As a political observer and sometimes activist, I am accustomed to others' efforts to label their opponents. This is standard practice for politicians and the media, who know that disparaging the proponents of ideas they do not like is a way to avoid debate.
A recent disparagement is a claim that I support and am a leader in something called “Christian Nationalism,” a made-up label that conflicts with biblical teaching.
Our primary identity as believers is as a member in the Body of Christ. This is an expression of plurality, with each person being a unique part of the Body, united by one Head, who is Christ. “Christian” is sufficient, because Christ is the Head and the Center, and believers spiritually unite together in Him.
Embracing a spiritual identity as a Christian-Something is to make the “Something” preeminent over Christ. That conflicts with the core tenets of Christianity. Embracing a Christian-Something term conflicts with the biblical teaching that Christ is the center and focal point of our Faith.
Apparently, the Left is equating the term “Christian Nationalism” with authoritarianism. This makes the term not only unbiblical but un-American.
America was founded on the same type of pluralism reflected by the concept of the Body of Christ. America’s national motto reflects the very essence of Christian pluralism: E Pluribus Unum (from many, one). It is an indication of our historic commitment to the principle of self-governance, which is both a tenet of our Judeo-Christian heritage and foundational for our republic.
America is exceptional in part because we rejected European authoritarianism, some of which was cloaked in Christian trappings. Their flawed approach was to build a “Holy Roman Empire” that replaced God as King with earthly kings who claimed God’s authority. It resulted in a governmental system of elites who exploited everyone else, and allowed for the whims of mortals to lord over others based on bloodlines and raw power. All in opposition to the teachings of Christ.
By comparison, the American model allows every person his or her God-given free will to believe in Him (or not), pursue their own dreams, and make and bear the consequences of their own choices. Its emphasis on the biblical Rule of Law allows frameworks—federalism, local control, and personal freedom—within which communities can organize while free will can also be expressed.
The biblical concept of Rule of Law is grounded in God’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus elevated the concept, adding that we should even love and pray for our enemies. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Christian preacher, placed loving our enemies at the center of the civil rights movement, which he framed as a call for America to live up to its founding principles.
I encourage believers to resist any Christian-Something labels. I proclaim simply that I am a Christian. I am also many other things, such as a husband, father, business owner, and citizen. I seek to steward those responsibilities as taught by Christ, and play a role in breathing life into E Pluribus Unum.
Tim Dunn is a father of six children and grandfather of 20. He resides in Midland, Texas.