Category: Ex-Patriot Series
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#10: U.S. History and Two Religions for the Price of One
Students in public schools and I were essentially co-worshippers in the same religion: the religion of nationalism – one with its own saints, scriptures, sacred shrines and holy days. Christian nationalism’s only innovation was to overlay Christian tenets and pretend the two religions were one.
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#9: In Christian Nationalism, Jesus is Underemployed
Sitting comfortably up there in a rolling chair, Jesus gives us a knowing wink as we get about the very messy business of day-to-day political wrangling, ready to give his blessing to our actions. And at the end of it all, he’s there to forgive us for the countless times we brazenly cross moral and…
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#8: A High-Flying Idol
How could we view our beautiful flag as an idol? Probably because of the striking resemblances of our flag-centered rituals and religious rites of the ancient Near East.
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#7: Christian Nationalists vs. The End of the World
‘Left Behind’ theology primes you to buy into conspiracies. It convinces you there are vile secrets out there that only ‘the elect’ will perceive.
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#6: A Rush of Blood to the Head
Fortunately, I had someone willing to shepherd me through the valley of darkness of the Clinton presidency. Someone conveniently located on both the radio and television dials!
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#5: Blessed but Stressed
The ongoing favor of God wasn’t guaranteed, though. Apparently, God was a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ kind of deity. Just like that, He could turn the tables on us.
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#4: The Doctrine of Elections
This was a collective dark night of the soul for my youth group compatriots and me. And it was all thanks to an election.
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#3: Under the Christian Nationalist Tent (or, Finding Empathy)
You’d be forgiven for thinking that if this kid was what a soldier in the Lord’s army looked like, you didn’t love our chances. Nonetheless, we all thought we were doing the Lord’s work.
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#2: A Christian Nationalist Deserter
At the vertex of my turn away from Christian nationalism stood a shit-stirring seaside woodworker named Jesus.
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#1: We Were Christian Nationalists Once, and Young
I was so angry at those villains, those godless and underhanded liberal evildoers that the thought of waging war against them was bait to a bloodthirsty soul… Until I went AWOL.