiding hope is that as we show solidarity with strangers and friends alike and make justice and compassion real, we will discover both deep joy and true spiritual strength.

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