Commentary: Despite What Marjorie Taylor Greene Says There’s Plenty To Fear From Christian Nationalism

Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Marjorie Taylor Greene always says the quiet parts out loud. A clip shared by Right Wing Watch shows Greene trying to position herself as protecting children’s futures and helping families have economic opportunities under the guise of Christian Nationalism.
Her attempted reframing of the ideology does not sound like a serious attempt at dialogue about the issue and sounds like the prelude to giving out marching orders. The rhetoric and tenor of her commentary and the policies Greene and others of her “movement” support are dangerous.

Despite trying to frame her extremism as a necessary move to “save America,” Greene doesn’t try to pretend she isn’t in favor of harmful ideologies like Christian Nationalism. She also tries to feign ignorance about the harm she promotes with her words and actions.
Like others in her circle, Greene deflects from the gravity of her comments. But her attempt at positioning Christian Nationalism as righteous and Democrats and others as “domestic terrorists” also signals to those willing to destroy Democracy that taking action is more than alright.
According to her Democratic opponent, Greene is more focused on building social media clout and a podcast fan base than actually serving the district. Army veteran Marcus Flowers won the Democratic primary last month and will face Greene in the November general election.
While he has tweeted Republicans have told him privately they can’t support her; few openly speak out against her rhetoric. Flowers specifically names her extremist views and rhetoric as reasons to unseat her.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene’s extremism, radicalism, and disinformation are a danger to our democracy,” tweeted Flowers. “They have no place in Congress. That’s why I’m running to unseat her.”
Shuwaski Young, a candidate running in Mississippi’s Third Congressional District, said Greene’s rhetoric threatens the ability of all communities to even believe in the possibility of the American Dream.
“There’s something very troubling and painful about the historical connections between Christian Nationalism, white supremacy, and violence,” Young tweeted. “Nonetheless, the people cannot remain optimistic about the American Dream if we allow leaders to advocate for this type of propaganda.”
And Greene is far from alone. The Associated Press recently reported on the growing number of Republican candidates who openly embrace the ideology even if they reject the label.
“Christian nationalism is emerging alongside and in some cases overlapping with other right-wing movements, such as the conspiratorial QAnon, white supremacy, and denialism over COVID-19 and the 2020 election,” read the article. “Christian prayers and symbols featured prominently in and around the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection there.”
Greene’s message to predominantly white evangelicals across the country reinforces the moral superiority that underlies the conservative-led “culture wars.” But Greene and others are not being “persecuted” or “ostracized” for their personal beliefs. The attempt to force other groups to adhere to their ideologies is the problem.
Also, if anyone is a “domestic terrorist,” it is Greene and her ilk. Researchers have documented the real threat of Christian Nationalism to the country and the foundation of Democracy itself. It’s not simply the invocation of God and Christian theology but framing that positions believers in a holy war of righteousness versus immorality.
As previously explained by Philip Gorski at a Berkley Forum, Christian Nationalism is not simply a religious formation. It is a political vision and strategy. Individuals are not merely being guided by their faith but are attempting to force policy and laws that dictate to other people how they should live. Their personal “religious beliefs” involve subjugating others, defying the very essence of the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of religion.
The threat of Christian nationalism was outlined in an April interview from the Center for American Progress.
“Christian nationalism is also a contributing ideology in the religious right’s misuse of religious liberty as a rationale for circumventing laws and regulations aimed at protecting a pluralistic democracy, such as nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQI+ people, women, and religious minorities,” read the article. ”
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Commentary: Despite What Marjorie Taylor Greene Says There’s Plenty To Fear From Christian Nationalism was originally published on newsone.com