Maybe the most troubling part of Saturday’s religiously organized “Jericho” voter fraud rally in DC was Stewart Rhodes of Oath Keepers, who spoke of “traitors” and “bloody war,” urging the summoning of militias and freeing Julian Assange from prison to disseminate seized data. “This guy’s keeping it real,” emcee Eric Metaxas pronounced.
No, there was not much real about it. The largely Christian organized rally was a saturnalia of conspiracy theories, fantasies, utopian dreams, apocalyptic distractions and escapisms. If you are looking for any definition of Christian Realism, it’s the opposite of this Jericho jamboree. Neither St. Augustine nor Reinhold Niebuhr would’ve been welcome on its podium.
The rally has been widely condemned for distorting faith and as the latest unsavory manifestation of “Christian nationalism,” which has become de rigueur to denounce as “idolatry.” Ostensibly there’s lots of “idolatry” in conservative Christian politics these days, which may be true. Interestingly, conservatives don’t typically denounce liberal Christians for idolatry, preferring other terminology.
Accusations of idolatry in politics if sometimes accurate are not very helpful. The accusation contributes towards absolutizing politics and assumes that political categories are as spiritually doctrinaire as theological truths. Such assumptions unhelpfully and dangerously turn political debates toward religious wars.
Christianity offers teachings about salvation, holiness and morality. It doesn’t offer specific political prescriptions. Its principles about God-ordained human dignity offer lots of room for prudential judgments in politics. Christianity does not promise its adherents any guarantee of great political wisdom much less infallibility. Devout Christians can be and are politically foolish and ignorant. There’s lots of room for political error within Christianity. The politically errant are not necessarily idolaters or spiritual apostates.
The Jericho rally is perhaps better criticized not for its theological failures but for political failures to understand American principles. Wise patriots committed to American democracy don’t commend coercion, violence or criminality or admire those who do. America’s Founders warned against all extremisms and counseled political patience. Wise citizens of any nation seek temperance, moderation, toleration, and peaceful debate.
Apocalyptic claims in politics are nearly always toxic and misleading. Extremism and paranoia are the enemies of every good society. Political defeats are best treated as opportunities for learning, refining arguments and organizing better for victory in the future. Adversaries in politics are debated but not demonized. Fraternity through common citizenship should be the goal of every nation wanting peace and happiness.
“Christian nationalists” are supposedly deifying or at least sacralizing the nation, according to critics. Maybe there’s some truth in that accusation, but if so, the remedy is greater and wiser devotion to the country, the best of its founding principles and to the wider public good. Seeking the public good requires civic fraternity, not the ideological tribalisms now so common across the spectrum in religion and politics.
In this pursuit, churches and Christians should advocate a form of nationalism stressing civic responsibility and love for fellow citizens. There is no other meaningful remedy for polarization than a deeper rediscovery of our common duties together as Americans. Obsessively diagnosing and demonizing “Christian nationalism” is itself polarizing and tribalistic.
Critics might think that Christian nationalism was the chief error of the Jericho rally. But more accurately maybe it was an historical misdiagnosis of the moment. Some Christians are prone to belief in their own prophetic power, which often points to impending catastrophe absent acceptance of their counsel.
Some Christians believe themselves in a constant “Bonhoeffer moment” in which they must resist Hitlerian level evil. In truth, Bonhoeffer’s moment was thankfully fairly unique. There are evils in every time and culture but typically more subtle and benign. Such more typical evils don’t call for underground resistance assassination plots against genocidal dictators.
Instead, typical times require patient moderate labors across many years in pursuit of justice, decency and social reform. Most of politics is not Bonhoeffer vs Hitler. It’s fallen, complex people seeking to live together through compromises that leave nobody completely happy but which are preferable to alternative conflicts. The Christian understanding of politics works for the best of what is possible, not imagined ideals. It also relies on divine grace not heroic superhuman energy.
Some zealots believe America is at some cosmic pivot equal to Russia 1917, Germany 1932 or maybe Chile 1973. Opponents are Communists or Fascists. We are the angels of light who bear truth against demons. But the reality is almost always more mercifully banal. Christian Realism & discernment accept that we live amid a melange of complicated opportunities, none of them ideal. But God is with us, judging, forgiving and guiding. Our politics should be modest, patient and thankful. It could be worse. By His grace, it may become better.
