Christian Nationalism is Spreading Across the U.S.
Here's what you should know...
Let’s define a few things before we jump in...
Christianity
Christianity is a religion that is, in some form, followed by roughly 68% of people in the United States, according to the most recent Gallup analysis of religion in the U.S.
Nationalism
Nationalism is defined as "an ideology based on the premise that the individual's loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group interests."
Christian Nationalism
Christianity Today defines Christian Nationalism as "the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way."
Some of the most common beliefs held by Christian Nationalists include:
That America's founding fathers were evangelical Christians
That America is "God's chosen nation"
That it is wrong to criticize America
That there is no such thing as separation of church and state
That the United States government should advocate "Christian values"
That Christian prayer should be mandatory in public schools
That abortion and same-sex marriage are a direct attack on the "fundamental source of order within society"
That we must "preserve historical status quo on issues of race, gender, and sexuality"
That "the legitimacy of the United States government derives from its commitment to a particular religious and cultural heritage, and not from its democratic form"
That government zoning laws should apply to the construction of churches but not places of worship belonging to other religions
It’s important to remember that the United States has never been a "Christian Nation."
While Christian Nationalists believe that America is a nation defined by Christianity, they are lacking important historic context.
The "founding fathers" who wrote the Constitution were specifically concerned about protecting the population from the enforcement of any one religious ideology. Many of these men—Washington, Monroe, Jefferson, Franklin, and Madison—practiced a faith called Deism, which is a philosophical belief that human reason can solve social and political problems.
James Madison was so opposed to religion invading government that he named 15 reasons why government should not become involved in the support of any single religion in “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments.” One quote of note: "During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution."
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.
The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution prohibits government from encouraging or promoting ("establishing") religion in any way. That's why there is no official religion in the U.S.
Religious liberty is one of America's founding principles. The U.S. Constitution does not endorse a single religious creed, and it does not recognize any power of government to decide religious questions. The right to practice religion - or no religion at all - is among the most fundamental of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
As for the separation of church and state?
The idea of the separation of church and state is just that: an idea. The United States has never known such a reality.
Despite the fact that Thomas Jefferson famously wrote a letter in 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut in which he was clear that religious liberty, free from state tampering, would be a key part of the American vision, this never came to be. The Constitution, he wrote, would "restore to man all his natural rights." In this same letter, Jefferson explained the intent of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution, which reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…" This, he said, built a "wall of separation of church and state."
But if we’re looking at the reality of the religious makeup of U.S. Congress to the country's motto – shockingly adopted more recently than many even know – religion has always held a place in our government.
According to an analysis from Pew Research, Congress has always been overwhelmingly Christian. This does not reflect the population of the country.
Nearly nine-in-ten representatives (87%) in the current 119th Congress identify as Christian. (Remember, 68% of the American population identifies as Christian.)
With this in mind, it's important to remember the job of Congress: to pass legislation.
When legislation is guided by personal religious beliefs - as it often is as evidenced by the constant stream of impassioned debates on the floors of both chambers - religion naturally finds itself as a factor in the crafting and outcome of many pieces of legislation.
In recent years, efforts to conceal religious intentions behind legislation have been abandoned, with many legislators adding religious narratives straight into the copy of bills.
To be clear: Despite the fact that the constiution grants us the right to freedom both of and from religion, we are trapped in an endless cycle of hyper religious individuals and extremist groups ignoring the latter and implementing legislation and laws based on their own religious beliefs.
These laws impact tens of millions of people—millions of whom do not even subscribe to the same religion as those who are instrumental in the crafting and implementation of them. Really. As of 2024, nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population is “religiously unaffiliated.”
Research has shown that the number of those who practice Christianity in the U.S. has been declining and could, in just a few decades, no longer be the majority religion. This is because young people have been pulling away from organized religion - specifically Christianity - for decades.
"Each new generation sees 31% of people who were raised Christian become religiously unaffiliated by the time they reach 30. If switching [from Christianity to religiously unaffiliated or other] among young Americans continued at recent rates, Christians would decline as a share of the population by a few percentage points per decade, dipping below 50% by 2060," a Pew Research report says.
...and it’s not just lawmakers. The religious perversion of the Supreme Court is a threat to whatever "democracy" exists within the U.S.
In 2022, the Supreme Court, which is comprised of 9 individuals who make decisions that impact more than 330 million people, drove a wedge between any perceived idea of a separation of church and state that previously existed when they ruled that taxpayers are required to fund private religious institutions as well as their ruling that a football coach praying midfield was protected under the First Amendment.
In her dissent in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: "This decision does a disservice to schools and the young citizens they serve, as well as to our nation's longstanding commitment to the separation of church and state."
