With the state of the political world today, I like to think back to when I was a kid: when politics were simply politics, human rights were an unquestionable priority and religion was practiced in church, not on the debate stage.
I was surprised when I began diving into the history of America’s political sphere, however, that this infliction of religion onto politics has been a long time coming, since long before I was even born.
As a child, I thought all was great, which in comparison to the state of the world right now, truth be told, going back to the early 2000s would be fantastic. But nevertheless, there was decay festering, I guess I was just too busy with barbies, books and playing to notice.
Let me be the one to tell you that this is all happening for a reason; it’s not a coincidence and despite what you may think, it was planned out decades ago. The current torn political sphere has been meticulously planned, all for the Christian nationalism movement.
First, let me define Christian nationalism, because it has become one of the biggest threats to America today, despite hiding in the shadows, leaving most people ignorant.
According to a podcast from PBS News, it is “an ideology that is based around the idea that this is a Christian nation, that this was founded as a Christian nation, and, therefore, it should be a Christian nation today and should be so in the future.”
What ever happened to the separation of church from state?
Recently numerous books and documentaries have taught me about how Christian nationalism came to a rise and of the movement itself, but I believe it’s more important to know how religion became so involved in the political sphere in the first place.
Afterall, these are dominos, falling atop one another. Think about cause and effect.
For example, this all truly began with a singular man, one who initiated the religious right, which according to The First Amendment Encyclopedia is “a political movement, prominent since the 1970s, that advocates social and political conservatism.”
Recently I read “Bad Faith: Race and Rise of the Religious Right” by Randall Balmer and was introduced to the movement, but also one specific evangelical, Paul Weyrich.
According to the Cambridge English Dictionary an evangelical is someone “belonging to one of the Protestant Churches of Christian groups that believes that the teaching of the Bible and persuading other people to join them is extremely important.”
This is how it all began.
In the ‘70s, Weyrich, and I hate giving him any attention, but this is important, created a plan to spread his evangelical faith across the country. To do this, however, he needed to get evangelicals into the political sphere, because at the time, they couldn’t care less.
So, Weyrich met with some other evangelicals and tried to brainstorm issues that could get their fellow believers ramped up, to vote and become a part of the political sphere. Some tossed out “the gays,” some recommended abortion, but what eventually gave rise to evangelicals dipping their feet into the political waters was their disagreement with desegregation.
Most people today believe that it was the issue of abortion that brought evangelicals into politics. Instead, it was because they combatted the idea of letting Black people into their educational facilities. The religious right is built on racism.
Now, don’t get me wrong, not all evangelicals supported this and still don’t. In fact, I find progressive evangelicals specifically admirable.
In another book by Randall Balmer, “Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter,” I learned that most evangelicals supported equal rights, women’s rights, desegregation etc. I even came to admire most of their beliefs.
However, after Weyrich used some evangelical’s disagreement towards dismantling segregation in schools to get them interested in politics, they were convinced the government was imposing on their religious freedom and therefore private practice.
These original beliefs, evangelicals once held so dear, were twisted into something entirely different by Weyrich. There’s truly so much more to say, but over time, things took off and eventually most evangelicals in the political sphere turned against gay people, abortion and women’s rights.
That one decision of Weyrich’s is why we’re all here today. I dream of going back to a period where true evangelicals were in the political sphere. Instead, they’ve been tainted and turned against all the things they once held true.
So, let me remind you that It’s important, to know how we got here. To learn about the past, because now we’re all victims of it.
Again, there’s so much more to say, but in the meantime, read up on it.
Watch “Shiny Happy People,” or read “The Family: A Study of Power, Politics and Evangelical Influence in Washington,” there’s even a documentary for “The Family” if you aren’t a big reader.
Do something. Learn something, because I promise, when you do, you’ll be just as frightened as I am.
