Posted on 12/16/2020 6:32:13 AM PST by SeekAndFind
This past Sunday morning, Beth Moore tweeted, “I do not believe these are days for mincing words. I’m 63 1/2 years old & I have never seen anything in these United States of America I found more astonishingly seductive & dangerous to the saints of God than Trumpism. This Christian nationalism is not of God. Move back from it.” Was she right in raising these concerns?
Before we can respond, let’s put aside the question of whether you are a Beth Moore fan or not. To some, she is a beloved and faithful teacher of the Word. To others, she has become “soft.” That is not the issue here. The issue is the substance of her words.
We also need to define what is meant by “Christian nationalism” (although we cannot say with certainty this is exactly what Moore meant).
Are you a Christian nationalist simply because you love and appreciate America? No.
Are you a Christian nationalist simply because you are patriotic and serve in the military? No.
Are you a Christian nationalist simply because you believe Trump was better for America than Biden? No.
Are you a Christian nationalist simply because you believe there was electoral fraud and are doing your best to fight for a free and fair election? No.
Are you a Christian nationalist simply because you believe that America must protect our religious liberties? No.
Are you a Christian nationalist simply because you believe that God raised up America for special purposes in order to bless and help the world? No.
But you are a Christian nationalist if you confuse loyalty to your country with loyalty to the kingdom of God.
You are a Christian nationalist if you wrap the gospel in an American flag.
You are a Christian nationalist if you “merge Christian and American identities” (as stated here; readers might have differences with other statements on this site).
As defined by Pastor Jeremie Beller, “Christian nationalism is the interwining of the Kingdom of God with the kingdoms of men. In the American context, it is often displayed by describing America through language reserved for the Kingdom of God. . . . The marriage between patriotism and righteousness further blurs the line between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world.”
To be sure, much of the attack against “Christian nationalism” comes from left-leaning thinkers, as can be seen in some critiques of the concept.
For example, according to Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry, authors of - TAKING AMERICA BACK FOR GOD: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM IN THE UNITED STATES, “Christian nationalism merely uses the Bible to impose its conservative political agenda. By asserting that they are true followers of Christ in a country that is founded on Christian principles, adherents of Christian nationalism can brand their political opponents as both ungodly and un-American.
“By playing the role of an oppressed minority, Christian nationalism adds moral strength to its position while hiding the truth that its ideology is aging out and driving young people away through its intolerance.”
But putting aside these critiques, which we are often reacting against when stating our positions, is there substance to Beth Moore’s tweet?
In my view, the answer is absolutely yes. Many Christian conservatives today are equating the fate of America with the fate of God’s kingdom, making one party (obviously, the Republican Party) into God’s party and the other party (obviously, the Democratic Party) into Satan’s party.
That’s why, on Saturday, prayer rallies for election integrity were scheduled together with “Jericho Marches” in key, swing-state cities.
This was not simply a display of patriotism. This was not just a public demonstration against perceived injustices. This was not just a show of support for Donald Trump. This was about the kingdom of God advancing. The two have become merged as one.
That’s why a “peaceful protest and prayer march [that] took place in Washington, DC Saturday where participants rallied for America's election system to be free from fraud and corruption” was called, “Let the Church ROAR.”
That’s why a victory for Trump (even before the elections were contested) meant a victory for Jesus. (All the more is this true now that there is a widespread perception that the election was stolen.)
And that’s why I tweeted, “As a Trump voter, I must say candidly that it is very troubling to see many American Christians far more mobilized for Trump than they have ever been mobilized for Jesus.”
The problem is that the differences between being Christians who love America and Christian nationalists are often subtle, since we have many shared values (such as being pro-life).
Many sincere believers would also ask, “Should we just stand back and let our country be destroyed? Should we let democracy be crushed forever? Should we simply hand over our nation to corrupt leaders? Should we not stand up and fight for what is right?”
Certainly not. We should fight for what is right and against what is wrong.
