When we talk about Christians, we’re talking about people who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christianity is about faith, compassion, and living in the light of the Gospels. It doesn’t dictate your politics—you can be conservative, progressive, or anywhere in between and still call yourself a Christian.

Christian Nationalism, however, is a different animal. It isn’t about personal faith. It’s about using religion as a political weapon. It’s the claim that the United States is, and must remain, a “Christian nation.” It’s the insistence that laws, policies, and power structures should favor one narrow brand of Christianity over all others.

Key Differences

  • Focus: Christianity is about faith and spiritual life. Christian Nationalism is about political dominance.
  • Inclusivity: Christians can live alongside people of many faiths. Christian Nationalists demand exclusion—only “real Christians” deserve full citizenship.
  • Power & Policy: Christians may advocate for justice without demanding state enforcement of doctrine. Christian Nationalists insist government must enforce their religious rules.

Where It Dovetails with Fascism

Christian Nationalism isn’t just a fringe quirk. It dovetails perfectly with fascism because both rely on authoritarian power, exclusion, and myth-making.

  1. Authoritarian Power: Fascism demands loyalty to strongmen. Christian Nationalists sanctify that loyalty by declaring leaders “ordained by God.” Dissent becomes sin.
  2. Exclusion and Hierarchy: Fascism thrives on scapegoats. Christian Nationalists define “outsiders” (Muslims, Jews, atheists, LGBTQ+ people) as less than full Americans.
  3. National Mythology: Fascism promises a return to a mythical golden age. Christian Nationalists claim America was founded as a Christian nation, erasing the real history of pluralism.

Christian Nationalism Propping Up Fascist States

History shows this isn’t just theoretical.

  • Nazi Germany: German Protestant churches embraced Hitler, rebranding Christianity around Aryan ideology.
  • Franco’s Spain: Catholicism and fascism fused, with the Church blessing Franco’s dictatorship as divinely ordained.
  • Mussolini’s Italy: The Lateran Accords gave the Vatican supremacy in return for moral legitimacy of fascist rule.
  • Today: Christian Nationalists cheer for Trump and Orbán, excusing voter suppression, censorship, and assaults on women’s rights as “holy battles.”

The Bottom Line

Christianity is about the teachings of Christ: humility, forgiveness, and love. Christian Nationalism is about turning faith into a bludgeon for political power.

That’s why it fits so neatly with fascism: both sanctify authoritarianism, crush dissent, and declare only one way of life legitimate.

If we don’t draw the line between Christianity and Christian Nationalism, we risk letting faith itself become an accessory to tyranny.

https://endfascism.xyz

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