And let us not forget that the Court - which is currently stacked with six Catholics - stripped millions of people of their right to abortion in their ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health – made possible by the appointment of three Justices who consider themselves to be deeply religious people.
But the religious extremism of the Court is not by chance.
In July 2022, Politico reported on "Operation Higher Court" - which was an "extensive, decades-long operation by the evangelical Faith and Action group to influence Justices Thomas, Alito and Scalia through meals and entertainment."
While it may be shocking to some that a single evangelical group was wining and dining Supreme Court Justices in an effort to influence their decisions on the bench, it should be known that efforts by right wing conservative Christian groups to influence politics in the U.S. is widespread.
Take one of the most dangerous groups currently operating in the country right now: Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
ADF is a "Christian conservative" legal advocacy group that works to outlaw abortion, challenge LGBTQ+ rights, and inject Christianity into public schools and government. In a nutshell, they are a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group operating through legislative branches of the U.S. government with the goal of stripping people of their rights.
Alliance Defending Freedom's focus since its inception has been outlawing abortion and rolling back LGBTQ+ rights.
Alliance Defending Freedom was founded by Evangelical Christians in 1994 as "Alliance Defense Fund" with a vision to "defend religious freedom before it was too late.” When the group was first formed, they funded legal battles instead of litigating themselves. However, when the name of the group changed from Alliance Defense Fund in 2012, so did their strategy. They now litigate cases challenging abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. The group also focuses heavily on their goal for Christianity to be written into U.S. institutions such as public schools and government.
ADF has crafted much of the model legislation that has been used to roll back abortion and LGBTQ+ rights across the country.
(Model legislation is legislation that is drafted, predominately by special interest groups, and shared with lawmakers for them to adopt and introduce in their legislatures.)
ADF has crafted model legislation for abortion bans - most notoriously the 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi that made its way to the Supreme Court and overturned Roe v. Wade - as well as anti-trans legislation, including "bathroom bills", and transgender sports bans. (If you have ever read any of the bills being introduced and wondered why the language is so similar, it's likely thanks to model legislation.)
And if you’ve asked yourself: does ADF have ties to the Supreme Court? The answer is, unsurprisingly, yes. ADF has direct ties to Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett was paid 5 separate times by ADF to deliver speeches to the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, a summer program run by the group, established to inspire a 'distinctly Christian worldview in every area of law.' When the Court heard arguments for Dobbs - the case that ultimately led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, lawyers from ADF served on the Mississippi Attorney General's legal team to defend the ban - Coney Barrett did not recuse herself.
Notable cases ADF has brought to or litigated before to the Supreme Court:
Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014)
March for Life Education and Defense Fund v. California (2020)
303 Creative v. Elenis (2022)
In the nearly 30 years since it began, ADF has arguably become the most organized and influential Christian legal group in the United States and their reach has expanded globally, now operating in over 100 countries. And, unfortunately, they are not the only “Christian conservative” group influencing politics and social issues in this country...
There is a concerted effort among “Christian conservative” extremist groups to influence U.S. politics. Here are a few of the most influential groups:
Project Blitz is a coalition of over 40 Christian Nationalist groups seeking to "protect the free exercise of traditional Judeo-Christian religious values and beliefs in the public square, and to reclaim and properly define the narrative which supports such beliefs."
Founded by Randy Forbes, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia's 4th district, Project Blitz works to inject Christian Nationalist views into public education, attack reproductive healthcare, and undermine LGBTQ+ equality by weaponizing and distorting "religious freedom".
How do they do this?
Project Blitz provides model legislation and talking points to state and local legislators who seek to introduce bills that mirror the group's beliefs. In 2018, more than 70 bills related to the group were introduced across the country.
BlitzWatch, a project of a coalition of national civil rights and religious freedom organizations, works to monitor and track Project Blitz. They report that in 2019, Project Blitz went underground. This means that their legislative guides are no longer available to the public.
The Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on “protecting religious freedom, preserving America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and promoting prayer.”
According to their website, the CPCF aims to:
Protect the free exercise of traditional Judeo-Christian religious values and beliefs in the public square.
Provide research, information, and analysis to support lawmakers who are enacting specific legislation to fully protect religious liberty and the free exercise of our faith in the public square by eliminating paths for legal retribution or government interference.
Encourage conservative legislators at the local, state and federal level who are submitting legislation and public policy positions, while building a broad coalition of citizens supporting them with public relations, messaging and grassroots activists on multiple fronts.
Properly frame the narrative and the language of religious liberty issues.
How do they do this?
The CPCF works directly with “high-level leaders” within local, state, and federal governments, uses grassroots outreach, and public education to promote their agenda.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is one of the largest and most influential anti-choice groups in the country.
