It is easy to see why the Left hates Christianity, as it stands in direct opposition to its aspirations of power, its moral relativism, and degrading behaviors. We must stand firm against its corruption and in so doing, overcome evil
We often hear that the United States is a Christian nation. While true that the substantial majority of citizens profess to a belief in Christianity, how can it be a Christian nation when there are so many other faiths, and even unbelievers, among the population? What does it even mean to be a "Christian nation"?
One answer frequently given to these questions is that the original settlers of this country, the Pilgrims, were Christians and that the nation and the laws they created here reflected those beliefs. This Christian influence continued through the Founding Fathers creation of a Constitutional Republic and beyond. Although a state religion is expressly forbidden by our Constitution, Christian principles informed many of our laws and customs for nearly all our history. Hence, we claim the US to be a Christian nation.
A Moral Nation
While accurate, that answer is incomplete.
In recent years, there has been increasing opposition, especially from the Progressive Left, to Christianity and to the idea of the United States as a Christian nation. It is worthwhile to look at some of the beliefs espoused by Christians, and especially those which have influenced our laws and customs, to see why such opposition exists.
One of our founders, John Adams, said: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other". By basing our laws on two thousand years of Christian thought, incorporated in English Law among others, Mr. Adams and the other Founders sought to take advantage of a vast body of work on the theory of good governance based on moral principles and behavior.
Of particular value was the Christian principle of absolute morality. Christianity holds that there are absolute standards for right and wrong, for good and evil, and that those standards are clearly described in Christian theology. The Left finds this concept of absolute morality absolutely objectionable.
Having fixed standards precludes the relative morality of the Left. In order to establish a Marxist state, there must be no limits on the power of the State to take whatever actions it deems expedient in its governance. A system of absolute morality places limits on State actions, thereby restraining its power.
A State, for example, may find it convenient to be able to arbitrarily designate certain people for disassembly, as happens in China, in order to provide "spare parts" for other, more important, people in the society. In Christian philosophy, such designation and disassembly is considered murder and thus immoral.
Similar moral considerations apply to such matters as sexual use of children, State abuse of power for sanctioned theft to serve government purposes, honesty in dealings between individuals and organizations, equal justice, and many other actions by and within a State. Moral standards provide guidance that individuals and governors can use to evaluate potential actions and to support or deter such actions. Confidence in the correctness of action is fundamental to freedom.
The value of the individual
One thing that Christianity emphasizes is the value of each individual. Moreover, each person is considered responsible for their own actions and choices. This value of the individual is anathema to the Left. The political philosophy of the Left, whether it is called Marxism, Socialism, Communism, or something else, is based on the collective.
In a collective, the worth of an individual is determined solely by the collective, and more precisely, by those determined to be the leaders of the collective. All acts of each individual are evaluated according to the aims and goals of the collective, and how those acts affect the collective.
Morality is defined by the collective, and is evaluated by the standards and principles the collective holds at any time and circumstance. All standards become relative to the needs and desires of the collective. As an example, many on the Left criticize Conservatives as being unwilling to accept responsibility. By this, the Left means that Conservatives are unwilling to be held accountable for satisfying the needs and wants of other members of the community.
An example is health care where the Left believes that the community should provide medical care as a right to all members regardless of what behaviors individuals might choose that affect their health, such as drug use, risk activities, and other actions. Objecting to support of harmful behaviors resulting from individual choices is considered by the Left to be avoiding responsibility.
Christianity holds that each individual must assume responsibility for their own acts and choices. They may ask for assistance, but it cannot be compelled. Charitable acts are encouraged, such as exemplified by the Good Samaritan, but are not required. Christians are obliged to express disapproval of immoral or harmful behavior, and it is considered an expression of love to seek to persuade another to a more virtuous course. Ultimately, though, it is a Christian principle that each person must decide for themselves.
This principle of individual responsibility and individual worth has been enshrined in our laws. Other societies both historical and current have attempted to relieve individuals of responsibility and have consistently either failed, or have imposed a collective tyranny on their members.
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A doctrine of truth and honesty
In parallel with personal responsibility, Christian doctrine upholds the idea that we must be fair and honest in our dealings with others. The doctrine is found throughout Christian theology and literature, and exemplified by a passage in the book of John in the Christian Bible: "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."
This principle is deeply embedded in our laws and system of justice to the extent that it seems there is no other way things could be. Our prohibitions against fraud, where someone might be provided with false and misleading information to induce them to make a decision to their detriment arise from this principle. Likewise, most of our contract law and concepts of fair dealing grow out of these Christian doctrines.
