Statement from Christians Against Christian Nationalism
The Statement from Christians Against Christian Nationalism is a public declaration issued in July 2019 by the campaign Christians Against Christian Nationalism, an initiative of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC). The statement rejects Christian nationalism as a political ideology that distorts both Christian faith and American constitutional democracy. It has been signed by tens of thousands of Christians across theological traditions, denominations, and regions of the United States.
Background
Christians Against Christian Nationalism was launched in 2019 as a grassroots effort to combat what its organizers describe as a persistent threat to religious communities and democratic institutions. The campaign emphasizes that Christian faith calls believers to love one another and respect the image of God in every person, while affirming the value of religious pluralism and the separation of religious and political authority in the United States.
The statement gained initial support from leaders across a broad spectrum of Christianity, including many Baptists, and has continued to attract signatories representing diverse denominations, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As of the latest available information, it has garnered more than 40,000 signers.<grok-card data-id="012f45" data-type="citation_card" data-plain-type="render_inline_citation" ></grok-card>
Full Text of the Statement
As Christians, our faith teaches us everyone is created in God’s image and commands us to love one another. As Americans, we value our system of government and the good that can be accomplished in our constitutional democracy. Today, we are concerned about a persistent threat to both our religious communities and our democracy — Christian nationalism.
Christian nationalism seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy. Christian nationalism demands Christianity be privileged by the State and implies that to be a good American, one must be Christian. It often overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation. We reject this damaging political ideology and invite our fellow Christians to join us in opposing this threat to our faith and to our nation.
As Christians, we are bound to Christ, not by citizenship, but by faith. We believe that:
- People of all faiths and none have the right and responsibility to engage constructively in the public square.
- Patriotism does not require us to minimize our religious convictions.
- One’s religious affiliation, or lack thereof, should be irrelevant to one’s standing in the civic community.
- Government should not prefer one religion over another or religion over nonreligion.
- Religious instruction is best left to our houses of worship, other religious institutions and families.
- America’s historic commitment to religious pluralism enables faith communities to live in civic harmony with one another without sacrificing our theological convictions.
- Conflating religious authority with political authority is idolatrous and often leads to oppression of minority and other marginalized groups as well as the spiritual impoverishment of religion.
- We must stand up to and speak out against Christian nationalism, especially when it inspires acts of violence and intimidation—including vandalism, bomb threats, arson, hate crimes, and attacks on houses of worship—against religious communities at home and abroad.
Whether we worship at a church, mosque, synagogue, or temple, America has no second-class faiths. All are equal under the U.S. Constitution. As Christians, we must speak in one voice condemning Christian nationalism as a distortion of the gospel of Jesus and a threat to American democracy.
Key Themes
The statement articulates several core principles:
- Rejection of the merging of Christian and American identities.
- Affirmation of religious liberty and pluralism for all people, regardless of faith or lack thereof.
- Opposition to government preference for any religion.
- Distinction between Christian faith (bound to Christ) and national citizenship.
- Condemnation of violence and intimidation linked to Christian nationalist ideology.
Reception and Impact
The statement has been endorsed by individuals and groups from various Christian traditions. Supporters view it as a necessary defense of both authentic Christianity and American democratic values. Critics have sometimes argued that it lacks specificity regarding particular incidents or that it broadly paints certain patriotic expressions as problematic.
The campaign maintains an active presence, encouraging ongoing signatures and education about the distinction between Christianity and Christian nationalism.
See also
External links
- [Official statement page](https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/statement)