Christian Nationalism - group membership

This was meant to be thunk about on Thoughtful Thursday, but... we can think on other days, too. How do you see yourself in relationship to 'the group' or 'the crowd'? Are you a member of "the crowd"? Are you not a member, but pretending to be because... [whatever personal reasons - often fear of rejection or retribution]? If a close friend or family member were having doubts about the dogma of the group, would you want to know? How could they best broach the subject to you? Would you continue to love and support that person?

For instance, "Christian". I used to think it was a generic term basically meaning belief in the biblical "Christ" as a deity. I've come to realize that if that were the case, there would not be so many versions of "the church" and "christianity". I'm not counting mosques or jewish or hindu or pagan temples; I just mean "christian church". Straight off I ask, why are catholic churches not considered christian by the protestant churches? Why is the Baptist corner church not 'true christian' according to the Methodist corner church? What about the Quakers or Mennonites -- are they 'true christian'? Are the Jehovah's Witness or Seventh Day Adventist churches 'true christian'? What about the Mormons? 

Christian Nationalist is one such 'group'. Specifically, white, protestant, christian men. Which 'christian' do the 'christian nationalists' want? Apparently not catholic, but which protestant? Discussed in Taking America Back For God (FFRF interview with authors), strong advocates for 'Christian Nationalism' represent nearly 20% of the U.S. population. Those who are sympathetic to some aspects of their cause represent another 20+%. To me, this is frightening. Almost or slightly over half the U.S. population ignores the Constitution and wants a particular deity installed as a national icon, regardless of the other half of us who don't want any such thing. We were never a 'Christian nation', hyperbole aside. Do the 'christians' realize that as they break themselves into more and more individual sects, none of them are the majority of the population? Non believers and 'nothing in particular' outcount general 'christian' on every poll since the early 2000s. 

We are a nation of people who initially came here for religious and political freedom -- some of whom happened to be some sect of christian. Most early settlers were just seeking a better life. They wanted to chart their own path in life, free from the strictures of King and the Church Of England. This nation is not a 'christian nation', now or historically. 

The 1630 expedition to Massachusetts was supposedly to found a trading colony, but mainly a "godly city", a 'shining city on the hill', based on verbiage from the bible. John Winthrop's puritans wanted a more complete break from the catholic church than the church of England provided. Winthrop and friends were even more protestant, hahaha. They even banished people who did not agree with them wholeheartedly (Anne Hutchinson 1638, was declared a heretic and banished for having unauthorized bible meetings in her house; Mary Dyer was executed for disobeying anti-Quaker laws). The Massachusetts colony as a theocracy did not survive long -- there was much infighting on church doctrine and such, and many people moved on (or were banished or killed). As Winthrop grew old and died (1647), more settlers arrived and the church's influence in government waned.

Jamestown, Virginia on the other hand, had been founded almost 3 decades earlier (1607) based on commerce. The 'gentlemen' of Jamestown failed to work the fields -- forcing the governor to implement the "no work, no food" rule. By the 1630s, Jamestown was (kinda) thriving (in spite of early starvations and native attacks). Part of Jamestown's continued success was planting the cash crop tobacco, and trade with the Dutch in 1619 of captured African natives to use as slave labor.

All of this complex history of religious strife here, in England, and in the rest of the world (as then known) is a large part of the reason our Constitution specifically says there will be no religious test for any state office holder, and that there will be no state sanctioned church. The founding fathers knew the fervor created by religious zealotry. They specifically wrote a secular constitution for this nation.

How about the word 'believer'. Some people believe in a multi-personality bible god (Yahweh, Jesus, Spirit), or the multi-personality Hindu god (Brahma, Shiva, Krishna). Some people believe in a mono god (Allah, Jesus or God, Waheguru or ik onkar, maybe other names). Some people are polytheistic and believe in many gods or helper gods/angels. Some people believe in no gods. Some people believe a certain prophet or divine messenger tells the "word of god" but who is not a deity themselves (Jesus, Bhudda, Mohammad, certain gurus). Some people revere certain 'holy writings' (the bible, the q'uran, the guru granth sahib, the bhagavad gita, others). Some people don't use any such writings. I am not aware of any theocratic government that isn't more or less constantly embroiled in turmoil, are you? Is it belief that 'god will provide' or just officials' corruption that keeps those populations uneducated, poor, and hungry?

I ask those either wholly or partly in favor of 'christian nationalism', for clarity. With so many ideas of 'god', which one(s) do you want your government to enforce? With so many denominations of the various religions dedicated to these different gods, whose doctrine of what the god wants do you want your government to enforce? Do all people have equal standing and equal rights or does your god prefer a certain skin color? Any preference on gender? Are certain foods discouraged or blessed -- which ones? What are the specific holy days, or holidays? How often must we pray, and how? Are the holy writings (if any) inerrant or just parables and 'guidance'? What about a second chance at life, or life after death, or a soul -- is there reward or punishment in a next life? Are you yay or nay on that? What about science and technology -- do we research disease, climate change, alternative energy sources, or just pray about it? New and existing immigrants -- allowed? Or are only well-off white ones allowed? What are we to do with those who do not succumb to the new national order? Must we kill them or is banishment enough? Where will they go? Or will we (somehow) use scientific brain-washing to turn them around? What about the poor, the sick, the old, the injured, the feeble -- are any social services mandated or is that too socialistic? 

All these issues and more, certainly are important to a 'true christian' (and the rest of us).