A kingdom divided,
not built on firm foundation, will fall. Why so many labels, pronouns, and identities? And What is "Christian Nationalism?" If you watch certain news organizations, you'd think it was a huge part of reality. America, and the world, has never been so divided on what constitutes perception, reality, and truth. Honestly, I don't know what that term even is- "Christian Nationalism." If it exists, it's -incredibly small- and being way over-represented in media. Much like anything else that is a tiny percentage being radically over-represented or over enforced, it -skews- the entire perception of the weight of the part -in relation- to the implications of the whole. People who don't truly understand Christianity, or grasp the truth, can mischaracterize and misjudge anything based off of radicalism. It's probably easy to want to find a solution by over focusing on the wrong thing. I've never heard of anyone who's heard of anyone that knows what this is. And for whatever their beliefs may be, we should be able to accurately decipher what it is that is a threat to human prosperity. Many Are mislead on the truth. I've only recently heard of this term, only from Media sources that support specific political ideologies. Christianity is the most culturally and racially diverse, peaceful, prosperous and accepting movement to have ever existed among the human population. Slander never suited anyone well, and we've seen it many times throughout history. We can not say that Muslims are bad people because of a small radical group who are bad. Violence is never okay, and should be equally denounced in any situation. Violence in one uprising shouldn't be overlooked in preference of another uprising- peacefully discussing why it's occurring and what policies best remedy it is the answer- not- by canceling or shaming- which much worsens it. What we really need to decipher is what is true, and what truly threatens human prosperity. What is the threat, and how much of a threat is it, and why? We need to be careful when we start labeling and creating division off of identity or politics. It's the same for any type of slander or bias in any direction. It distorts the correct interpretation. Christianiy is not about religion, identity, or politics. People who know the living God and acknowledge it to be true and are faithful to that, are what you can call Christians. That is our worldview. Ideology is not identity, and ideologies have value structures. Our value is in and from who God is, not who we are or man-made identity. We are more than this physical realm, and are faithful to that. We know the living God, his word, and uphold his laws- God is higher than government. This country was not founded on nationalism or Christianity in labeling terms, I have no idea what "white nationalism" is and truly don't think it's more than a minuscule percentage of the population, certainly not what is truly threatening us. The danger lies in grouping people together based off race, religion, identity, or politics, and people who stand for truth have to acknowledge what is true. You can't judge anyone off of radicalism. The original problem with this began in 2015- when the media wasn't willing to respect or listen to all people and America dissented into cancel culture tactics to achieve ideological control, and that doesn't work. What we see in the media doesn't reflect reality or the vast majority. We saw the uprising of tactics used in cultural Marxism to insert control over speech and media. Freedom of speech can not be controlled. Just because someone doesn't like the truth, doesn't mean they can cancel the truth from being spoken. Truth never changes, only our understanding or interpretation of the truth does. If we don't debate truth, we can't wrestle over the best ideas. This is the tragedy in universities. If we don't have an equal right to speak the truth and pursue the truth, then we don't hear or know the truth, and we wander further from the truth. We unravel into destruction against the laws of nature. It's deceptive. That's when uprisings occur- people who are tired of "being polite" in their silence, are speaking up... and getting louder. Loving others and yourself, peace, prosperity, and being witness to and upholding the truth defines Christianity. Government policies are not the focus, but they do reflect our ability to practice our Faith. Religious freedom, freedom of speech, and separation of church and state are important for a functioning society predicated on mutual respect. In America, we all have a right to public education and resources. We finance the government, we pay taxes for public education, not for political indoctrination in schools. Political indoctrination in education has never been this severe. Christianity is not in public education or government. Over the past decade, the government, media, cdc, Facebook, Twitter, school boards, academia, and even healthcare has far too overstepped it's authority, and the response to the pandemic further proved this. Gender ideology in media, government, children shows, and mainly public education is a violation to religious liberty, and it's being ignored by government. Accepting a small minority shouldn't result in altering the fundamental course of the majority. Government mandates, shutdowns, vaccines, pronouns, questionnaires, etc.. that is not working with followers of Christ and is pushing them out of public education and government. They are also the majority, and are either being unrepresented, wrongly represented, or just silenced and ignored. That is a deception of truth. People need to start listening to each other. If people had respect, they wouldn't feel the need to address the "name-game, shame-game" tactics that seem to be leading people astray from a truthful and prosperous society. We cant fix problems without identifying the cause. It wasn’t the pandemic; it was largely the response to it. Source, response Cause, affect Truth, perception 🙃 A lot of tragedies, in their own definition are horrific, are trying to fix themselves with perceived remedies that ...don’t produce actual remedy. The universe can only function off of acknowledging what is true, thats the reoccurring pattern- theres always rising universal consequences in building off of what is untrue. Thats why we seek the truth. Sources exist and are meant to be discovered. When certainity is reached, its known. Truth is knowable, truth is provable. Sources matter- otherwise our perception of truth isnt founded on truth. We are under the universal laws of the creator of this existence. Its not human opinion or bias, It is just... what is. Truth is probably offensive- but its unchangeable. Its truth. Cause and effect always reoccurs. We need to acknowledge the effect- whether thats offensive to us, sadly, doesn’t matter- because we dont create universal laws, and cant change them. We want to avoid the consequences of suffering, and it starts with the truth of any source in any circumstance. If it's not the truth, it won't work. Just as good parents warn their children about what is dangerous and wrong, truthfulness has implications as well. The truth is that radical Islam is a radically more significant threat to global peace and prosperity than "radical Christianity." To imply that to mean anything other than what it truly does has implications- totalitarianism, communism, recession and security are much larger threats to peace and prosperity than perceived Christian bias or conservatism, or perceived racism in America. If we silence people for acknowledging the cause to a warranted outcome because we don't agree, the solution never comes but gets far worse. The media isn't reflecting the truth, and there's global consequences to that. The media wants to create and inflate its own truth, and there's consequences to that as well. People can be