The Gospel According to Power

Many Americans believe the founders intended for the U.S. to be a Christian nation and argue that we should be one. However, this belief, strongly supported by many Republicans in office, is based not on the full teachings of Christianity but rather on a selective and weaponized interpretation of those teachings.

What we’re witnessing isn't a return to Christian values—it’s a betrayal of them.

Too many self-proclaimed “Christian patriots” today harbor ill will toward immigrants, downplay anti-Black discrimination, and cheer for a man whose life mocks every value Jesus taught. This isn’t Christianity. It’s a smorgasbord version of faith, where only the convenient virtues are chosen, and the harder, humbling lessons of love, mercy, and sacrifice are discarded with extreme prejudice.

In some cases, these teachings aren’t just ignored—they're openly rejected. Consider Matthew 25, which I paraphrase here from the King James Version: For I was hungry, and you fed me; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to see me. Whether Christian or not, who among us doesn’t recognize the moral clarity in those words?

And yet, those who claim to speak for Christianity today trample that message. They don’t welcome the stranger—they detain and deport them, often into violence and death. They don’t feed the poor—they cut food assistance. They don’t heal the sick—they block universal healthcare and vilify public support systems.

House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed that Thomas Jefferson was divinely inspired when writing the Declaration of Independence—conveniently ignoring that Jefferson rejected the divinity of Jesus. The absence of any reference to Christianity in our founding documents speaks volumes. But historical accuracy isn’t the point for Christian nationalists. They cling to the myth of a “Christian nation” because it is more politically useful than the truth.

This myth allows Christian Nationalists to claim divine authority while enacting policies that benefit the privileged few. It validates conquest and exploitation under the banner of “Manifest Destiny.” It creates a false sense of moral superiority that justifies systemic cruelty. In truth, this version of America resembles Ayn Rand more than Jesus Christ—where selfishness is virtue, greed is godliness, and suffering is a personal failure, not a collective call to compassion.

Let’s be blunt: The American version of Christianity being pushed today is not about faith. It’s about power. It’s about white men preserving dominance under a cloak of divine favor. It’s about providing moral cover for indifference, cruelty, and exclusion. It’s why many white evangelical leaders promote a vision where the rich are virtuous, the poor are disposable, and the chosen few ascend in the mythical version of the rapture while the rest are left behind.

Of course, not all Christians subscribe to this nationalist distortion. Many follow the true teachings of Jesus as they feed the hungry, house the homeless, and love the outsider. But their work is hard, it largely takes place out of sight, and it requires great personal sacrifice. Through Jesus, God called upon each to do this hard work, and many faithfully follow that calling. But in a culture that worships spectacle and success, the hard work of the true Christians is often overlooked—overshadowed by smug, self-righteous leaders who pray in public while flaunting their faith in wealthy churches and political rallies.

What we call “Christian Nationalism” today is neither Christian nor noble. It is nationalism wrapped in selective scripture—an ideology where only certain people are deemed worthy of the rights guaranteed in our Constitution.

But all is not lost. There is reason for hope. There is some good news in this dark corner of religious dysfunction that many have pushed us into: we—the normal people who value humanity and respect all our neighbors—vastly outnumber them.

Most Americans believe in dignity, equality, and compassion. We may not all share the same faith, but we share a belief in justice, freedom, and the promise of a pluralistic democracy as described in our Constitution. Reclaiming our country from Christian Nationalists will require courage, sacrifice, and persistence. But it can be done because it must be done. This nation belongs to all of us, not just the wealthy few who exploit Christianity to justify their privilege.

If we truly believe in the rights of every human being…
If we truly honor the teachings of love, service, and humility…
If we truly respect our founding principles, flawed though they may be…
Then we will prevail.

The hard work begins now. History is watching. This is our time. This is our fight.