Comment by Jeff on December 14, 2020 at 2:44 pm
“Bonhoeffer’s moment was thankfully fairly unique… most of politics is not Bonhoeffer vs Hitler…Some zealots believe America is at some cosmic pivot equal to Russia 1917, Germany 1932 or maybe Chile 1973…, but the reality is almost always more mercifully banal.”
Mark, throughout your well-written and useful piece I couldn’t help but notice the waffle words: “fairly” unique, “most of” politics, “almost always” banal . Your waffling is exactly appropriate, because from history you know all too well that sometimes nations DO reach a tipping point out of peaceful government into totalitarianism, at a very high cost in human misery, because those who might have acted with courage did nothing to stop the tipping.
What if this election WAS rigged and stolen? (Personally, I believe there is more than enough evidence that this election IS a fraud on the Republic. Judges dismissing the evidence without testing it, even as the perpetrators destroy the materials that would yield the truth with patient forensic should not be confused with “lack of evidence”.)
What if, having stolen this critical election, the American Left is dead serious about moving immediately to appropriate ALL of the machinery of the republic — courts, legislature, executive — so that they never again lose?
What if we ARE, as Eric Metaxas said, at a crossroads because of this theft? Fight, or do nothing and be enslaved by the left? Why did our wise and prescient Founding Fathers build into our Constitution the right to keep and bear arms? (Hint: not so we can hunt deer and geese.) Why mention militias in the 2nd Amendment and other writings relevant to the creation of our Republic if they should never be needed? In this context, why is discussing militias of the people out of bounds? (Hint: after an unopposed totalitarian takeover succeeds, it’s too late…)
Why is national polarization unexpected? Might the real idolatry be “unity for unity’s sake”, not nationalism, not cultural Marxism? The idea of polarization is all over Scripture, because righteousness (Christ) and evil (the Enemy) are two “poles” of our human existence. Jesus Himself said he came not to bring peace, but division (Mt.10:34-36, and please also see Rev 19:11-16 ). You seem comfortable, Mark, with division as a solution vis a vis the polar differences in the Methodist church. Interestingly, the issues in Methodism and the Republic are similar. Why is reaching a point of intractable polarization and division a surprise in our Republic?
Suppose (if Jesus does not return first!) historical hindsight shows that in late 2020 we WERE at a tipping point and lost our Constitutional Republic to a Marxist totalitarian state that came to power by subterfuge, because we did nothing to stop it? Would you still feel righteous in your counsel?
This should be an interesting thread, and this will be an interesting decade for those of us who live through it. My trust is in GOD as always. Abundant blessings to you and your house, Mark, and may the Lord give favor and success to the work of your hands.
Comment by Carr Singleton on December 14, 2020 at 5:58 pm
Amen, Jeff- all this and so much more…. The devaluation of human life embraced by the left is utterly chilling and the stuff of real life nightmares. What is happening is not just “politics”; this is the life and death of a nation.
Comment by Philip J. Brooks on December 14, 2020 at 6:28 pm
Jeff,
You’re advocating the very thing you’re accusing the Democrats of. You talk about a future in which one-party controls everything. But that’s what you’d actually need in order to stop Biden from becoming president after the election. You would need state governments in all the critical swing states that were not only Republican, but so frantically loyal to Trump that they would overturn their own state’s results to keep him in power. You would need state, federal, and supreme courts that were made up almost entirely of Republican justices who would put their party before their country. You would need both houses of Congress with Republican majorities completely loyal to Trump. And you would need a Republican electorate so comfortable associating Trump’s word with truth and law, that they would never stop to worry that they might be building the very type of totalitarian state they feared. Remember, Hitler came to power largely by stoking German fears of a communist state. Consider more carefully the long-term ramifications to democracy if Trump were to succeed in overturning the election. Forget about whether you like him or Biden more or what you think will happen in just the next four years and take a longer view of the situation. What happens if partisan courts actually begin overturning state election results with regularity to favor their own party. What happens if one state is allowed to force other states to change their vote? What happens if counter electoral delegations are sent to Congress every four years from each state and the decision on which one gets accepted has little to do with the election results and more to do with the current party makeup of both chambers? You would likely create a future in which the American people or even their states cease to actual choose the President at all and it comes down simply to whoever controls the other branches of government, which means the permanent lose of the separation of powers the Founders envisioned. It is impossible to be a true constitutionalist and support the methods Trump and his party are using to try to stop Biden’s inauguration.
