The Christian Nationalist Freak Show

By David Starr

In a fit of totalitarian intoxication, Christian nationalists have tried repeatedly to impose an agenda that is straight out of the Medieval period. It has been lacking in intelligence and full of mythological euphoria.

Christian nationalists, or more directly put, religious fanatics, are hellbent on trying to portray the United States as a “Christian nation.” 

A manifestation of this perversion was a rally held by Christian fanatics to commemorate the 250 anniversary of the founding of the United States. It was held at the National Mall in Washington D.C. It was called the “Rededicate 250” rally.

Reporting for MS Now, Guthrie Graves-Fitsimmons writes, “This is what theocracy looks like.”

Graves-Fitzsimmons quotes the stated purpose of the rally, which is to “rededicate our country as One Nation Under God.”

Religious fanatics like House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Department of War Crimes Secretary Pete Hegseth attended, part of, as Graves-Fitzsimmons writes, “a who’s who of religious right figures.”

Graves-Fitzsimmons writes that “The United States was founded as a democracy with religious freedom.” The word “democracy” should be used cautiously, considering the negatives factors that have been blatantly evident in U.S. history leading up to the present time. What the U.S. has had is a degree of democracy, but it’s not enough.

Further, Graves-Fitzsimmons notes that “The U.S. Constitution guarantees religious freedom for all with the establishment clause and the free exercise clause, which work together to allow every American to practice their faith freely – or not to practice any religion.” In other words, freedom of religion but also freedom from religion.

Thus, the U.S. is not founded through the imposition of any religion. It was founded as a secular nation.

Graves-Fitzsimmons concludes that, “Rededicate 250 represents an assault on the U.S. Constitution…”

Secular Talk host Kyle Kulinski had a segment on religious fanatism, in which he said, “Chrisitan Nationalists have lost their fucking minds.” Kulinski can be direct, but today’s political climate prompts one to be so.

The American Prospect’s editor-at-large Harold Meyerson was just as direct about the “Rededicate 250” rally. “The actual faith that unites Trump supporters and Chrisitan evangelicals is idolatry, the worship and fetishization of a false god.”

Meyerson quotes the King James Bible, Book of Exodus, Chapter 20, with its Medieval-like wording:

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have no other gods before me. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.”

A jealous God. So, we have a god who has a human flaw, and is thus not perfect. But despite this quote in the Bible, Christian fanatics still believe they worship a perfect being.

Meyerson writes that Trumpites worship Trump like they worship an idol. Thus:

I suggested that the only Trump monument that truly reflected what’s been happening in our country would be a golden calf with Trump’s head on it [this based on the story of “God’s children” resorting to worshipping a golden calf.] and the U.S. founders, “Hamilton, Madison, and Jefferson, all suitably outraged, brandish the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to shame the Trumpian idolators.”

While not being virtually gods–as they themselves have been worshipped historically– the U.S. founders were deists, not Christians. They, in fact, did not have kinds words for Christianity. For example:

James Madison: “The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.”

Thomas Jefferson: “Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man.”

John Adams: “The government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”

These quotes have been debated as to their authenticity. But they sound more legitimate than what religious fanatics have declared.

And what have these fanatics declared? 

Wannabe president Donald Trump: “To have a great nation, you have to have religion.”

Department of War Crimes secretary Pete Hegseth: “The Declaration of Independence proclaims, ‘endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights.’ This is not the language of secularism. It is the language of faith…it demonstrates that while our specific denominations differ, we are united by a common call to praise and serve God.”

Wannabe House speaker Mike Johnson: “Despite the unfounded claims of the Left, supporting a strong national border is a very Christian thing to do. The Bible tells us so.”

The Bible says a lot of things. It has a lot of stories. Many are negative. (But, yes, there are some positive passages.)

Christian nationalists, or religious fanatics, dwell in the past rather than learn from it. And that past not only goes back to the 1890s, but to the Medieval period. It’s that literal



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