Opinion: Independence Day Ethno-Religious Nationalism

So this thing that we have all been talking about since the June 17 shooting at the Emanuel AME Church actually has a name: Ethno-Religious Nationalism. Ethno-religious nationalism is the relationship of nationalism to a particular ethnicity and religion. Previously in the United States this has been white Christianity; you know- our founding fathers and most all of our leaders for the past 2 centuries.

Nationalism by definition means supremacy- the belief that your country is better than all those other inferior countries. Likewise ethnicity and religion, so in ethno-religious nationalism you have 3 supremacies at work: ethnic supremacy, religious supremacy, and national supremacy. So for the past 2 centuries ethno-religious nationalism in the United States has been white Christian nationalism.

Now the interesting part is how most everyone seems to see that the ethnic supremacy part of this (white supremacy) is not acceptable but few see any problem with the religious supremacy part of this (Christ supremacy). We can read endlessly about racism towards blacks, but no one (not even black Christians) talk about the equivalent discrimination toward non-Christians and those that Christians label as “sinners” such as homosexuals and discriminate against because they consider them less “supreme”. Religious supremacy uses the same hateful rhetoric that ethnic supremacy uses. In fact, the next time you hear someone condemning “white supremacy” just try inserting the word “Christ supremacy” and it usually fits perfectly and holds the meaning.

Clearly the concept of supremacy is the dangerous part here. It promotes the obsessive belief that there is only one acceptable way to be. And one supremacy begets another. In the United States the concept of national supremacy spawned Christ supremacy which spawned white supremacy. Even Dylann Roof was first and foremost a devout Christian who was baptized in the Lutheran faith, went to church camp and worshiped regularly. Yet this dangerous belief of religious supremacy allowed him to then believe that his white ethnicity was also superior. Supremacism in any form breeds fanaticism.

It is no secret that all 3 of these supremacies (ethnic, religious, and nationalism) were and still are legislated and enforced by law both nationally and locally, north and south. So much so, that all 3 of these discriminatory supremacies were even legislated and taught by our national “Public” school system to indoctrinate children to think this way without question. The 3 most obvious examples being school segregation, school prayer and the school Pledge of Allegiance thus establishing our own ethno-religious nationalism of white Christian American supremacy.

So where most everyone would now say that it is irrational, delusional, insane and even dangerous to think whites are superior to blacks, few will admit that it is equally delusional and dangerous to think that Christianity is superior to all non-Christian beliefs and they will go right ahead obsessing, legislating, fighting and killing throughout the world to maintain Christ supremacy. And while they will now finally tear down the oppressive symbolism of ethnic supremacy; they will continue to prop up the oppressive symbolism of religious supremacy with disrespectful public prayer and public christian displays in government offices. And- just like the confederate flag- they will claim that it is “tradition and heritage” and not because they want to force their supremacist religion and views on everyone else.

Despite our nationalism claim of freedom and equality, our ethno-religious reality is that white supremacy and Christ supremacy have been enforced by law for centuries and, in the case of Christ supremacy, it is now so pervasive that it is not even recognized as the root cause of these other prejudices; not even by black Christians who have suffered the most from white supremacy. We have been taught that this is something that only exists in other countries and not in America. So even in the USA- a country that claims freedom and equality- anyone can see that the United States has been consistently legislated by and for white Christians while everyone else has had to endlessly fight just to be treated the same.

Something to ponder for the fourth of July.

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