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Trump is the new Ronald Reagan of the GOP. The good news about that is the GOP has largely forgotten Reagan at this point. The bad news is they worshiped Reagan for decades after his death. I suspect Trump will largely be treated the same.
I'll push back on this as I think it's a mistake to view Christian nationalism as a religious thing. It really should be called "White nationalism" because that's more what it means. They'll prop up the bible but they really don't give a fuck about what's in it. Rather, it's just a tool to justify hating Muslims, Jews, and other "brown people" religions. The christian part of christian nationalism is really a tool to sell to grandma "See, we just want a Christian (white) nation. That makes it good because anything christian is automatically good".
As someone raised in a white evangelical household, an ex-evangelical myself, and someone who lived in a number of very conservative communities and as someone who regularly works with police and military, I feel I have a very solid understanding of (and have been thoroughly traumatized by) the conservative/evangelical/christian nationalist mindset - and I think the Christianity part is way more central that you are giving it credit.
Similarly, while there is most certainly racism present, I have encountered few overtly, stereotypically racist people in those communities. They will enthusiastically accept any minority that shares their beliefs. I think it's far more about ideology than race. Where the racism comes in is they automatically distrust people of other races unless they discover there is a shared ideology.
They hate white Democrats/liberals/progressives just as much, maybe even more, than those of other races, because those are people who have "rejected the word of God" rather than being those who have simply not heard it yet and potential converts.
I grew up in a similarly christian conservative community. I think it's a mistake to conflate conservative Christians with christian nationalists (though there is overlap for certain). Several of my very conservative christian family members are disgusted by the christian nationalists.
That's why I don't think it's the christianity driving the nationalism but rather the nationalism driving the christianity. Hence the reason nazis have felt pretty comfortable attending CPAC this year in nazi garb.
There are athiest christian nationalists who will talk about how it's "the culture" that matters and makes a "christian nation" superior to other government forms.
In my home state of Idaho, I see a lot of christian nationists in public office, and they are much more occupied with rooting out "CRT" (re: anything mentioning civil rights and slavery) and LGBT literature than they are focused on "getting prayer back in school" or other overtly "christian" motives.
You're definitely right, and I kindof lumped those together - it's hard to write a complete response during a poop break at work.
I was not aware of 'athiest christian nationalists' being a thing. Fascinating.
I also didn't adequately explain that I feel 'modern' Christianity has very little to do with the teachings of Christ, much less the content of the Bible even as a whole. It seems it's much more a justification of their targeted hatred.
Definitely agree there. I think the union of conservative politics and christianity has made both worse.
It's that bigotry and hatred that is the core of christian nationalism and nationalism in general. Having a target to hate is just how these fascist operate. Religion helps to have outgroups to hate, and nationalism exploits that to try and radicalize.