Comment by Jeff on December 14, 2020 at 6:41 pm
>> You’re advocating the very thing you’re accusing the Democrats of…
You are putting words in my mouth, Philip. I advocated absolutely nothing. I asked a set of probing questions. Each of them deserves commentary based on their substance. I am disappointed that you did not even attempt that.
Comment by Douglas E Ehrhardt on December 15, 2020 at 5:02 am
Thanks Jeff, what if the many accusations of fraud are actually true. A political party that promotes sex change surgery for eight year olds has no limits on corruption.
Comment by David on December 15, 2020 at 5:26 am
“What if” is not evidence of anything. One could speculate that Big Foot broke into vote counting centers and made off with ballots that were handed over to space aliens that flew them away in flying saucers. Rather than be guided by the rantings of a pathological liar, one should seek the truth and not be influenced by the “Big Lie” tactic. A mentally ill leader who denies a serious health threat to the country is not to be believed. I have yet to hear by Democrat “promote” sex change operations for persons of any age.
Comment by David on December 15, 2020 at 5:32 am
Here is a quote from Paul Krugman this morning:
“For rejecting facts comes naturally to people who insist that they’re acting on behalf of God. So does refusing to accept election results that don’t go their way. After all, if liberals are servants of Satan trying to destroy America’s soul, they shouldn’t be allowed to exercise power even if they should happen to win more votes.”
Comment by Mike on December 15, 2020 at 8:22 am
” A mentally ill leader who denies a serious health threat to the country is not to be believed.” With that comment, David, you have shown your true colors. If you think that Biden is a better man that the current one, you have shown that you are a true leftist. and an enemy of the truth.
When close to half of the electorate believe that this election was stolen, and that one party is responsible for that outcome, we have a problem that will not go away simply because a lot of people refuse to consider the possibility. It is obvious that the Democratic party will stop at nothing to win election. Witness what is happening in Georgia, where some have actually called for people to move to Georgia temporarily, and register to vote, in order to win the election of two Democratic senators.
By now, it has been pretty well established that voting machines could be rigged to swing votes from Trump to Biden, and in some cases did so. Republican poll watchers were discouraged from watching the tallying of votes, and in some case even prohibited from doing so.
I could go on, but you see the point, or could if you weren’t so blind. As the old Scottish proverb says, “There’s none so blind as them that won’t see.”
Comment by Mike on December 15, 2020 at 8:49 am
From another article on this site:
“Neuhaus also wrote:
Democratic governance is based upon a morality of respect and fairness for all. It is responsive to the diverse moral judgments and meanings affirmed by individuals and institutions within society. It not only tolerates but rigorously protects those spheres within which people find meaning for their lives and share that meaning with others.
And: “We do not know whether democracy is the wave of the future. We do know that the future will be darker if the democratic idea is extinguished.“
The Left would do well to heed these words, and recognize that those on the Right at the moment feel that in many ways they have been cheated, and especially at the moment, with the results of this election.
Comment by David on December 15, 2020 at 8:53 am
Registration in Georgia ended on Dec. 7th. No one can move into the state and vote at this time. Voting machines could be rigged to vote for Trump as well, but manual recounts matched the machine counts very closely. This is another rumor or “big lie” that is being spread around.
‘In argumentation theory, an argumentum ad populum (Latin for “appeal to the people”) is a fallacious argument that concludes that a proposition must be true because many or most people believe it, often concisely encapsulated as: “If many believe so, it is so”.’
Nothing is obvious without evidence and none can be produced now or in the many court cases that were all lost of that account. I suppose religious people are predisposed to accepting things without evidence.