But the cause of Trump is not the cause of Christ, nor is the battle for the Senate a battle for the kingdom of God.
America, like every other nation on the planet, is part of the world system (or, in New Testament terms, part of “the world”). It is not the kingdom of God, nor is it a special manifestation of the kingdom of God. In fact, God’s kingdom values are often diametrically opposed to the values of our country.
Let’s be real, my friends.
We have aborted more than 60 million babies since 1973. We lead the world in the making and exporting of pornography. Our murder rates are off the charts, as are our rates for teen drug use, teen promiscuity, and teen suicide. Much of our history has been marked by racial injustice, and we have as many radical elements on the right as we do on the left. And we have pushed LGBTQ extremism on other countries at the risk of them losing our financial support.
Need I say more?
To equate America with God’s kingdom or to merge the cross with the flag is to make a terrible and dangerous mistake. And that is the error of Christian nationalism.
The irony of all this is that if we would be kingdom-minded people first and foremost, we would bring the most blessing to America. If we would look at America as our mission field rather than our spiritual refuge, we would help our nation fulfill whatever plans the Lord has for us. And if we would exalt Jesus infinitely more than any political leader, we would best serve our country (and our leaders).
Has Beth Moore, then, gone soft? Is she becoming politically liberal? Those are not the questions I am asking here.
Is she right to warn about the dangerous rise of Christian nationalism in our country today? I say absolutely yes. (For the record, she also warned against falling into “Bidenism.”)
Beth is a dingbat. Just read some of her books if you don’t believe me.
What is a nationalist? He is someone who cares about the lives of those who he considers part of his nation, more than those who are NOT part of his nation.
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Exactly! This does not mean that we DON’T care about the lives of others, but their is clearly a heirarchy. It starts with our families, extended families, communitees, states, our nation and then the world. It radiates out from ourselves to our country and then the globe. But soveriegnty must exist somewhere. If there is no geographical limit to the sovereignty of a government, then it has jurisdiction over the world.
Einstein supposedly said that as long as their are powerful, sovereign natons, there would always be war, but he grossly overlooked a very simple fact. For there to be no nations, there must be a global power capable of enforcing its will on all cultures/peoples. That enforcment requires violence no less than intra-national disputes. Their is no avoiding conflict in this world. It is ludicrous (nay childish) to argue so. If you think tyranny can be frightening at the national level, wait until you see it at the global level.
You should know Beth Moore. There are Beth Moore Bible Studies that are very popular with women in the church. She’s very influential.
I’ve decided not to use her Bible Studies anymore. She’s lost my trust.
By the way, Beth Moore, for those of you who don't know, is a left-winger who hid her political leanings (to make more money) until Trump ran for president. She's never said a word against abortion, she's from Arkansas and she's never said a word against either of the Clintons, she was vicious in her Twitter attacks on the Covington kids and never apologized to Sandmann for her false tweets, and on and on. Do not get involved in any of this woman's Bible studies (she pumps them out like sausages).
This article is complete communist disinformation. There is nothing wrong with being a Christian Nationalist. It is the God-less left who is evil and one must fight evil. Wishy-washy meek shall inherit the earth Christianity will only get you a fresh pine box.
See no exact Scripture in this article.
Instead, reference the Third Epistle of John. That sums it up.
Two Crime Families in DC. *Italy *Herodiands Christ crucifers.
I do not know this woman. I know this, I am a citizen of the Kindom of God, first and foremost. I am a patriot in the United States. I will support any state that succeeds with my lifeblood if necessary. It is obvious that we can not go forward as we have in the past.
Can you say J_E_Z_A_B_E_L?
Same here. I did two of her Bible studies some years ago, and I used to watch the videos of her talks. But there is something seriously wrong with the woman. My first clue was about three years back when a musician who travels with her, Travis Cottrell, got down on his knees and personally begged the women there, en masse, to forgive the wrong they had been done by men. My skin crawled. No way is that biblical.