respectful, fair, and disagree at the same time. What is just and noble always prevails over tyranny. If it's not fair, it eventually fails.. or we end up in a global communist surveillance state with no free will. We are reaping severe consequences and should decide if we are awake, or woke. Human perception may not align with existing truth, but truth still exists and continues on its course anyway- as always proven. Humans cant create or determine their own truth- the universe has a system, we need to pursue what that is to the best of our ability, and seek the truth until certainty, otherwise we create more chaos thats opposing the created order. This is exactly what America was founded on- the pursuit of truth and prosperity, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech. That is the American foundation that has crumbled. Those who defend the constitution defend those values, those values create the best chance for a peaceful and prosperous society. Until they're gone. Race and identity are irrelevant, so Americans would be wise to not misuse and mislabel terms such as "nationalism." Nothings perfect (other than God and his plan) no one is. We all have struggles and why we are handed different struggles is difficult to grapple with, but we are all equal in his eyes. We are equally imperfect (me first!). We need god. Thats why he created us and revealed himself to us- not just for our future forever home, but now- more specifically- because when times get worse- and they will- and they will continue to increase in frequency and intensity- its much easier to be prepared in knowledge of the truth and relationship with our living and coming savior, who delivers us from our sorrows during tribulation and tragedy. The labor pains are in the beginning stages, we are living in revelation, prophecies are fulfilling, and we are experiencing both global physical and spiritual battles. Just as he said. Whether we have a relationship with our creator Now in this existence, or after we cross this physical realm into a better age, we will all meet our creator. God is real, God heals, and God is for everyone. We are all invited into the glory of knowing our savior now. . Jesus is our living hope! Maranatha! The military is struggling
mightily to meet their recruitment goals. In August, reports came in that the Army had only "recruited about 52% of its goal for fiscal year 2022 and is likely to wind up short by as many as 15,000 recruits." Significant shortages in personnel are also being reported by the Air Force and Navy. Meanwhile, this presidential administration's military leaders continue to flounder in woke ideologies that are being pushed on service-members. What cannot be ignored are the woke policies being forced onto our servicemembers by the current administration which damage morale, increase the number of troops voluntarily leaving, and scare away potential recruits. "Young Americans are observing what's happening in our military services and they don't like what they see," Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin "They see a military that spends far more time on being woke than on national security. Furthermore, they see how the chain of command treats people who have religious objections to taking a vaccine that they do not want and therefore should not be required to take." This administration indeed continues to refuse to back off of their onerous requirements for all servicemembers to receive the COVID-19 shot, despite declaring on Sunday that "the pandemic is over," and despite multiple court losses after the mandate was challenged by troops. Still, even with massive recruiting shortfalls and a military that is being increasingly stretched thin across the U.S. and the globe, this administration is on the verge of dismissing upwards of 60,000 troops (the actual number of unvaccinated troops could be as high as 500,000, or a quarter of the military) and seemingly not caring. To make matters worse, This administration's military leaders are also failing at taking care of their service-members' most basic needs. The Post Millennial reported on September 10 that the Army is now advising military families to apply for food stamps in the midst of rising inflation. As the report pointed out, "Somehow, the $175 billion that the Army received in funding from taxpayers in the 2022 fiscal year does not cover the costs of even feeding soldiers' families." Yet- what about that student debt we are all paying for? The only reason why so many soldiers don't have student debt- is for this very reason, they sacrifice their own lives for all of us With unprecedented shortfalls in recruiting numbers, with servicemembers' families struggling to put food on the table, with Russia mobilizing an additional 300,000 troops to Ukraine, and with China breathing down the neck of Taiwan, what is the Left's biggest military concern? Apparently, it's that 128 military bases around the country are not sufficiently "close enough to abortion facilities," as Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) helpfully pointed out on the House floor Tuesday. Other top military concerns on the Left include "diversity and inclusion" training, which, as reported Thursday, includes the U.S. Air Force Academy "instructing cadets to use words that 'include all genders' and to refrain from saying things like 'mom' and 'dad.'" This was a bridge too far for Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Service's Strategic Forces Subcommittee, who sent a letter to the superintendent of the Air Force Academy on Tuesday, echoing the sentiments of millions of Americans greatly troubled by the downward trajectory of the world's most powerful and important security force. "The purpose of your institution is to make our future Airmen and Guardians more lethal, not more politically correct," Lamborn underscored. "This is exactly the kind of woke virtue signaling that has undermined public confidence by millions of Americans in our Armed Forces. Military effectiveness depends on cohesion -- not division. I ask that you seriously reconsider the military education you are conferring onto our future service-members and vigilantly protect those under your watch from being subjected to exaggerated diversity indoctrination and woke political agendas." As if to drive home Lamborn's point, the Pentagon issued a 200-page report Thursday celebrating the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which is yet another example of the kinds of activities that the military is spending its time and tax dollars on instead of training for, fighting, and winning wars for the greater good. The United States Air Force Academy also recently circulated promotional information among its cadets for the Brooke Owens Fellowship, which specifically bans 'cisgender men' from applying. The email sent on September 14, encourages cadets to apply to the program, which states: 'If you are a cisgender woman, a transgender woman, non-binary, agender, bigender, two-spirit, demigender, genderfluid, genderqueer, or another form of gender minority, this program is for you. 'If you are a cisgender man, this program isn't for you... A concerned Air Force cadet shared the email because, 'It's a little worrying that we have more briefs about D&I than briefs about foreign adversaries, emerging technologies or current events across the world.' We must pray for the conversion of the This administration, for our military leaders, and for fortitude for our fighting men and women who must endure such misguided and reckless leadership. National test results released on Thursday from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) revealed that the math and reading scores of elementary school students reached historic lows in 2022, with an unprecedented drop in math and the largest drop in 32 years in reading among nine-year-olds.
