For decades, many white evangelicals have painted the Muslim faith with the broad strokes of their most extreme believers. Those who worship Allah have become the subject of extreme prejudice, discrimination, and even attacks.
After 9/11 the discriminatory backlash against Muslim and Muslim-looking people became so prevalent the United States Justice Department had to create an initiative to combat it. Several years later, Twitter brought many of these stories to light with the hashtag #AfterSeptember11.
In 2015, the LA Times even wrote an article about the hashtag covering an almost never talked about consequence of September 11th: the terrorism, discrimination, and hatred that Muslims and many people of color experienced simply because they were thought to be Muslim.
Americans tend to paint the period of time after September 11th as a time of “unity” and “togetherness”. That’s true, if you’re white. And it’s especially true if you’re white and Christian.
White Christians are the standard by which our history is both measured, remembered, and written.
Which brings to question this thought: How will this period in American history be represented to our children and grandchildren?
We currently have an administration, political party, and network of prominent individuals who are radicalizing Christianity to undermine and overthrow American democracy.
Donald Trump, who prior to running for office could be called many things but a man of faith was not one of them, now has pictures with megachurch pastors praying over him claiming him to be appointed and annointed by God.
Images like this one have played a significant role leading up to the events of January 6th, 2021 when Trump supporters became more than loyal followers and transformed into domestic terrorists who stormed the United States Capitol.
There has been much rhetoric around how we got here.
Well, we know there is a strategic playbook for radicalizing and indoctrinating a following. We’ve seen plenty of examples throughout history. From Hitler to Jim Jones, the cult playbook is an easy one to follow.
Create Fear. Repeat the Message Frequently. Cement it in Faith.
The President, Rudy Guliani, Roger Stone, and many more have played on the fundamental values of Christian Americans for years now, often unchecked and unchallenged by those in the position to do so. Whether it’s fear of losing Trump’s base for their own votes or something else, many Republican leaders have either supported or been complicit in their silence while this raping of religion and professed American values has taken place.
This same silent, willful ignorance is taking place throughout the church. While you have some leaders like Paula White, who drew significant backlash for her calling on “angels from Africa” to help Trump win the election, and Jerry Falwell publicly endorsing and pushing Trump’s agenda, you also have a vast majority who are remaining suspiciously silent.
Governor Bill Lee is being called upon to denounce his pastor, Steve Berger, for being at the Capitol and claiming via a Facebook LIVE that Antifa, whom the Justice Department has confirmed was not present, was partially responsible for the violence.
“I’m not here to tell you that all the troublemakers were Antifa members — but I can tell you this: they were there — they were there — they were present — and they were identified,” Berger said in the video.
It’s even reached the hills of rural Northeast Tennessee with a local pastor, Ronnie Owens, posting “Praise The Lord!!! Unbelievable crowd can’t see the end of it!!! Spirit of GOD!!!Amazing!!! From everywhere!!!” while at the Capitol. He even went so far as to reiterate Trump’s message of fake news with this post:
Even today, the pastor hasn’t posted anything condemning the attack on the Capitol that led to the death of 5 people including Officer Brian Sicknick who died from injuries sustained in service to his country.
So I ask, what is this if not the radicalization of Christianity?
When those who say “What would Jesus do?” are literally doing everything he would never, you have to start asking some hard questions.
Allow me to go first:
What is the difference between how white Americans think of and treat Christian versus Muslim extremists?
What allows such cognitive dissonance to ignore what we all witnessed in real time and in the aftermath of this coup?
I would offer that it is the same thing it has always been: the color of their skin.
Had Roger Stone been a man with brown skin who started his speech during the Save America rally with “Allah Akbar!” or a Black man acknowledging the “Honorable Elijah Muhammad” instead of saying “Thank you, Jesus!”, white evangelicals would be calling him a terrorist.
This admission might not be comfortable, but we’d be hard pressed to say it’s not true.
So, once again, we are back to racial equity and white supremacy in America, even when discussing religion. Some might say, especially when talking about religion.
That’s a topic for another day, another article.
For now, let’s stick to the topic at hand and address the fact that much like the Republican Party, Christianity has been hijacked.
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