In contemporary America, you’ll hear a steady refrain from the pulpits of preachers and the podiums of politicians: “Christianity is under attack.” Christians still constitute the majority and wield significant cultural and political influence, mind you, but that’s never stopped a narrative of systemic oppression.
This talking point, which pairs nicely with shrieking claims of persecution, warns of an encroaching secular agenda that seeks to destroy “traditional Christian values” and turn our families into transgender atheist groomer communists who listen to hip-hop and use paper straws.
Politicians use the “Christianity under attack” rhetoric to secure votes and consolidate power. By framing themselves as warriors in a spiritual battle, they thirstily pander to a sense of tribal loyalty among a certain kind of Christian voter.
Televangelists and megachurch pastors have long capitalized on the victimhood narrative to solicit donations and build obscene personal wealth. And polarizing cultural wedge issues are historically one of the slickest ways to redirect attention away from real social and economic problems.
Examples of “Christianity under attack” have included First Amendment restrictions on public prayer in government settings, restrictions against anti-LGBTQ discrimination, and resistance to teaching creationism in public school science class. Nothing that truly threatens Christian religious practice — just conservative religious domination.
Donald Trump never even tried to sell himself as an actual Christian to earn blind evangelical obedience. Rather, he easily attracted voters sympathetic to Christian nationalist ideas by branding himself as a defender of “Christians under siege.” Which is to say he pandered, and played up the persecution complex:
“I will tell you, Christianity is under tremendous siege, whether we want to talk about it or we don’t want to talk about it. . . . And we’re going to reverse that trend big league.” –January 30, 2016, campaign event in Dubuque
Christianity is under attack — but by divisive right-wing fundamentalists who publicly worship Jesus while fighting against, voting against, and legislating against his actual commandments.
Help the poor? No.
Care for the sick? No.
Turn the other cheek? No.
Render one’s taxes? No, sucker.
Be kind to the incarcerated? Hell no.
Welcome the stranger? Bitch, please.
Modern right-wing Christians have been suckered into an anti-Christian trap of aligning with power, instead of challenging it.
But conservative power was what Jesus stood up to — not for — time and time again:
- The authoritarians among the religious leaders, drunk on their own eminence.
- The wealthy, who worship their own stature and possessions while denying the suffering of the poor.
- The capitalists in the temple, greedily exploiting poor believers.
- The imperial government of Rome, whose hunger for power led to its own collapse.
Religion, like all institutions of man, is inherently flawed, but irony will never let you down.
The Most Important Part
Shakespeare tells us that even “the devil can recite Scripture for his purpose.” And from the very beginnings of the American experiment, Christianity has been used to justify all manner of evils, from slavery to ethnic cleansing to preemptive war.
Historically, American Christians of both major political parties have used a Bible to justify the slaughter of Indigenous people, the enslavement of African people, the labor exploitation of Asian people, ignoring the suffering of European Jewish people, cruelty to gay people, the indiscriminate detention and torture of Muslim people, and of course, pushing perpetual second-class citizenship on female people.
But there’s another side to this.
Because for nearly every great injustice perpetrated by authoritarian Christianity, liberal and moderate Christians — and many conservatives, too — have fought back. Progressive Christians helped lead the battle to abolish slavery. They’ve opposed imperialism, slavery, and injustice; fought for humane conditions for the American worker and for an end to child labor.
Throughout history, Christian reform movements have dared to critically engage authority with scripture and tradition, supporting compassion, social justice, and human rights, as Jesus did. And I’m sorry, but they really do listen to better music.
Decent Christians — including moderates and sane conservatives — along with righteous atheists, agnostics, and many people of other religions, have always had to band together to beat back the batshit-crazy Christians.
St. Francis of Assisi left the Crusades and preached against war. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist, used the scriptures to shame white America out of the mutually destructive American apartheid of segregation. And millions of liberal Christians have, very gradually, helped many conservative loved ones beyond a whole lot of homophobia.
It is sadly not a coincidence that some of the most historically bigoted and segregated parts of the country have also been known as the “Bible Belt.” And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that nobody hates like a Christian who’s just been told their hate isn’t Christian.
Progressive & moderate Jesus-following Christians — and their allies — have the power to stand up to right-wing Christianity and call its adherents out on their own terms, using the very book fundamentalists wave around so bombastically.
Never forget that the first-ever protest by a white person in this hemisphere against slavery and human rights abuses was against Columbus himself, led by his ship’s own Catholic priest, Bartolomé de Las Casas. There’s an inspiring true heritage of authentic Christianity, and it’s almost always manifested itself in resistance to Christian authoritarianism.
Excerpted with permission from Fugelsang’s book Separation of Church and Hate, in stores now.
John Fugelsang is a Drama League–nominated actor, comedian, and broadcaster who’s hosted many TV shows and podcasts, including the acclaimed Tell Me Everything series on SiriusXM Progress. He’s gotten George Harrison to give his final performance on VH1, debated Jerry Falwell and David Duke, and made many appearances on MSNBC, FOX News, and CNN; Fugelsang lives in New York City with his family.
