Many of today’s leading Christian Conservatives (CCs) often bemoan America’s moral decay as a betrayal of its explicitly biblical foundation. Growing up surrounded by such luminaries as David Barton, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, and Bill Bennett, I heard countless times that the USA was and is a “Christian Nation”. This tag seemed to be assumed from the fact that the Plymouth pilgrims were Puritans, that the majority of the founding fathers professed a Christian faith of some variety, and that Christianity has remained the dominant religion in American society.
An important facet of this Christian Nation Hypothesis is the belief that the American founders explicitly intended to base the nation’s laws and governmental form directly on the Bible, rather than on universal natural law. This has given Christian Conservatism a flavor of near-theocracy, as activists seek to permeate the public atmosphere with explicitly Christian symbolism, such as displays of the Ten Commandments in government courthouses and prayer in government schools.
One tragic result of this view of constitution as bible is that it often gives a holy aura of religious justification for the state in general and the American state in particular. This rationalization is seen no more clearly than in CCs’ reverence for the American military and its wars.
It is always an unspoken assumption among CCs that American wars are only commenced for the noblest of reasons, are prosecuted by the noblest of means, and that American soldiers inherently act with honor, nobility and sacrifice. This is as opposed to the evil enemy soldiers who torture innocents, kill indiscriminately, and take orders from ruthless, bloodthirsty tyrants, hungry for world domination and the extinction of the Christian heritage of freedom and democracy. If American soldiers ever cross the perceived line of morality, it can either be dismissed as an anomaly or excused as acceptable based on the greater evil of the enemy.
This fable is strengthened all the more by the fact that the enemy soldiers many times are of an inferior religion, such as the atheist communists of North Vietnam and North Korea, or the Muslims of Iraq and Afghanistan.
CCs often lament America’s moral decay, exemplified by teenage sexual promiscuity, the legalized murder of innocent unborn, divorce rates, and the widespread acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle. American society has demonstrably strayed from biblical mores to be sure. But glaringly missing from the list above is decade after decade of military incursion, occupation, and domination by American troops across the globe.
Christians are right to measure society against biblical standards in areas of sexuality, family, and the sanctity of life in utero. But why are obvious biblical teachings so easily ignored when it comes to questions of war, peace, militarism, torture, and the sanctity of foreign lives? It’s not as if the Bible doesn’t address such issues.
Jesus’ life on earth is a shining example of proactive, non-violent activism. He came to earth as Messiah to a place and time that interpreted the Messiah as a liberating military/political leader. He had every opportunity to rally his followers to arms. Instead, he led a mission of uncompromising peace and love in the face of virulent, and eventually violent, opposition.
When Christians cheer “shock and awe” bombing campaigns, do they think of Jesus’ words, “Love your enemies?”
When they defend the merciless torturing of prisoners based on the supposition that they are religiously-motivated killers, do they hear Jesus’ admonition to, “Pray for those that persecute you?”
When they justify violent retaliation for perceived wrongs, do they forget that, “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord?”
When they condemn the enemy’s actions as war crimes, are they oblivious is Jesus’ warning to, “first take the plank out of your own eye?”
When they excuse the death and destruction of foreign civilians’ lives as collateral damage, how to they expect to honor the Great Commission’s call to take the Gospel to the entire world?
When Christian leaders seek God’s forgiveness for the nation’s sins in order to restore God’s favor, do they recall Jesus’ promise that, “Blessed are the peacemakers?”
Some may contend that the Bible’s mandates for Christian peace apply only to individuals and not states. But what is a state besides a collection of individuals? A state has no soul, no conscience, no moral will other than that of its leaders and followers. And those leaders and followers are individuals who are ultimately accountable for their choices and actions as measured against the biblical moral standard.
Besides, even if the state was an entity exempt from individual moral responsibilities, if ours is a “Christian Nation”, it should therefore wholly reflect and promote Christ’s values. If the CCs are right about America’s Christian identity, then they are being grossly hypocritical in their application of biblical standards by cheering warfare. If they are wrong, then they still hold an individual moral duty to adhere to all biblical standards, supremely the call to love our neighbors and enemies.
American Christians need to abandon this tragic dichotomy and turn instead to consistently pursue the path blazed by the Prince of Peace. The Gospel of Jesus is a gospel of peace and reconciliation, of unwarranted compassion from a God of perfect holiness and justice. We do the Gospel great shame to practice anything less.
