"Many people in this country consider America to be a
"Christian" nation. If only it were. A truly Christian nation would
put the words of Jesus into their policies and actions. I see very little of
that from this administration and, if one were honest, the history of the U.S.
is filled with policies anathema to Christianity. Slavery, ethnic cleansing of
the Indian nations, lynchings after Reconstruction, Jim Crowe, to name just a
few."- NY Times comment
Unmentioned thus far in the mainstream media is the chilling aspect of Trump's Project 2025 to take over our secular government and transform it into a theocracy. The vehicle to achieve this nefarious, anti-constitutional end is none other than Trump's 'Religious Liberty Commission' (RLC) launched last spring.
The aim of the extremists behind it - some of whom are shown above- is basically to redefine religious freedom as unchecked privilege for one narrow Christian cult based on Christian Nationalism. An even more dangerous ambition is to attempt to equate Christian Nationalism with patriotism.
The RLC members shown in the graphic above are a who's who of career zealots kept afloat Shadow Network occupying its 18-member board. Each has a long record of expanding, advancing and implementing the Xtian Nationalist agenda including imposing their brand of Christianity on public schools and government institutions and rolling back women's rights.
Among the worst offenders and reprobates are:
- Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, a vocal supporter of coercive religion in public schools and faith-based legislation
- Paula White-Cain, head of the White House Faith office who once compared Trump to Jesus and is a long time Xtian Nationalist power broker.
-Ben Carson, former HUD Secretary, who believes Islam is "incompatible with the Constitution"
Apart from a single Rabbi, the RLC's core leadership has no representation from any other religious groups- including Christians and Jews who don't support the Xtian Nationalist agenda.
Indeed, if these extremists could read as well as they bellow about their origin fables, they'd see that Declaration itself repudiates the claim of a nation founded on Judeo-Christian values. To be specific, the Declaration of Independence cites 4 references that supposedly support the Judeo-Christian myth. However, not a single one mentions: Jesus Christ, Yahweh, or a specific Christian version of God. At most they reflect the Founders who wrote it as adherents of Deism. This is the belief that a supernatural being or entity created the universe but then departed and plays no role in future events. Somewhat like a 'watchmaker' who makes is universal watch, sets it in motion then walks away.
Finally, the ratification of the Treaty of Tripoli, e.g.
Put the final stamp of secularism on the national entity which was the United States. As noted above in the Wikipedia entry, the key words of the Treaty are:
"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries"
While Jefferson, Madison, Franklin et al could have well chosen to root their appeals, entitlements, endowments etc. in Jesus Christ, or Yahweh or a similar recognizable Judeo-Christian being, they did not. They were Deists, so no wonder. This ought to telegraph emphatic differences to the Trump religious extremists, but they are so fixed on seeing what they want they miss the 'forest for the trees'.
See Also:
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Brane Space: How The Radical Right Goes Off The Rails In Its Anti-Abortion Crusade
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