Founded in 1993 as "Susan B. Anthony List" (named in response to abortion rights group EMILY's List), Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America seeks to ultimately eliminate abortion in the United States. In an effort to make this a reality, the group focuses on electing anti-choice legislators at both the federal and state levels.
The group's president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, was the leader of Trump's "Pro-Life Coalition" during his 2016 campaign. She has been instrumental in lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill to support bills that would restrict abortion access - notably standing to the right of Senator Lindsey Graham when he introduced a nationwide abortion ban in September 2022.
The Charlotte Lozier Institute, Women Speak Out PAC, National Pro-Life Women's Caucus and the Life Issues Institute are all branches and affiliates of SBA List.
Concerned Women for America is a Christian Nationalist group that works to influence state and local policy.
Founded in 1978, Concerned Women for America identifies itself as an organization in opposition to feminism. The group is opposed to issues such as abortion, sex education, same-sex marriage, LGBTQ+ rights, and secular education. They highlight seven core issues that they focus on as: "the family, the sanctity of human life, religious liberty, education, sexual exploitation, national sovereignty, and support for Israel."
As highlighted by Open Secrets, "Lobbying disclosures reveal the group worked with federal lawmakers on 'proposals to advance life protections in federal law depending on the outcome in the SCOTUS case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.'“
The group is currently hyper focused on advancing anti-trans bills and “standing with Israel” (really) and their unflinching support for Donald Trump.
Family Research Council is a "conservative Christian" group and lobbying organization.
Founded in 1981, the Family Research Council opposes and lobbies against issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and abortion.
The group's "legislative affiliate", FRC Action PAC, aims to "educate and influence elected officials". The PAC has spent more than $250,000 since 2020 influencing election cycles. The PAC also promotes and lobbies for proposed legislation, such as "The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act", which was recently passed in the House.
The Family Research Council has been designated an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC cites the organization's "battles against same-sex marriage, hate crime laws, anti-bullying programs and the repeal of the military’s 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' policy."
It’s not always groups working to influence politics in the U.S. either – Jonathan Mitchell, a lawyer out of Texas, has singlehandedly had quite the impact on this country.
Jonathan Mitchell opened a law firm in Texas in 2018 dedicated to challenging Supreme Court rulings, most of which have been a direct attack on people's rights.
Mitchell was instrumental in helping to craft Texas's SB8 law, which created a bounty system against individuals who provided or facilitated abortion services in the state. (SB8 has been replicated in various states across the country.)
He has worked with Mark Lee Dickson, the Director of Right to Life of East Texas, to advance local ordinances aiming to criminalize what they call “abortion trafficking” – which would make it a crime to travel through counties if the destination was to obtain an abortion. He has filed multiple petitions seeking to depose women who he claims traveled out of state to seek abortion care.
Mitchell also brought forth a lawsuit in Texas challenging the preventative services mandate under the Affordable Care Act and another suit challenging the availability of federally funded family planning services under Title X.
Religious freedom experts, national security experts, political figures, and journalists have come to a clear consensus: Christian Nationalism is a threat to the "democracy" that exists in the United States.
A 2021 report from the Pew Research Center on U.S. support for the separation of church and state illustrates, "much of the existing research on Christian Nationalism demonstrates that among white people, Christian Nationalism is linked with support for:
the Republican Party
enthusiasm for Trump
hostility toward immigrants
denial that racism is pervasive or systemic in America."
...any of that sound familiar to the reality of the U.S. right now?
Project 2025, which is currently being implemented by Trump, is a Christian Nationalist manifesto.
“Mandate for Leadership,” the massive, 800+ page playbook from Project 2025 outlines suggested policies and plans that Donald Trump has been embracing since taking office.
Project 2025 takes aim at the rights of women, the LGBTQ+ community, and minority communities. It also outlines various avenues to ban abortion care, and highlights “single motherhood” and “fatherlessness” as destroying families and the country.
Many of the authors within Project 2025 have ties to the Heritage Foundation, which has churned out countless Christian Nationalists who have gone on to shape the country for the worst.
The culmination of decades of steadfast efforts to inject Christian Nationalism into every facet of government in the U.S. has come to a head with Donald Trump.
During the campaign for his first term, Trump managed to convince large swaths of the religious right that he was one of them. This belief in Trump as a “man of God” has not dissipated amongst his most loyal base who, despite every piece of evidence to the contrary, still believes him to be their Christian savior.
But for those of us grounded in reality, we see Trump for the opportunistic dirty player that he is. If he can gain monetary or egotistical support, he is willing to do just about anything. This includes signing an executive order establishing a task force and a presidential commission to protect Christians from “religious discrimination.”
Because that’s the thing about Christian Nationalists – they believe that they are "victims of increased secularization" and they weaponize this idea to promote xenophobia, racism, bigotry, patriarchal ideology, authoritarianism, militarism, and hate.