Some might argue that such legal concepts are just common sense and have nothing to do with Christianity. Yet it takes only a modest familiarity with history to realize that these Christian principles are relatively new and unique. Much of earlier history is the story of might makes right, where the strong can take from the weak without concern for right or wrong. Even such things as murder, which Christianity universally condemns has not always been constrained by any moral objection. Indeed, many non-Christian religions have practiced human sacrifice.
Today, the Left seeks to persuade people to adopt actions and attitudes they wish to promote. They do so by crafting arguments that dishonestly portray certain advantages of their systems, while creating false pictures of the alternatives or of their opponents. Such things as white supremacy, Critical Race Theory, gender fluidity, gender assignment, social equity, human caused climate change, the virtue of Socialism, the injustice of Capitalism, and many other afflictions of our age are untruths crafted by the Left to achieve their goals of power and control. It is only by countering their misinformation and disinformation with truth can we preserve what is good. Christianity asserts that we must stand against untruth even at great cost.
Objective reality
As part of this push for power, the Left has adopted a philosophy of relativism, where there is no objective truth, only what can be agreed upon. It is supported by a formal philosophy known as Post Modernism which asserts that even if there is an objective reality, we cannot know what that is. All that we know is what comes through our senses and feelings.
Again, Christianity teaches that there is but one reality and one truth which can be observed and known by all. All our science is built on this concept of an objective reality that is constant and observable and knowable. Contrast that with beliefs in magic where the proper incantation, the correct spell can alter reality to conform to some desired form.
The relativism of the Left is but another form of magical thinking where if enough people believe in something, it becomes real. Simply look at the Progressive emphasis on consensus as a way to determine the truth of a scientific proposition such as anthropogenic climate change, to see this distorted thinking at work. From the perspective of the Left, whomever controls the narrative, determines reality.
As paradoxical as it may seem, this Christian emphasis on truth is not only the foundation of much of our system of laws, but also the basis for science. The Left likes to portray Christianity as a purveyor of superstition - of denial of reason and rationality, and as promoting acceptance of false doctrine and unfactual mythology. Many on the Left believe that science has proven the claims of Christianity to be false.
Those who express this position have little understanding of the nature of proof as well as of science itself. There are many good scientists who not only are scientists, but who also see their work as an expression of faith in alignment with the passage in the book of Psalms which states: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork".
Charity and Compassion
While I could continue in much greater depth, I wish to mention just two more aspects of Christianity that define our Nation.
The first is our broad sense of charity that leads us to perform acts of great sacrifice to the benefit of others. Exemplary of this is our involvement in two world wars. In both instances, we made great sacrifices of life and treasure to deliver the world from tyranny. As with those in the past who won great military victories, we could have owned vast conquered territories. We could have created an American Empire to rival anything in history. Yet we foreswore such and instead worked to rebuild our former enemies, showing great charity, compassion, and respect, and in so doing, set an example for the world.
A second example regards slavery. While black slavery had been imported to our shores, and established for a while, it was our Christian beliefs that said slavery was wrong and was to be eliminated. Churches served as refuges for slaves, and as forums for making clear the injustice of slavery. Christians established and supported the underground railroad system that helped slaves escape and provided assistance in new lives in freedom. Ultimately, it was Christian beliefs that led to the bloodiest war of our history - the American Civil War - fought to eliminate slavery. It was the manifestation of the Christian principle enshrined on our Declaration of Independence that states: "All men are created equal."
A Christian Nation
Thus we come to see that we live in a Christian nation, one founded on the basic principles of truth, justice, individual worth, and individual accountability that arise directly from Christian beliefs and principles. We can be proud to claim our heritage as a Christian Nation, founded in the ideals of a Christian heritage that continues to form a more perfect union, to aspire to high standards, and to offer compassion and support to do better should we fall short of those standards.
It is easy to see why the Left hates Christianity, as it stands in direct opposition to its aspirations of power, its moral relativism, and degrading behaviors. We must stand firm against its corruption and in so doing, overcome evil. They are strong, but we can draw on our faith and on a long history carried onward by generations of Christian soldiers to be stronger.
Truly, we can do no less.
David Robb is a practicing scientist and CTO of a small firm developing new security technologies for detection of drugs and other contraband. Dave has published extensively in TheBlueStateConservative, and occasionally in American Thinker.