Comment by Philip on December 15, 2020 at 10:35 am
Mike,
The only instance of votes supposed instance of votes being changed from Trump to Biden was shown to be do to human error, not a glitch in the voting machines. It was an honest mistake that was caught and corrected quickly before the final numbers were submitted. There is no evidence of the machines changing votes on their own.
You say Democrats stop at nothing to win the election, but really it’s Trump and his allies that are doing anything to win. He’s tried to overturn results in court. He got Texas and other red states to sue swing states to change their vote. Now he’s sending fake electors from four states to Congress. And in their most recent suits his allies have contradicted themselves. Giuliani and Powell have insisted their numerous evidence of fraud (which they’ve been unable to prove in court). They’ve claimed die people voted, undocumented people voted, non-state residents voted, etc. They’ve claimed vast conspiracies involving dead dictators. Yet if you read Texas’ petition to the Supreme Court they claim the way election was carried out in the four states in question that they can’t know whether it was fair or not. That is impossible to prove fraud because of what they see as lapsed security. It would be impossible for all these statements to be true. Trump is throwing every argument he can at the wall and hoping one of them sticks.
All his lawsuits and complaints it’s always been the same five states which narrowly went to Biden, even though many red and solidly blue states also made extensive use of mail-in balloting and other such practices. If Trump were really worried about election integrity wouldn’t be calling the results in these states into question as well? Read his tweets. Trump continues to insist not that we can’t know the real results in these swing states, but that he truly won them and should be given the electors without question. He even insists this after paying for Wisconsin to do a recount that resulted in more votes for Biden. That is someone who will stop at nothing to win.
Comment by Jeff on December 15, 2020 at 10:38 am
>> Nothing is obvious without evidence and none can be produced now or in the many court cases that were all lost of that account
David, none of the court cases were lost after a weighing of the evidence — not a single one.
All of the cases — ALL — were arbitrarily denied, or dismissed for technicalities such as “lack of standing”. “Thrown out” is not quite the same as “litigated and lost”.
But know this, all of you love lies and darkness, whose father is the father of lies! Except for that which the left has destroyed, all of the evidence WILL be weighed and found substantial and compelling. The truth WILL out. Pray it does come to light before the enemy is too far along in the destruction of America.
Comment by David on December 15, 2020 at 11:33 am
Yes, all those Republican appointed judges and Republican elected state legislatures all conspired with the Democrats. “Reality has a liberal bias.”
Comment by Steve on December 15, 2020 at 11:56 am
Mixing politics with religion results in a foodfight. It doesn’t reflect well on anybody engaging in it. But there’s plenty of hypocrisy on the left on this subject. Krugman, in particular, had to publish a correction when he suggested this would be the first time the opposition suggested a presidential election was illegitimate. Russiagate, anybody? How soon we forget (especially when its convenient).
Comment by Gary Bebop on December 15, 2020 at 12:37 pm
When there is unfairness of the bold, arrogant type, there will be a “food fight.” The omissions and calumnies of Big Tech and Big Media have been egregious enough to set loose this protest movement, which represents a repudiation of thought censorship, expression censorship, and narrative indoctrination. A free people cannot abide suppression of news, dismissal of honest objections, and the substitution of cant (humbug) for reality.
Comment by carrie singleton on December 15, 2020 at 1:01 pm
Interestingly, Niebuhr was one of the first to call out Germany as a growing threat in the late 1930’s. To the surprise of his colleagues, he even advocated that the US should intervene militarily in the European war a few years before Pearl Harbor. It was necessary, he said, “to prevent the triumph of an intolerable tyranny.” He was extremely vocal against Communism as well, (though on his death bed thought that there were perhaps equal blind evils inherent in nationalism).