Experts say that the drops can be attributed to a variety of factors, including repercussions from school shutdowns, discipline issues, open borders, classroom time spent on controversial ideologies, and other factors. The dropping test scores reflect a tragic failure of the U.S. education system for vulnerable children and American taxpayers. “Test scores are important, but these reports can’t possibly measure every facet of educational performance, nor is it possible to quantify every factor that creates this national set of numbers,” she told The Washington Stand. “We should remember that a line on a graph represents millions of school children who need to learn. Americans value education, and we pay taxes into system that is not delivering.” Many experts agree that the 2020-2021 shutdown of most schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to “distance learning” detrimentally affected the education and economic opportunities of children, particularly minority students. What many see as particularly frustrating is that schools were shut down by government agencies despite the low risk of serious health issues that the coronavirus posed to children and despite evidence that shutdowns were ineffective in stopping the spread of the virus. Peggy Carr, the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, has pointed to problems that have arisen in schools as a result of the lockdowns, including “a rise in classroom disruption, school violence, absenteeism, cyberbullying, and teacher and staff vacancies, and schools also say more students are seeking mental health services.” “We all have a duty to address this problem, because children can’t fix a failing school system,” she observed. “Concerned citizens need to engage at the local school board level. We need to have conversations about why teachers are leaving the profession. Is it because school discipline is now a civil rights issue making learning impossible in chaotic classrooms? Is it because of vaccine requirements, or are some teachers afraid to return to in-person teaching? Is it because too many students come to school unready to learn? How is the crisis at the border impacting schools all over the country, when unaccompanied minors (who are trafficking victims) are placed in communities in the heartland, many of which lack the infrastructure to accommodate them? How has the emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and social emotional learning impacted student learning in core subjects? These are the kinds of questions we need to answer in our local communities so that each child enjoys a safe and rigorous education.” School districts across the country are indeed reporting historic levels of teacher shortages, with The Washington Post indicating that the shortage is partly due to “an escalating educational culture war” that is exhausting teachers, with highly controversial material like gender theory, critical race theory, and DEI being increasingly included in classroom curriculums. Still, Kilgannon sees hope in what Christians can do to help revitalize the education system. “When we see test scores like these NAEP results, people rightly feel discouraged, upset, and powerless,” she concluded. “As Christians, our response could be to bring our values to a system that desperately needs our love and our understanding that every child is created in the image and likeness of God. We can run for school board, apply for newly created teaching positions that don’t require an education degree, volunteer in our children’s classrooms, and especially pray for our schools and the children, teachers, and staff in them. Our children deserve it, and our nation needs it.” A proponent of school choice, DeSantis has particularly vied against strict classroom COVID-19 masking policies, teaching LGBTQ+ curriculum to elementary-aged students, and critical race theory. With Americans leaving the public school system by the millions in recent years, DeSantis’s views on education have made him popular with conservatives since his election in 2019. Girdusky’s PAC has helped conservative candidates win school board races across the country in a move to pushback against critical race theory and other left-leaning ideologies like transgenderism. From his perspective, parents will vote for what they believe benefits their children. “Education is the cornerstone of our society and is a huge motivating factor for voters,” he told TWS. “We are in the middle of the parents revolution and taking back our public education from those who wish to indoctrinate our children. This is the beginning of a much bigger movement that we hope to take nationwide.” Christians and parents are calling to run for school board to transform the education system and fight against left-leaning ideologies in the classroom. “That has absolutely happened,” she shared, “And so we need to support these folks with our prayers and with practical support. … People who care about the things that we care about realized how out of touch and out of step our educational establishment is with the wishes and needs of parents and children. And so they have stepped into the breach. They have run for office, and they are now ready to serve. They’ve been elected and now they’re ready to serve. So it’s our job now to support them in their work and to make sure that they have the research, the policy ideas, the facts that they need to transform our educational system and to work for children in America.” America is in the midst of a historic political realignment, much has been said about the movement of Hispanic voters and working class voters away from the Left, but we’re seeing another key demographic — parents — move away from the Left as well. The results of Florida’s school board races last night confirm this trend.” The most important government is the government closest to home, so when parents stream to the polls to toss recalcitrant ideologues off their local school board they are sending a clear message: teach our children to read and write, not gender ideology or dividing them by race.” “The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation becomes the philosophy of government in the next.” Often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, the statement captures a timely truth. Undeniably, progressive ideologies are dominating public education classrooms with the aim of producing young people beholden to the worldview of their schooling. Alarmingly, in many cases, the ideology is at odds with the values of the students’ parents.
While the majority of parents devote substantial time to raising their children, time is also a powerful force working against their efforts. The outsourcing of 16,000 hours of learning time to education establishments over the course of a child’s K-12 years has stacked the deck against parental influence. Couple this with the teacher’s recognized authority in the learning realm and the stage is set for schools to dominate the formation of children. As a result, there is a battle waging for the American mind. According to Pete Hegseth and David Goodwin, the confrontation is far more than a clash of worldviews. It is a battle. A war—a war over correct ideas….The classroom is our battlefield, the hearts and minds of our kids the prize. The very survival of the American Republic, and the greatness of Western civilization, are at stake. PETE HEGSETH & DAVID GOODWIN, BATTLE FOR THE AMERICAN MINDG.K. Chesterton famously stated, “Education is not a subject and does not deal in subjects. It is instead a transfer of a way of life.” And the way of life taught in today’s schools is leading to the downfall of our country. We did not arrive here overnight. While the COVID-induced-closed schools gave parents access to the public school teachings, propaganda, and priorities, the attack on our nation’s Judeo-Christian founding began nearly a century ago. In its place is progressivism, rooted in Marxism and radicalism. Progressivism’s ascendancy in K-12 public education dates back to John Dewey in the early twentieth century. But it was Dewey’s associate, secular humanist Charles Potter, that provided the most explicit revelation about the goal to dominate the influence on the hearts and minds of children through the classroom. Recognizing that many Americans were church-goers at the time, Potter boasted in 1930, “What can theistic Sunday School, meeting for an hour once a week, do to stem the tide of a five day program of humanistic teaching?” But the battle over who controls American primary and secondary education goes back much further — President Ulysses S. Grant and Senator James Blaine worked strategically in the 1870s to ban public money from going toward religious schools. While the Blaine Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was defeated in 1875 by the Senate, it laid the groundwork for Blaine Amendments in 36 state constitutions. The message was sent — our nation’s founding Judeo-Christian worldview, and the high value it placed on faith, would be pushed out of the most formative years of a child’s life. The First Amendment’s freedom of religion was now exchanged for the notion of freedom from religion. The drive of progressives to control the education of all children — not just public school children — was also witnessed in the 1920s with efforts to close private schools. Oregon led the way by attempting to outlaw all private Christian schools with the Compulsory Education Act of 1922. Other states had similar plans underway until the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously struck the law down in 1925 with the Pierce v. Society of Sisters decision. Beginning in the late 1960s, public education control has undeniably been held by the mega teacher unions in political alliance with liberal politicians. They have used their power to deeply root progressive philosophy dominance in K-12 public schools. This brings us back to today. Hegseth and Goodwin lament that countless parents nationwide send their children off to school “knowing that what they will encounter there—eight hours a day, five days a week, and nine months out of the year—reinforces none of those things” they teach them at home. In other words, “we ship them off to Democrat camp…every day.” Hegseth and Goodwin summarize the sad state of affairs: “We are willfully blind to the indoctrination of our kids, because it’s easier, cheaper, and more comfortable.” But they also highlight an alternative path. They challenge us to muster the courage to “stop doing it. Pull your kids out. Choose a radical reorientation for your life, and the life of your kids…you will not regret it.” The stakes are high, as radicals are grasping the hearts and minds of our children in irrevocable ways, robbing them of their innocence and undermining the flourishing of their minds that comes from knowledge and critical thinking skills rather than political indoctrination. It’s not too late. If enough Americans commit to winning the battle for their children, as a nation, we can win the war against the dominance of detrimental progressive ideologies. Collectively we can change the tide, reasserting parental authority, breaking the monopoly of powerful teacher unions and the K-12 education bureaucracy, and unbinding our children from destructive education malpractice. It is a genuine tragedy that most Americans are unfamiliar with the origins of the Republic in which they live, and are ignorant of the stated intentions and beliefs of the Founders of that Republic. Instead, the last three generations of Americans (Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y) have been treated to a rewritten, distorted version of American history. Indeed, the public school system has been largely stripped of the truth. Spending some time on this aspect of government will be profitable to the Christian who lives in this nation.