I have no idea who Beth Moore is, and from what she tweeted I have no interest in her whatsoever. She sounds just like another brain dead radical.
Thank you for doing the typing for me......AGREE!!!!
Disagree with the quoted assessment. Christian leadership has been divided abd sucked for a long time. Trump gave us a focal point for mobilization. He is pro-Israel in a prophetic understanding of Israel sort of way. And is anti abortion in an activist sort of way. His abortion stance addresses the heart of our national sin, of which Christians seem to be finally awakening from their slumber.
No nation on earth is Heaven.
Every nation on earth is temporarily under the curse of sin and rebellion against God.
However —
— If fighting for God, and liberty to worship God, and raise my family to love God, and to fully trust in His salvation (opposite of humanism and socialism)
— If fighting for the innocent lives of unborn children (absolutely requires our entire Bill of Rights)
— If fighting for truth (at its core is the right to think and make decisions in ones heart, and requires freedom of thought and of speech)
— If fighting for justice and redress for the innocent (opposite of corporate totalitarianism over society by government)
— If fighting to teach my children to work hard, and to invest time and money wisely (opposite of socialism)
— If fighting to instill Gods character and the values of individual responsibility into my children’s lives that God desires (opposite of socialism)
— If teaching my children, and our society at large, that one of Gods earthly blessings (for those who love Him, follow Him, and who work hard), is that He will cause us to inherit the earth, and give those who love Him land, which they can give to their children and children’s children (which He desired for Israel, and is the Godly opposite of all socialism)
— If God’s word teaches we are to obey the Laws of our land/nation, and those laws define this nations citizens as the final sovereign’s over our nation and the direction of our society, and God is the One who gave us life within this nations laws from our birth
— If our duty is to our supreme Constitutional Law which was derived from principles and laws in the Bible, and from Blackstone’s Law (Blackstone’s law mostly derived from Scripture as well)
Then we are literally rebelling against every last biblical mandate, principle, and biblical law God has mandated to His people, which He has blessed to live in this United States of America!
We are also cursing the blessing of America God has given to us. And we are cursing and betraying the nation God raised up to take His message to the world.
Disagree with the quoted assessment. Christian leadership has been divided abd sucked for a long time. Trump gave us a focal point for mobilization. He is pro-Israel in a prophetic understanding of Israel sort of way. And is anti abortion in an activist sort of way. His abortion stance addresses the heart of our national sin, of which Christians seem to be finally awakening from their slumber.
Nailed it.
I want nothing to do with Beth Moore.
Peach
She’s a liberal heretic who has no problem with transgenderism, homosexuality, and other forms of perversity.
She is on par with Jen Hatmaker and Jonathan Merritt.
Both heretics and wolves of the first order.
Rachel Held Evans was part of their little Christian Apostate group - she’s dead now.
Just another diverse multiculturalist psychopath.
It’s getting to the point where you have vet every single “pastor” or “preacher” before daring to expose your ears to them.
Beth Moore, Paula White, Joel Osteen, Jen Hatmaker, Jonathan Merritt, Steven Furtick, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn.....and the list goes on and on.
I’m amazed at how many people they fool.
“...I have never seen anything in these United States of America I found more astonishingly seductive & dangerous to the saints of God than Trumpism. This Christian nationalism is not of God. Move back from it.”
While this woman has obviously missed the Trump Train, she can still get into Heaven. But how many people is she hurting here on Earth with her vacuous and misinformed declaration?
Sounds like Beth Moore went full Moloch worshipper on her community...
Please elaborate on how:
“Then we are literally rebelling against every last biblical mandate, principle, and biblical law God has mandated to His people, which He has blessed to live in this United States of America!
We are also cursing the blessing of America God has given to us. And we are cursing and betraying the nation God raised up to take His message to the world.”
Follows from your “-—If’s ...”
I am not seeing that, but do want to understand you.
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