Christian concern about this November election is rooted in real, real reality. Things weren’t done right. It is not about Trump being the idol who can save us. That position is accorded to Jesus Christ alone, Who is God; the Maker and Sustainer of all things- deserving of all
honor, glory and praise forever. This earth will never be our comfortable home, those who follow Christ seek an eternal permanent Kingdom; however, like Niebuhr, we see the looming threat of tyranny. What should we do?!! This is about the life and death of a nation and the millions of ordinary people who make up that nation. What would a leftist administration bring to us? Would there ever be another democratic election? Will the marvelous US Constitution be put in the dustbin of forgotten history? Will our elderly or deformed, handicapped or diseased, preborn, newborn or generally inconvenient populations survive? What will happen to religious freedom? What did the church in America do when prayer and Bible reading were taken out of schools? What did the church in America do when Roe versus Wade was being passed? Did the church wage a protest? History tells us ,”No, they did not.” In a Christian college in the 80’s, we were angrily told not to publicly confront the homosexual movement’s parades and protests in a large city. Why?, it would make the college look bad. Does the Jericho rally embarrass us? Does it make the church look bad? At least they are speaking out against evil and unrighteousness. God may very well use a Biden Harris administration on America like Assyria and Babylon were used to punish Israel and Judah. We are required to speak out, though, for the millions whose lives will certainly be crushed. If the Church does nothing, stands for nothing, we will suffer the consequences. The WCA may need to make serious plans for an underground church- if they are seriously Christian.
Comment by Steve on December 15, 2020 at 1:34 pm
While there is a time and a place for a political “foodfight”, I do not think that church nor this religious message board is the place to have it. Nor do I think religious leaders should be weighing in with opinions regarding politics generally. Religious leaders are presumably religious professionals, not medical, legal or political professionals. They should tread lightly outside their area of area of specialization. They have a special responsibility not to cloak debatable political opinions with religious authority.
Comment by Jeff on December 15, 2020 at 1:58 pm
Well said, Carrie. Thanks and may GOD bless you!
Comment by Philip on December 15, 2020 at 2:06 pm
Carrie,
“What would a leftist administration bring to us? Would there ever be another democratic election?” No. Stop asking stupid questions. Not a single Democratic statesman has ever advocated getting rid of free elections. On the contrary, we want more democracy, not less. We want to make Election Day a national holiday. We want to stop making disenfranchisement a punishment for minor criminal offenses, especially for people who have otherwise served their time. We want to reintroduce provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act to ensure minority communities are not underserved during elections (as has happened in past elections in Georgia and Texas to name a few). We want resources and available precincts in every district decided on the basis of population and need, not political affiliation (once again see recent cases in Georgia and Texas). We want stricter laws against gerrymandering. And we will defend the 17th Amendment giving state voters the final say over who represents them in the US Senate (as opposed to many Republicans who have advocated turning control back over to partisan state legislatures). We want every state that requires voter ID to also provide all their residents with the appropriate ID free of charge. We want laws against faithless electors in every state. It is Trump and his allies who are trying to overturn democracy in the name of saving it. There will be no hope for future free elections if the losing party thinks it can overturn the results in court without cause. Elections should be decided at the ballot box, not the courtroom.
Comment by Jeff on December 15, 2020 at 4:06 pm
Philip,
>> Stop asking stupid questions.
Please stop giving disingenuous answers.
>> Not a single Democratic statesman has ever advocated getting rid of free elections.
Well, duh. That isn’t the issue. There’ll be elections, for sure, right on schedule — so what? Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, the Soviet Union — they all have (or had) “elections”. But as your favorite uncle Josef Stalin famously said, “it’s who counts the votes” — in the middle of the night, on rigged machines, after sending the poll watchers home because of phony broken water pipes and such.
In the Harris administration, fake ballots furtively counted will forever pad (if necessary) the bumper crop of votes you lefties will tally from amnesty to non-citizens, felons and sixteen year olds voting, and ballots harvested from anyone with a pulse in exchange for a pack of ciggies — or, if they’re nursing home patients with dementia, maybe a six pack of beer for the on-duty nurse’s aide will get you a couple dozen or so.
And as you well know… I am not making any of that up. Every single technique I mentioned is even now in use by the DemonRat election fraud machine. They’ve been caught red-handed at all of them!
After this brazen robbery — what the hey, let’s call it what it is, a COUP… the very existence of our republic IS at stake. Does anyone wonder why there’s talk of militias?
May GOD have mercy on us!