As one example out of a myriad, consider that politicians and others routinely refer to “our democracy.” Yet the Founders were adamant in their insistence that they established a republic—not a democracy. These wise men had combed through the annals of world history and examined the governments that preceded them. They concluded that a republic is the best form of government, particularly since it goes hand in hand with the general doctrines of Christianity. They were forceful in their disdain for democracies. Consider a few examples from the pens of quintessential Founders:
Such statements could be multiplied. But why the vehement disdain for a “democracy”? One must understand the Founder’s distinction between a democracy and a republic. A democracy is rule by the majority. If the majority of the citizens oppose slavery, homosexuality, polygamy, or abortion, then those behaviors will be illegal. If, on the other hand, the population shifts and a majority of the citizens endorse those behaviors, then those behaviors will be legalized, practiced, and promoted. In a democracy, the fickle feelings and subjective opinions of the people become law. A republic, on the other hand, is representative rule based on unchanging moral principles that transcend human opinions and feelings. These unchanging moral principles are derived from and based upon the unchanging laws of God—what the Founders called “natural law.” As Constitutionsigner and U.S. Supreme Court Justice James Wilson expressed: “Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine.”6 Or as Constitutionsigner Alexander Hamilton insisted: “The law…dictated by God Himself is, of course, superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at all times. No human laws are of any validity if contrary to this.” Many Christians in the West are concerned that our secular societies are becoming more inhospitable to Christian faith and practice. We often feel persecuted. In no way do I want to minimize the headwinds we’re now facing in the countries that formerly constituted Christendom. But to get desperately needed perspective, we must listen to the voices of believers in parts of the world where the opposition is much more pervasive and often takes the form of violence. This is the situation for Christians in large swaths of Asia—East, South, and West. They are indeed learning what the words of our Lord mean: Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt. 5:11–12, NIV) Christians in the West seldom have to test these important words of Jesus in the way our brothers and sisters in Asia have. Chinese Christians in particular have had reason in recent years to rely on this promise of Jesus. There are at least four things to learn from these verses. 1. ‘Blessed are you when people insult you.’ Not “Blessed are you if people insult you.” Every beatitude is a characteristic of a Christian. Every Christian must be poor in spirit, or you’re not a Christian; every Christian must hunger and thirst after righteousness, or you’re not a Christian. This is the last of the Beatitudes, which means Jesus assumes that if you’re a Christian, you will be persecuted. If you’re living consistently with Christianity, you will experience some kind of loss, some pushback, some opposition (see 2 Tim. 3:12 for confirmation of this interpretation: “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”). 2. We are only blessed if the persecution is ‘because of me [Jesus].’ Not “because of you.” Peter says something similar in 1 Peter 4:15: “But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.” The word translated “meddler” is an amazing Greek word. It means to be a busybody or to be tactless. What Peter and Jesus are saying is, if you’re talking about your Christian faith in a feckless way, a tactless way, an abrasive way, an insensitive way, a culturally inappropriate way, and people oppose you, don’t say, “I am being persecuted for Jesus’s sake!” No, you are being persecuted for yoursake. If you’re being obnoxious, the promise of blessedness doesn’t hold. 3. Persecution because of Jesus results in praise for the Father. Here is one way to determine whether you’re being persecuted for Jesus’s sake or for your own sake: You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:13–16, NIV) Some people will look at your life and faith and persecute you; others will look at that same life and will “praise your Father in heaven.” Some non-Christians will respond with hostility, while others will be attracted by your life and persuaded by your testimony. I propose that this is a great way to test ourselves. If we are only persecuted and few or no people are finding faith or being attracted to Jesus through us, then we’re likely being persecuted for our tactlessness. If we are never persecuted, then we’re likely compromising or being too quiet about our faith. But if both of those things are happening—if you are persecuted and your testimony is bearing fruit—you’re in a sweet spot. Speaking the truth without love will only bring opposition; being loving without insisting on the truth is cowardice. One of the most worrisome things about the church in the West is that we are not seeing much persecution or attraction, and surely that is an indictment. 4. We can experience the promise of blessedness through meditating on Jesus. Finally, how do we get the blessedness that Jesus says comes if you’re persecuted for his sake? That blessedness is a fascinating promise. It means the Holy Spirit will rest on you in a special way. It means his character will come into your life and be created, and it will shape you in a special way. It likely also means that you will see some people attracted to Jesus because of, not in spite of, the persecution. But I suggest you not be passive, that you actively go in prayer to God during times of persecution to seek the joy, love, and courage you need. One way to do that is to meditate on Jesus in the following way. If we are only persecuted and few or no people are finding faith or being attracted to Jesus through us, then we’re likely being persecuted for our tactlessness. Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus “emptied himself” of his glory. The King James Version translates these verses to say that Jesus, even though he was equal with the Father, “made himself of no reputation.” He had glory, and he had honor. He had the name, but he became rejected. He was shamed, humiliated—voluntarily. Crucifixion was not only a way to execute people. It was intentionally the most humiliating and ignominious death the Romans could come up with. Death on a cross was a dishonorable death. That means Jesus died in absolute shame so that you and I will not die in shame. We are going to have a name that lasts forever. Our names are written in heaven, inscribed in God’s book. We are going to live with honor and glory forever because Jesus experienced shame and humiliation. Now if you take a little hit to your reputation, if you get persecuted a little bit, knowing what Jesus did for you, can you bear that shame, knowing that he took the ultimate shame so that you could have the ultimate honor? Yes—if you meditate on Jesus’s humiliation, the blessedness that comes will help you to endure your own humiliation. This is a sobering message. But look—it ends in joy. “Rejoice and be glad,” Jesus says. Why? “Because great is your reward in heaven.” Look at that hope and know you have the name that will never perish. Know you have an honor and a glory that will never fade. There’s a note of this joy that runs throughout the testimonies and reflections in Faith in the Wilderness: Words of Exhortation from the Chinese Church. Stand Fast In early 2020, I witnessed this joy firsthand as thousands of Chinese house church Christians met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. While they gathered to encourage one another with gospel hope in the face of growing persecution, cases of COVID-19 broke out across their cities back home. They returned to China