That's probably the worst advertisement for Christianity that I've ever seen. And I say that knowing that that was pretty close to my thinking (or should I say non-thinking) when I was a fundamentalist Southern Baptist kid. Thank God, that was long ago and far away.
Not everyone reacts the same. It was Paul who said it is foolishness to the Gentiles. It is a stumbling block to the Jews. And it is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe.
Great piece today by John Ganz on the explicit anti-Semitic applications of Christian nationalism. Defies easy summary. Prompted by this Twitter thread from yesterday Wolfes also calls for something of a low-key Führerprinzip: “I envision a measured and theocratic Caesarism—the prince as a world-shaker for our time, who brings a Christian people to self-consciousness and who, in “his rise, restores their will for their good. “Prince” is a fitting title for a man of dignity and greatness of soul who will lead a people to liberty, virtue, and godliness—to greatness.” To sum up, The Case for Christian Nationalism is a völkisch nationalism calling for a totalitarian “Christian” state lead by a charismatic “Caesar” who will restore a lost national greatness. Why did the nation lose its greatness? An alien ethnic pollutant, of course! So, I revert back to my earlier position, Christian Nationalism is just fascism, or if we are being pedantic, proto- or para-fascism. Characteristic of much propaganda today, it presents a softer version, shorn of frightening verbiage, but the core ideas are all there. Wolfe’s Reformed Christian American Völkism is one several fascioid currents in politics today. Although there’s a lot more mainstream interest and concern about Christian Nationalism, it’s concerning to me that the clear connections aren’t being made. For instance, in the New Yorker’s long piece from March on the phenomenon there’s no real discussion of the history of fascism or Nazism. Once again, I wish people would just call this stuff what it really is. The Cross and the Flag
All they want is freedom. You know, the freedom to force everyone to yield to their beliefs or else. I’m so glad that when I get to Heaven I won’t be seeing or hearing these guys again. Well I may stroll down to the pearly gates just to watch them arguing with Saint Peter because he won’t let them in.
Stephen Wolfe @PerfInjust Postwar American conservatism, being dominated by Roman Catholics and Jews, was revolutionary in that it rejected the prewar and predominate principles of core ethnicity (Anglo-Protestant) and confident ethnic conformity (Anglo-conformism). These people viewed the Founding through a universalist lens, refusing to recognize the ethno-religious concerns of the founders and most of American history. Rejecting Buckley conservatism for an older conservativism, or the Old Right, returns us to the original American political tradition. ^^^ Well, which the hell is it???? Bill Buckley WAS Catholic. Bill Buckley's conservatism WAS the postwar American conservatism. ...and it was, like Arch Bishop Fulton Sheen's, rooted in universal truths--as is all of Catholic philosophy. As for the Chistianity and nationalism making for 'strange bedfellows'--I suspect that's a response to the global communist desire to eliminate all national identity ...and God (NM individual identity, dignity, and freedoms). NB: Nazi Fascism AND Communism, share the exact same end game--subordinate the entire world, and make them citizens of the unified world order. The only difference, is who controls the new world order. E.g.--do you think for a second, that the Chinese don't want to compel the world to speak Mandarin, trade in the yuan, and otherwise exist to further Chineesism???