Comment by Philip J. Brooks on December 15, 2020 at 6:16 pm
Jeff,
I see you’ve regressed your political discourse all the back to McCarthy by just accusing everyone who challenges you of being a communist. Didn’t work then and won’t work now. I am not a communist for the record, but that has nothing to do with this discussion. There was no fraud. Repeating the same lie on here over and over again won’t make it true and certain won’t advance the conversation. The facts are this. Trump lost the election. Polls prior to the election in both liberal and conservative media showed the five states where Biden narrowly beat Trump as being in play and toss ups. Biden likely did better with mail-in balloting because he actively encouraged his supporters to utilize the practice in order to avoid contracting COVID while waiting in line to vote whereas Trump actively told his supporters not to vote by mail. It’s worth noting that many states which did not offer any extended mail-in options are see record high COVID cases now. Mississippi which doesn’t even offer early voting is sicker than a dog right now. Machines were not rigged to do anything. The only documented instance of votes for Trump being changed to Biden were due to human error, not the machines and promptly corrected. Such errors are not uncommon and the officials handled the situation properly. A pipe did burst in Fulton County, but did not affect any ballots. Workers were not sent home, but rather paused the counting until the leak was repaired, which took about two hours. I’m not even going to address the false claims and nonsense in your second paragraph since these have no basis in fact. Like Trump you’ve got no evidence of anything, but you expect the rest of the world to stop and humor your delusions. 2020 nearly over. Happy New Year!
Comment by Jeff on December 15, 2020 at 6:30 pm
It’ll be a happier new year, philip, once the fraud is uncovered and the plotters are brought to justice. And it will be exposed, and their will be justice.
Stay safe, work hard, earn those apportionment $$ while you can — and for goodness’ sake, review the grammar concept of paragraphs, you could use a refresher course!
Comment by Philip on December 15, 2020 at 10:37 pm
There’s nothing to expose. The people chose Biden. The Electoral College has already confirmed him, Trump has lost every court case attempting to overturn the election, and McConnell has already confirmed that the Senate GOP leadership will not recognize the fake electors Trump’s allies have put forth. Biden will be inaugurated on January 20 and Trump will have to vacant the White House whether he likes it or not. I suppose Trump will never officially concede, but then again the country doesn’t need his concession to move forward. It never did. I have no doubt there will still be Trump supporters like you a year from now, probably even twenty years from now, still waiting for some smoking gun that will never come and you can keep on waiting forever, but the country will more forward and heal.
Comment by David Connon on December 16, 2020 at 11:18 am
Well said, Mark Tooley.
Comment by Star Tripper on December 18, 2020 at 1:21 pm
Yes Mark, it would be nice if we could just go back to those sleepy days of the 1980’s and play into the civic nationalist myth. The corruption is more widespread than you can imagine but at some point it will be in your face. If Western Civilization survives it will be because of countries like Poland and Hungary and not by the UK or the US in their current forms.
Comment by Tony Heine on December 20, 2020 at 5:41 pm
Mark,
I have a lot of respect for you, but you are totally misreading the moment.
This is not the America you think it is.
“Wise citizens of any nation seek temperance, moderation, toleration, and peaceful debate.”
Dude, where have you been this past year? The sentence above can’t be applied to how any major institution in this country has acted over the past year.
You are a student of history. What does history teach about situations where multiple groups of people, with radically different worldviews, have to live elbow to elbow? What are the possible outcomes? I’ll give you a hint: “liberal democracy” is not one of them.
We are facing a political, cultural, economic, and spiritual singularity, and I don’t know what’s on the other side.
Our only hope, both as individuals and as a nation, is to turn to Christ. Only He can save us, and only He can unite us into one people. Otherwise, we are just another pagan empire, locked firmly into the waning half of Glubb’s depressing cycle.
Comment by Jeff on December 22, 2020 at 9:52 am
>> We are facing a political, cultural, economic, and spiritual singularity, and I don’t know what’s on the other side. Our only hope, both as individuals and as a nation, is to turn to Christ.
Succinct and profound. Thank you Tony. Blessings in CHRIST for you and yours.