not in fear but with bold hope, knowing their home abides in the heavenly city, which cannot be destroyed. Let us learn from the witness of our Chinese brothers and sisters so we can stand fast all the better as we face trials wherever we live. The existence of Christianophobia should not be surprising. Jesus Himself predicted the world’s hatred for Christians: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18–19). Christians are called not to conform to the world but to be transformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 12:1–2). The unbelieving world hates what it does not understand and, therefore, will hate those who follow Christ. Few would admit an actual emotional hatred for Christians. And, admittedly, the hatred that Christians endure in 'most' of the world is 'relatively' mild. But the Christianophobia in the world today is simply a foretaste of what is to come. As the world increasingly turns away from God, the hatred of God’s people will increase exponentially. Examples of Christianophobia in the world today: (1) In much of the Muslim world, Christians are subject to extreme persecution. In many instances, the choice is to convert to Islam, flee, or die. (2) In much of the Western world, Christians are looked down upon, mocked or ridiculed, and marginalized. (3) It is becoming clear that Christians who desire to live by their convictions will be ineligible for certain careers, and government officials are being fined and even jailed for attempting to live by biblical convictions. (4) Christian beliefs are being presented in an extremely biased manner. Christianophobia is real, it is increasing, and, according to the Bible, it will get much worse. America has always been a place where Christians were free to worship and live according to their consciences. In fact, our country was built upon the principles of religious tolerance, individual liberty and the right to dissent. In our founding documents, the source of these rights and freedoms is clearly acknowledged as God, not the government. Yet the drastic changes we have experienced in the past half-century have so turned our culture on its head that to exercise those rights and freedoms means a Christian often risks marginalization, repression and even outright persecution. As I’ve written in Is This the End? there are five distinct stages of religious oppression now occurring in our nation that when fully formed, ultimately result in Christian persecution. All of them emerge from a growing Christophobia exhibited by certain members of government in our country. Stage 1: Stereotyping Today, Christians are often stereotyped as ignorant, uneducated, backward, inhibited, hateful and intolerant. Even the president joined in when, in 2008, he said of workers who vote according to their values, “They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion … .” Sometimes the media even features Christians as evil antagonists, holier-than-thou bigots who sit on their high horse and judge others harshly, like the prison warden in the movie The Shawshank Redemption who recites the Bible but abuses inmates. While it’s true that some Christians represent the faith poorly, these stereotypes grow out of a rising prejudice in our culture. Not to mention, they are a denial of the indispensable role Christianity has played in the development of American culture and the American ideal, from higher education to the free market to health care to equal rights to the rule of law. Stage 2: Marginalizing What many secularists want is for Christianity to be displaced from the center of American life. If the church must be allowed to exist, they want it confined to the realm of personal privacy and denied any effect on public life. You'll notice this sentiment when politicians and pundits carefully choose the phrase "freedom to worship" over "freedom of religion." The first is meant to confine us, and the second is meant to free us. They'd rather us marginalized as MSNBC personality Chris Matthews once tweeted, "If you're a politician and believe in God first, that's all good. Just don't run for government office, run for church office." Matthews' rule would have disqualified almost everyone who founded this country. Stage 3: Threatening Marginalizing religious expression from academic, institutional, corporate or public arenas is not enough for those who are Christophobic. They are determined to make Christians pay a price even when privately performing their activities. For example, an intern at one California university was terminated and threatened with expulsion from a graduate program for simply discussing her faith with co-workers, even though she did it only in her off hours. There are countless other examples, including many examples of high school students who have been denied the opportunity to start Bible clubs and practice their religion openly in government-funded schools. Then, in 2014, the chief executive of a top internet company was forced to resign when it was discovered he had contributed $1,000 to support a California bill which was deemed "bigoted" by secularists. The bill, by the way, passed overwhelming (making most californians bigots?). Then, it was overturned by the Supreme Court. That bill defined "marriage" as a religious term used to define a union with a man and a woman, which was also a position Barack Obama held to during the 2008 presidential election as it was the position of every Democratic president before him. Were they once bigots too? Stage 4: Intimidating If the first three stages do not silence us, then elected officials begin to exercise overreach and outright intimidation, and sometimes they use their positions to sanction such intimidation. Such was on egregious display just last month when the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Chairman, Martin R. Castro, stated in a letter to the president that "religious liberty" and "religious freedom" are "code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia [and] Christian supremacy ... ." He didn't write that letter just to the president. His memo was meant for us, Bible-believing Christians whom he aimed to intimidate. He is clearly Christophobic, and we're not intimidated by it. Stage 5: Litigation A growing number of Christians and Christian organizations are being taken to court for refusing to compromise their deeply held religious convictions. In 2013 a Catholic hospital was sued because it did not offer abortion services to a client. The case was an attempt to force all Catholic hospitals to perform abortions. As the editors of National Review noted, "The issue is not whether those who wish to avail themselves of certain services will be able to, but that those who object to them must be forced to participate." Unfortunately, there are far too many other examples to mention them all here, and plenty of recent ones. But unless there is a major turnaround, we can expect lawsuits and court judgments against Christians who practice their faith to escalate. This is especially true since the outgoing administration is responsible for replacing more than 300 judges across the country. While I do think America is a long way from the kind of persecution we typically think of when we use that word, I never dreamed that Christians would be stereotyped, marginalized, threatened, intimidated and litigated against as they are today. It's far more serious than we realize. So, you see, while “freedom” and “liberty” are central to the essence of America and what it means to be American, freedom is not the overriding feature of American civilization that has given us our national identity. For even freedom itself arises from the existence of the God Who imparted to human beings unalienable rights that inherently entail freedom to exercise free will and make one’s own decisions before God. Every single one of these rights came from God—not government. God intends for governments to guarantee these God-given, divinely-originated features of human nature.
