Trump's army of God: Doug Mastriano and the Christian nationalist attack on democracy

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

On May 9, the New Yorker published a feature story by Pulitzer winner Eliza Griswold about Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who could well be the Republican nominee for governor next year, as a flagship example of the swelling power of Christian nationalism within today's GOP. That's an issue I focused on in a 2018 story largely driven by a paper called "Make America Christian Again," co-authored by sociologist Andrew Whitehead. I described this phenomenon as "an Old Testament-based worldview fusing Christian and American identities, and sharpening the divide with those who are excluded from it," and quoted from the paper:

Christian nationalism … draws its roots from "Old Testament" parallels between America and Israel, who was commanded to maintain cultural and blood purity, often through war, conquest, and separatism.

Despite the "Old Testament" slant, this version of Christianity has no room for Exodus 22:21: "You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt," or numerous other biblical passages — which is why Christian nationalism can't be considered synonymous with Christianity per se. Many people in Trump's base perceive it that way, however, as that paper first showed. And Griswold rightly chose Mastriano as a shining — and troubling — example of what that means in practice today.

-snip-

Since Griswold's story was published, Mastriano has claimed to have Trump's endorsement for governor, along with a promise to campaign with him (though a Trump adviser has disputed this), while new evidence casts doubt on his claims of non-involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. On June 2, he was one of three Pennsylvania lawmakers who toured the Arizona election "audit," calling for the Keystone State to follow suit, the latest front in Trump's effort to delegitimize Biden's election.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/trumps-army-of-god-doug-mastriano-and-the-christian-nationalist-attack-on-democracy/ar-AAKYEPp

[pamdb]

1. Christian nationalism

And people wonder why I don’t consider myself a christian and want nothing to do with religion, any religion.

[Blue Owl]

2. Call America Christian Again -- or "CACA" for short

[ck4829]

3. K&R

Last edited Tue Jun 29, 2021, 12:09 PM - Edit history (1)

Critical Race Theory

[Hippo_The_Pointer]

4. Christo-Ntioanlism or Fascism?

Hi Yo Mama Been Logging - The direction in which the fundie church has been heading and their embrace of tRump if alarming. It has been making me wonder if instead of using the title Chrsito-nationalists, it is time to call them Chrsito-fascists. Some of them certainly seem to to want to impose their Christian religion on everyone. Part of the reason I think it is perhaps time to use a stronger title is that the word 'nationalist' is seen as a positive to them. Maybe a more negative phrase would better capture the danger in where they are heading? - The Hippo