All posts tagged: Nationalism

Christian Nationalism and Hate Violence: What Can We Do?

Christian Nationalism and Hate Violence: What Can We Do?

Published by skeptic

 This week, Zev Mishell, National Programs Associate at Interfaith Alliance, joins host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush to discuss the intersection of systemic violence, hate crimes, and religious and political ideologies in America. Zev is the author of Interfaith Alliance’s new report, Together Against Hate, which closely analyzes how interfaith movements can address hate-based violence by uniting across differences while also examining how White Christian Nationalism is driving the alarming rise of hate in America. The report comprises case studies of successful strategies, practical recommendations, and a guide to organizations working to combat hate and extremism in the U.S. It is based on extensive research and interviews with nearly two dozen advocacy organizations dedicated to faith-based organizing, upholding civil rights and confronting hate. The full report will be released on Monday, January 13th, on the Interfaith Alliance website. “Religion is contextual, and it can manifest itself in extremely damaging and violent ways. It can divide us from one another. It can create supremacist outlooks. It can create and be influenced by ethno-nationalist outlooks. And maybe …

Don’t Like Christian Nationalism? We Don’t, Either.

Don’t Like Christian Nationalism? We Don’t, Either.

Published by skeptic

AHA Headquarters in Washington, DC As the American Humanist Association looks ahead to 2025, we are preparing to counter the rising tide of Christian Nationalism and foster a powerful, inclusive humanist movement. The strategic roadmap for 2025 — dubbed “Humanism 2025: Something to Belong To, Something to Believe In, Something to Fight For” — lays out an ambitious plan to provide community, purpose, and agency to those seeking refuge from Christian Nationalism and the threats it poses to our fundamental rights and freedoms. In an environment marked by isolation, political disillusionment, and economic strain, the need for connection, meaning, and activism is more urgent than ever. Humanism, with its emphasis on reason, compassion, and fairness, stands ready to offer an alternative. Here’s a closer look at the AHA’s vision for the coming year, based on our latest strategy documents and plans. At this pivotal moment, we want to revitalize the humanist movement, offering people a way to connect, believe, and take meaningful action. This includes planned initiatives offering humanists “Something to Belong To,” such as: …

Founder of Military Religious Freedom Foundation on Christian Nationalism

Founder of Military Religious Freedom Foundation on Christian Nationalism

Published by skeptic

Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein is an undisputed leader of the national movement to restore the obliterated wall separating church and state in the most technologically lethal organization ever created by humankind: the United States armed forces. Described by Harper’s magazine as “the constitutional conscience of the U.S. military, a man determined to force accountability,” Mikey’s family has a long and distinguished U.S. military history spanning three consecutive generations of military academy graduates and over 130 years of combined active duty military service in every major combat engagement our country has been in from World War I to the current Global War on Terror. Mikey is a 1977 Honor Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He left Mr. Perot’s employ in 2006 to focus his full-time attention on the nonprofit charitable foundation he founded to directly battle the far-right militant radical evangelical religious fundamentalists: the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So, we’re back again with Mikey Weinstein. We’re in the final stretch of the federal election season in the United States. What …

Free virtual event to focus on countering Christian Nationalism

Free virtual event to focus on countering Christian Nationalism

Published by skeptic

WASHINGTON — Sojourners, a leading Christian media and advocacy organization committed to social justice and peace, is tackling the threat of Christian nationalism. This toxic ideology distorts Christian language, symbols, and identity into tools for political manipulation and gain.   On October 16 at 1 PM EST, Sojourners will host an online webinar where panelists will explain what Christian nationalism is (and isn’t), offer examples of actions to help end it, and articulate a path forward that neither stifles the participation of people of faith in public life nor threatens a vibrant, democratic, and just future for all.  The webinar will build on the insights from experts and faith leaders published in the Sep-Oct issue of Sojourners magazine, available online now at sojo.net/nationalism2024.  Rev. Adam Taylor, President of Sojourners, will be part of the conversation. An ordained Baptist minister, Taylor believes that a healthy version of patriotism is possible for committed Christians. However, “Christian nationalism is a heretical distortion of our faith and needs to be met with unwavering opposition from all those who understand that …

New survey points to correlation between Christian nationalism and authoritarian views

New survey points to correlation between Christian nationalism and authoritarian views

Published by skeptic

(RNS) — Americans who hold Christian nationalist views are also likely to express support for forms of authoritarianism, according to a new report, pointing to a possible link between those who advocate for a Christian nation and people who agree with statements such as the need to “smash the perversions eating away at our moral fiber and traditional beliefs.” The Public Religion Research Institute unveiled the new survey last week during Religion News Service’s 90th anniversary celebration in New York City, presenting the data to a room of faith leaders, advocates and reporters. A statement sent to RNS on Monday (Sept 16), Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, framed the study as an effort to connect recent research on Christian nationalism with longstanding efforts to assess authoritarianism. “While most Americans do not espouse authoritarian views, our study demonstrates that such views are disproportionately held by Christian nationalists, who we know in our past research have been more prone to accept political violence and more likely to hold antidemocratic attitudes than other Americans,” Deckman said. In addition …

