ANALYSIS
Bill Maher is the latest mouthpiece from the Left who’s attempting to smear conservative American Christians based on the bad behaviors of a small fringe.
On his HBO show, Maher recently said, “As long as we’re going to go to the trouble of another impeachment trial, we might as well be honest about what it’s really about. The events of Jan. 6 were a faith-based initiative.”
The outspoken atheist went on to blame the Bible, belittling the End Times symbolism in the book of Revelation by calling it “magic”, and saying the Bible is the source of the conspiracy theory known as QAnon.
“Have you ever read the book of Revelations? That’s the Bible. That’s your holy book Christians,” Maher said as he taunted religious believers.
“Magical religious thinking is a virus, and QAnon is just its current mutation,” he argued, broadly maligning all religious belief.
When it comes to the QAnon conspiracy theory, though, there is no legitimate connection to Christianity or biblical belief. Still, Maher claimed without proof, “When you’re a QAnon fanatic, you’re also a fundamentalist Christian.”
Maher repeatedly insulted the tens of millions of born again believers in Jesus Christ who don’t believe in radical conspiracy theories. But Maher doesn’t care about that, ending his commentary by telling Christians, “f*** your feelings.”
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Meanwhile, it’s not just Maher who has it out for Christians. A group called Secular Democrats of America has called on the Biden administration to undermine the constitutional religious freedoms of Christians in America.
They fuel their anti-religion campaign with fearful-sounding labels like “Christian nationalist movement”. The group tries to imply that the entire “religious right” in America is synonymous with some sort of radical movement bent on undermining democracy.
It’s the “Christian nationalist” phrasing used by the Secular Democrats and others on the Left that makes a point of labeling people who are “Christian” or “religious” as a threat to America. Sadly, a group of over-zealous rioters – some of whom did use Christian symbols – has now given the Left the ammunition they need to essentially target conservative Christians as enemies of the state.
To be clear, this is not a defense of so-called “Christian nationalism”. The Bible makes it quite clear that political extremism is the opposite of what Jesus had in mind. He said those who live by the sword will die by the sword. He also said we should “render unto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar,” even though Caesars were known for being brutal rulers.
But both sides, the Right and the Left, want a government that reflects their beliefs. So does it make someone a dreaded “Christian nationalist” if they want their country to honor God with its laws? It shouldn’t. Is it inaccurate to state that Christian biblical principles were heavily influential in America’s founding? No.
Conversely, is it wrong for Christians to put all their faith in politics? Yes. And is it wrong for anyone to get worked up into a frenzy over elections and threaten leaders with violence? Yes. That’s the type of behavior that emboldens the Left to deploy phrases like “Christian nationalists” to more broadly isolate people of faith and create a new sub-class of citizens.
Still, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins says there’s a clear agenda behind ongoing efforts to marginalize the Christian faith, and that agenda was underway long before January 6th.
“In order for them to advance this new Democratic Party agenda which is leftist, which is Marxist at its core, they have to eliminate a vibrant, Christian orthodox faith in America – it stands in their way,” Perkins recently told CBN News.
Here are some disturbing excerpts from the actual language used by the Secular Democrats of America in their warning to Biden back in November:
“We urge you not to underestimate the institutional strength of what we refer to (interchangeably) in this document as the ‘Christian nationalist movement’ or the ‘religious right’.”
“Its agenda rests on a pinched interpretation of biblical principles preached by Christian nationalist leadership and thought leaders. With their political agenda sanctioned by a higher power, their base of support is disciplined, motivated, and deeply committed to a vision that does not align with our basic constitutional values and democratic principles,” the secularist group claims.
“Taxpayer dollars should not be funneled either to contractors or grantees that discriminate on the basis of religion, or to programs that promote a sectarian agenda, such as private religious schools, crisis pregnancy centers, and abstinence-only sex education,” the Secular Democrats argue.
Joining in with these attacks on a policy level, a group called the Secular Coalition is urging Biden to retract President Trump’s protections for people of faith. They want Biden to restore “restrictions on religious institutions in regards to political speech and birth control” and to stop “faith-based organizations” from accessing government funds. Basically, they want to muzzle and sideline religious institutions.
But others on the Left have taken a Bill Maher-style approach, launching attacks against the Right on a more personal level. As CBN News has reported, one college professor declared, “Republicans Are No Longer Entitled to Exist.”
Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier even said recently it’s “time to call Republicans the terrorist right.“
The Republicans have been calling Democrats the radical left. Time to call Republicans the terrorist right?
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) February 1, 2021
And one LGBT activist group has called for Biden to directly target Christian schools.
As we engage with whatever society we live in, whether hostile are friendly, Christ-followers are called to remain grounded in Christ and His teachings. Christianity is all about loving your enemies, praying for those who persecute you, and pursuing the truth instead of rumors and conspiracy theories. Of course, the truth is a person. Jesus Christ said of himself, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life.” We must pursue Jesus above all else.
As Christians, our primary mission should be the “Great Commission” to share the good news of Jesus and His salvation with the world, and that’s not a political salvation, it’s a spiritual one.
There’s also a solid argument to be made for Christians pursuing righteousness on a political level, rationally and with respect for others.
No matter what, there’s still a very real danger behind the Left’s attempts to impose its own extreme beliefs by trying to label vocal Christians as extremists.
Leftist totalitarians and right-wing dictators throughout history have proven that efforts to marginalize, denigrate, and subjugate entire segments of a population never end well. I hope and pray we aren’t heading to a similar conclusion in America.
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