Five Signs You May be a "Christian Nationalist"

"Christian Nationalism is a pagan, secularising cult that promotes an idolatry of the State....If we did have a valid 'religious-political theology,' it is the Beatitudes, Matthew 25, and Prophet Amos." - Lazar Puhalo

Five Signs you may be a (Christian) Nationalist:

1. You ascribe to the idea of "My country, right or wrong."

2. You believe patriotism is a sacred duty. You see nothing wrong with venerating the flag and the cross in the same way.

3. You believe God has a special anointing for your nation that makes it better/more special than other countries. 

4. You are willing to see the leaders of your country act in unethical, unChristian ways if it means gaining advantage for your nation.

5. You refuse to acknowledge the sins of your country - past or present - and believe your country to be essentially, inherently good, or holy, or Christian. Any discussion of these sins feels like an attack on something sacred to you.

Should we love our country? It has often been strongly presented to us that we should. This is the patriotic thing to do, the right thing, even the "Christian" thing. But is it a biblical requirement? Is it faithful to Christ?

"Our country" is a concept; a corporate entity; a power and/or principality. We are not instructed to love powers and principalities or concepts or corporate entities in Scripture. Giving our love to these things might in fact prevent us from loving those we are invited - or even commanded - to love in Scripture: our neighbours, the widow and the orphan, the stranger, our enemies, and God. We run the very real danger of failing to love God and our neighbour because we believe that they could threaten the well-being of our nation.

We can appreciate aspects of our nation, like decisions that were made, laws that were passed. We can also lament things that our nations have done. But that is not the same things as loving one's country.

We have created a course entitled Jesus or Nationalism, with the help of biblical scholar Bob Ekblad. If you want to go deeper into this vital and timely topic, click below:

Jesus OR Nationalism