Rock Spring Congregational UCC to host presentation on Christian nationalism with Greg Carey, PhD

Rock Spring Congregational UCC to host presentation on Christian nationalism with Greg Carey, PhD

Published by skeptic

Christian nationalism: What it is and why it is dangerous for democracy and the gospel ARLINGTON, Va. — On September 22, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ will host an important program in its Sanctuary at 5010 Little Falls Road. Greg Carey, PhD, Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Seminary, will present “Christian Nationalism: What It Is, and Why It’s Dangerous for Democracy and the Gospel.” The term “Christian nationalism” has gained traction in recent years, but many still wonder what it means and why it has become a source of concern. In this presentation, Dr. Carey will introduce the movement, place it within its historical context, and explain how Christian nationalism poses a threat both to democratic values and to the core principles of the Christian gospel. Dr. Carey is widely recognized for his expertise in biblical interpretation and social issues. His insights will help attendees understand the rise of Christian nationalism and its implications for faith communities and broader society. This program offers an opportunity …

Black church leaders brought religion to politics in the ‘60s – but it was dramatically different from today’s white Christian nationalism

Black church leaders brought religion to politics in the ‘60s – but it was dramatically different from today’s white Christian nationalism

Published by skeptic

(The Conversation) — Fifty-eight years ago in the summer of 1966, a group of Black church leaders took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times titled “Black Power.” Their densely worded statement called on national leaders, “white churchmen,” Black citizens and the mass media to correct the country’s racial power imbalance. In essence, they asked their fellow citizens to support Black power. Prominent church leaders such as Rev. Paul Washington of the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, Rev. Gayraud Wilmore of the Presbyterian Commission on Religion and Race, and Rev. Benjamin Payton of the National Council of Churches were among the signatories. With years of civil rights experience, 48 Black church leaders boldly asserted their unequivocal support for the Black Power movement. Like many white Christian nationalists in 2024, these Black church leaders believed that God was punishing their beloved country. Both groups called for repentance and fundamental change. And like white Christian nationalists, the 1966 Black Christian activists asserted that their faith had something to say on matters of racial identity …

J. D. Vance’s Empty Nationalism

J. D. Vance’s Empty Nationalism

Published by skeptic

Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration. As the Civil War began to rage in 1861, the American press became enraptured with an idea—that Giuseppe Garibaldi, the gallant Italian nationalist and erstwhile New Yorker who had become famous fighting wars of independence in two hemispheres, was willing to join the Union cause. There was only one condition: The Union had to embrace emancipation. “If your war is for freedom, I am with you with 20,000 men,” Garibaldi told an American diplomat, the historian Don Doyle wrote in The Cause of All Nations. Garibaldi was convinced that he would make short work of the armies of the decadent planter aristocracy, save the “Great American Republic,” and then move on to liberating all the enslaved people in the Western Hemisphere. The Union wasn’t ready to commit to emancipation, however, and Garibaldi never fought for the United States—a shame for the Union army, which had to wait years for a brave and competent commander. Millions of other immigrants did fight for the Union. “Immigrants …

How an Indian state became a testing ground for Hindu nationalism – podcast

How an Indian state became a testing ground for Hindu nationalism – podcast

Published by skeptic

Hannah Ellis-Petersen reports from Uttarakhand, which offers a glimpse into what the future might look like if the BJP retains its power in national elections “One of the most significant elements of Modi’s rule is how his Hindu nationalist politics has reshaped the country,” the Guardian’s south Asia correspondent Hannah Ellis-Petersen tells Michael Safi. “Uttarakhand is a state where I think we’ve seen the real consequences of that narrative play out.” Hannah explains how religious tensions have been stoked in the state of Uttarakhand through conspiracy theories, political rhetoric and the destruction of Muslim shrines and tombs. We hear about the rising violence against the Muslim minority in the area and why this election is a concerning time for them in the state. Continue reading… Source link

United Methodists condemning Christian nationalism should address their complicity

United Methodists condemning Christian nationalism should address their complicity

Published by Sam

(RNS) — United Methodists gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina, for their long-delayed General Conference have shown themselves willing to take bold steps on big issues. The delegates have already voted this week to reorganize the denomination to allow for greater regional autonomy and to scrub its governing Book of Discipline of its ban on LGBTQ clergy. They have also passed a number of petitions on social issues, including one condemning “extreme and prejudicial nationalism.” While the proposed petition doesn’t address Christian nationalism per se, the UMC’s public policy arm, the General Board of Church and Society, released a statement last month on “Christian Nationalism in the U.S.” This is a potentially fruitful area of witness that would be stronger if the United Methodists were willing to reckon with their own role in promoting the ideology. The board’s statement rightly condemns Christian nationalism “as a political ideology that seeks to merge Christianity and a particular type of American identity, distorting both the Christian faith and the United States Constitution.” It also lifts up the importance of …