Incredibly, those who were integral to the beginnings of America, who participated in the founding of the country, were familiar with this biblical principle and repeatedly articulated the principle in their organic utterances. They fully recognized that the critical principles of freedom they expounded are rooted in the “unalienable rights” that are inherent in the creation of human beings in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Hence, they frequently intermingled their verbal pronouncements with allusions to the Christian principles that are indispensable to national survival. Indeed, while they opposed coercion pertaining to religious belief, they nevertheless viewed Christian morality and submission to Bible teaching as “the glue” which holds the Republic together. As one simple proof, consider just one Founding Father whose qualification to witness to this truth is seen in the fact that he is the one and only individual to go down in American history as the “Father of our country.”2 He had served as a Colonel in the French & Indian War where he was the Aide-de-camp to the British General Edward Braddock, also serving as Commander of all Virginia forces. He then served as a member of the State House, Justice-of-the-Peace, and delegate to the 1774 Williamsburg Convention in his home state of Virginia. He then became a member of the Continental Congress where he was unanimously chosen Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army throughout the American Revolution. After the termination of the War, he became President of the Constitutional Convention, where he signed the Constitution. He was then unanimously elected (twice) to be the first President of the United States. Declining a third term, he was appointed Commander of the U.S. Army. Here, indeed, was a quintessential Founding Father who accurately represents the tone and tenor of the Founding Era while demonstrating the delicate interweaving of freedom and Christian reliance upon God. While serving as the Commander of military forces during the Revolution, he repeatedly reminded the members of the military of the critical need to remain in good stead with God and Christ while performing their duties. Neglecting to do so would inevitably result in their defeat. Consider the following 10 instances of official General Orders issued from 1775 to 1781 by this premiere Founder to the entire Continental Army. 1. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, Cambridge, July 4, 1775The General most earnestly requires, and expects a due observance of those articles of war, established for the Government of the army, which forbid profane cursing, swearing and drunkeness; And in like manner requires and expects, of all Officers, and Soldiers, not engaged on actual duty, a punctual attendance on divine Service, to implore the blessings of heaven upon the means used for our safety and defence. According to this eminent Founder, Christian church attendance and supplication directed to God were necessary to military success and the founding of the country. 2. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, Cambridge, July 16, 1775The Continental Congress having earnestly recommended, that “Thursday next the 20th. Instant, be observed by the Inhabitants of all the English Colonies upon this Continent, as a Day of public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer; that they may with united Hearts and Voice unfeignedly confess their Sins before God, and supplicate the all wise and merciful disposer of events, to avert the Desolation and Calamities of an unnatural war.” The General orders, that Day to be religiously observed by the Forces under his Command, exactly in manner directed by the proclamation of the Continental Congress: It is therefore strictly enjoin’d on all Officers and Soldiers, (not upon duty) to attend Divine Service, at the accustomed places of worship, as well in the Lines, as the Encampments and Quarters; and it is expected, that all those who go to worship, do take their Arms, Ammunitions and Accoutrements and are prepared for immediate Action if called upon. If in the judgment of the Officers, the Works should appear to be in such forwardness as the utmost security of the Camp requires, they will command their men to abstain from all Labour upon that solemn day. In keeping with the directive of the Continental Congress, Washington instructed the military to confess their sins to God and engage in religious observance of a day in which God was to be supplicated and Christian worship attended to. 3. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, Cambridge, November 14, 1775On the occasion of the invasion of Canada, Brigadier General Richard Montgomery captured Fort St Johns on November 3, 1775. Washington marked the achievement by issuing the following statement: This moment a confirmation is arrived of the glorious Success of the Continental Arms, in the Reduction, and Surrender, of the Fortress of St. Johns; the Garrisons of that place and Chamblee being made Prisoners of war. The Commander in Chief is confident, the Army under his immediate direction, will shew their Gratitude to providence, for thus favouring the Cause of Freedom and America; and by their thankfulness to God, their zeal and perseverance in this righteous Cause, continue to deserve his future blessings. It is self-evident as to whom Washington gave credit for military success. 4. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, Cambridge, November 28, 1775Having reduced Fort St. Johns to submission, General Montgomery proceeded to Montreal, where he was equally victorious. Washington’s General Orders note the event: An Express last Night from General Montgomery, brings the joyful tidings of the Surrender of the City of Montreal, to the Continental Arms—The General hopes Such frequent Favors from divine providence will animate every American to continue, to exert his utmost, in the defence of the Liberties of his Country, as it would now be the basest ingratitude to the Almighty, and to their Country, to shew any the least backwardness in the public cause.6 Washington viewed military successes as “favors” from God. 5. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, Cambridge, February 26, 1776All Officers, non-commissioned Officers and Soldiers are positively forbid[den] playing at Cards, and other Games of Chance. At this time of public distress, men may find enough to do in the service of their God, and their Country, without abandoning themselves to vice and immorality. In complete harmony with the Christian worldview, Washington viewed gambling as a vice that would sap the morality of the soldiers and hamper their participation in the war. 6. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, New York, August 3, 1776That the Troops may have an opportunity of attending public worship, as well as take some rest after the great fatigue they have gone through; The General in future excuses them from fatigue duty on Sundays (except at the Ship Yards, or special occasions) until further orders. The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish, and wicked practice, of profane cursing and swearing (a Vice heretofore little known in an American Army) is growing into fashion; he hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavour to check it, and that both they, and the men will reflect, that we can have little hopes of the blessing of Heaven on our Arms, if we insult it by our impiety, and folly; added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense, and character, detests and despises it.8 Observe that Washington understood that Christian morality must prevail throughout the military ranks if they were to have God’s backing and blessing. He was referring to the practice of taking God’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7). Further, the General expected the troops to attend Sunday morning Christian worship service, which he again addressed the next Spring. 7. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, Morristown, April 12, 1777All the troops in Morristown, except the Guards, are to attend divine worship tomorrow morning at the second Bell; the officers commanding Corps, are to take especial care, that their men appear clean, and decent, and that they are to march in proper order to the place of worship. If such instructions were issued in the branches of military in our day, not only would they be viewed as archaic, superfluous, and of no value, they would be declared a violation of separation of church and state and subject to court martial or other legal action. 8. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, Morristown, May 26, 1777George Washington’s concern for the deleterious effect of unchristian behavior among the troops was so great that it prompted him to issue a “Circular Letter” to his Brigadier Generals, impressing upon them his expectation that they would suppress such behavior and promote church attendance among the soldiers. The Brigadier Generals consisted of William Smallwood, Anthony Wayne, John Philip de Haas, William Woodford, Peter Muhlenberg, George Weedon, Thomas Conway, Philippe Hubert Preudhomme de Borre, and Charles Scott. Let Vice, and Immorality of every kind, be discouraged, as much as possible, in your Brigade; and as a Chaplain is allowed to each Regiment, see that the Men regularly attend divine Worship. Gaming of every kind is expressly forbid, as the foundation of evil, and the cause of many Gallant and Brave Officer’s Ruin. Games of exercise, for amusement, may not only be permitted but encouraged. 9. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, Valley Forge, May 2, 1778In Washington’s mind, Christianity was of such supreme importance that he placed it above all other pursuits in life. He admonished the Continental Army: The Commander in Chief directs that divine Service be performed every Sunday at 11 o’clock in those Brigades to which there are Chaplains—those which have none to attend the places of worship nearest to them. It is expected that officers of all Ranks will by their attendance set an Example to their men. While we are zealously performing the duties of good Citizens and Soldiers we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of Religion. To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian. The signal instances of providential Goodness which we have experienced and which have now almost crowned our labours with complete success, demand from us in a peculiar manner the warmest returns of Gratitude & Piety to the Supreme Author of all Good. According to this masterful military man, being a Christian was more important and stood higher than being a soldier or patriot. In fact, it is the highest glory a person can experience. The success which the Continental Army experienced—according to the Father of our country—was to be attributed to the God of the Bible—the Supreme Author of all good. 10. GENERAL ORDERS—Head Quarters, Before York, October 20, 1781As the war drew to a close, Washington again reminded the men of the divine connection that watched over them. In order to diffuse the general Joy through every Breast the General orders that those men belonging to the Army who may now be in confinement shall be pardoned released and join their respective corps. Divine Service is to be performed tomorrow in the several Brigades or Divisions. The Commander in Chief earnestly recommends that the troops not on duty should universally attend with that seriousness of Deportment and gratitude of Heart which the recognition of such reiterated and astonishing interpositions of Providence demand of us. ConclusionThroughout the prosecution of the war, Washington manifested his deeply held conviction that the favor and assistance of the God of the Bible was the ultimate key to military success. It is self-evident that God was never far from his mind in his life and death military deliberations. Did he represent the general tone and tenor of Americans? He absolutely did. The organic utterances of the Founders en masse are riddled with such indications.12 Today, our nation, together with its military, increasingly fails to give the God of heaven due respect and to seek His favor. The majority of Americans do not even attend church worship on Sunday mornings anymore.13 The “glue” that held us together is rapidly dissolving. If George Washington were alive today, what would he think about our massive moral and spiritual decline? What would he say to us? As if speaking to us from the grave over two centuries later, here are his sobering thoughts expressed several years after Independence was achieved—anticipations that ought to alarm and haunt us: I am sure there never was a people who had more reason to acknowledge a Divine interposition in their affairs than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe that they have forgotten that Agency which was so often manifested during our revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God who is alone able to protect them. Reading Rod Dreher’s newest book, Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents, brought to mind a song from Christian contemporary singer Carman in my early youth-group days: “America Again.” The song praises the founding fathers and the early American story before shifting to a litany of sins engulfing the nation in the mid-1990s (pornography, abortion, homosexuality, and so on). The problem, Carman says, is that America has set aside its faith in God, and the subsequent moral decline portends a disastrous future. “The only way this nation can even hope to last this decade,” he declares, “is to put God in America again.”
“America Again” sounded different when I heard it in the 2000s as a college student in Romania. Had America really been on the verge of collapse in the mid-1990s when the song was so popular? Do those who still sing the song just update the “decade” we can’t hope to last? Dreher, senior editor at The American Conservative, is an insightful and interesting writer, one whom I’ve appreciated reading over the years. But if I have any criticism of Dreher’s enormous output—which applies as much to Live Not By Lies as to the personality of his blog—it’s that fear seems too often to drive his analysis. I realize that I’m just one of his many readers, but in contrast to some of his earlier books and my personal and beneficial interactions with him over the years, his more recent writing strikes me as joyless. He comes across as a breathless messenger sounding an alarm (“the culture is lost, so run for the hills!”) that strikes me as not just pessimistic, but overly so, resembling the kind of Carman declaration that the country won’t last the decade. It’s not the pessimism I have a problem with. In fact, some of the writers I’ve read in depth (MacIntyre, Rieff, Lasch) can be categorized as pessimistic in their overall outlook. It’s the sense of hopelessness that suffuses Dreher’s pessimistic take, something that at times feels at odds with the fine principles and wise practices he recommends. Soft TotalitarianismHere is the concern that most animates Dreher in this book: A progressive—and profoundly anti-Christian militancy—is steadily overtaking society; one described by Pope Benedict XVI as a “worldwide dictatorship of seemingly humanistic ideologies” that pushes dissenters to the margins. Benedict called this a manifestation of “the spiritual power of the Antichrist.” This spiritual power takes material form in government and private institutions, in corporations, in academia and media, and in the changing practices of everyday American life. It is empowered by unprecedented technological capabilities to surveil private life. There is virtually nowhere to hide. This progressive militancy, Dreher writes, is most evident in the rise of identity politics, a worldview steeped in a Marxist understanding of oppressed/oppressor groups and the reduction of potential solutions to the redistribution of power. Dreher believes we’re careening toward a totalitarian future in which “nothing can be permitted to exist that contradicts a society’s ruling ideology.” Already, the totalitarian spirit (expressed in the idea that “the personal is political”) seeks “to infuse all aspects of life with political consciousness. Indeed, the Left pushes its ideology ever deeper into the personal realm, leaving fewer and fewer areas of daily life uncontested.” Live Not By Lies is Dreher’s attempt to show us the similarities between communist totalitarianism and our current situation. At times, he succeeds. At other times, he overplays his hand. For rhetorical purposes, his warnings depend on a situation in which contemporary life in the West bears startling resemblances to communism in the Soviet era. But in his exploration of these cultures, he’s forced to acknowledge the glaring differences. Some of the similarities make sense. Dreher’s conversations with men and women who once lived under communism and now worry similar events could happen even in the United States ring true to me. I’ve heard stories and warnings like these for years—in books, from family members, and from evangelical church leaders in Romania. A few years ago, documents released from the Romanian Securitate showed how even some of the country’s evangelical and Orthodox religious leaders who had been known for their resistance to communism were, in some way or another, compromised by the system and had informed on others. Lest we be quick to judge, imagine life driven by a totalizing system where truth and falsehood are so interchangeable that even the most ardent defender of freedom can fall to the fog of propaganda. One can’t underestimate the long-term effects of living in a society where freedom has been lost. Live Not By Lies is Dreher’s attempt to show us the similarities between communist totalitarianism and our current situation. At times, he succeeds. At other times, he overplays his hand. I also recognize what I’ve always called the “go along to get along” mentality of ordinary citizens, described by Dreher with the illustration of the grocer who “posts a sign in his shop bearing the well-known slogan from the Communist manifesto, ‘Workers of the world, unite!’ He doesn’t believe it,” Dreher writes. “He hangs it in his shop as a signal of his own conformity. He just wants to be left alone.” One doesn’t have to squint in order to see similar pressures already at work in our country today, especially in regard to publicly affirming or signaling one’s support of causes or theories about which many citizens, deep down, entertain serious doubts. (Recent gender theories behind the transgender movement represent one example, but consider also the corporate pressure to demonstrate solidarity every Pride Month, where brands, social-media platforms, and even children’s games fly rainbow colors). At the same time, Dreher recognizes that not all of his parallels between our country and communist Russia work: Whatever this is, it is not a carbon copy of life in the Soviet Bloc nations, with their secret police, their gulags, their strict censorship, and their material deprivation. . . . The fact that relative to Soviet Bloc conditions, life in the West remains so free and so prosperous is what blinds Americans to the mounting threat to our liberty. That, and the way those who take away freedom couch it in the language of liberating victims from oppression. So, on the one hand, Dreher worries we’re moving quickly toward totalitarianism like that of the Soviets, but on the other hand, it must be a soft totalitarianism, because the signs are all different, and the trajectory doesn’t follow. Are we ripe for revolution or not? “The parallels between a declining United States and prerevolutionary Russia are not exact, but they are unnervingly close,” he writes. Close in a few key ways, but radically different in others, as he himself must admit. Manual for ChristiansDreher’s primary aim is to prepare Christians to endure a period of profound cultural pressure, social ostracism, and personal suffering. As he writes, “We cannot hope to resist the coming soft totalitarianism if we do not have our spiritual lives in order.” Relying on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s essay “Live Not By Lies,” Dreher wants to fortify Christians in the truth: Everybody says that they have no choice but to conform, says Solzhenitsyn, and to accept powerlessness. But that is the lie that gives all the other lies their malign force. The ordinary man may not be able to overturn the kingdom of lies, but he can at least say that he is not going to be its loyal subject. In the second part of the book, Dreher “examines in greater detail forms, methods, and sources of resistance to soft totalitarianism’s lies.” He places hope in religion, advocates a willingness to suffer, recasts the family as the core cell of opposition, recommends fellowship in the church and in small groups, and urges a clear battle against false messaging. Dreher rightly recognizes threats to freedom coming from both big government and also big business, when conservatives generally remain more opposed to big government and liberals focus their critique on big business. Still, it’s clear that Dreher remains most concerned about leftward trajectories, since the political and cultural left appear ascendant in both of these areas. Because of the influence of elites in major corporations as well as influential institutions, Dreher sees the left as a much clearer and more present danger than the corresponding surge of populism and nationalism we see around the world from the right. Dreher may be correct, but it would’ve been worth exploring how fascism and communism can feed off each other, so that opposition to the one can harden into support for the other. It was the fear and despising of communism that made fascism an appealing bulwark to many people in Western Europe during the 1930s, while the revulsion toward fascism (linked by communist dictators to capitalism) became one of the rallying cries of the countries that fell under the shadow of the Iron Curtain in the 1940s and ’50s. My point isn’t that Dreher is wrong to warn against cultural currents that may sweep us into soft totalitarianism. I only wish he had explored how this tendency toward soft totalitarianism could wind up being as much a feature of a nationalist surge from the far right as it could the elitist “top down” from the far left. I understand why Dreher prioritizes the threat from the far left more than the far right—the left is embedded in various institutions that have traditionally wielded enormous power. But as Yuval Levin and other cultural observers have pointed out, these institutions have lost much of their power and credibility, which may leave us vulnerable to surges of revolutionary fervor from surprisingly unexpected directions. Dreher wants to build an underground resistance of true Christianity that will withstand whatever cultural pressures and suffering may arrive. Dreher understands how communist revolutionaries needed to rewrite history in order to achieve their objectives. “Propaganda helps change the world by creating a false impression of the way the world is,” he writes, implicating The 1619 Project as a recent example. Dreher is right to point out the ideologically driven histories proliferating in our day. But surely much of what passed for “American history” in previous decades delivered up its own “false impression of the way the world is,” failing to grapple with some of the more profound injustices in our history and founding. The latter parts of the book feature Dreher interviewing religious dissidents from the Soviet Bloc. He captures in print some of the lessons I took away from spending years in Eastern Europe. The Baptists there (he focuses on Baptists in Russia, who endured similar trials) were in some cases more equipped than the Russian Orthodox to withstand the pressures of communism because, religiously, they’d already taught their kids that they would be seen as “a permanent outsider.” Underground ResistanceIn the end, Dreher’s overarching concern is one that I share: “Relatively few contemporary Christians are prepared to suffer for the faith, because the therapeutic society that has formed them denies the purpose of suffering in the first place, and the idea of bearing pain for the sake of truth seems ridiculous.” Dreher wants to build an underground resistance of true Christianity that will withstand whatever cultural pressures and suffering may arrive. I’m not as sure as Dreher that these days are just around the corner for us; neither am I as confident that they’ll necessarily come from the socialist left rather than the populist right, since history is full of surprises, and future trends can be upended in cataclysmic events that almost no one foresees. I also believe that such resistance can be only marshaled and sustained if accompanied by a deep and abiding sense of joy. Most of my family members and friends who persevered as dissidents under communism were marked by a profound joyfulness. The joy of the Lord (even if not evident in this book) must mark any successful resistance. But I do applaud Dreher’s desire to form the faith and fortify the conviction of Christians today, not only because we may be heading into a season of darkness, but because cultivating and strengthening genuine faith should be part of our mission in every generation—no matter what form “this present darkness” takes. |
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