From “American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays The Gospel and Threatens The Church” by Andrew L. Whitehead
Consider the following findings among Americans who endorse Christian nationalism. They are
- more likely to deny that voter suppression is a problem;
- more likely to believe the United States makes it “too easy to vote”;
- more likely to believe voter fraud is rampant;
- more likely to support requirements to vote, such as passing a civic test; and
- more likely to support laws that would keep those who committed certain crimes from voting.
In sum, those who embrace Christian nationalism desire to limit who gets a say in the democratic process. This relationship is particularly strong among white Americans. Placing boundaries around the democratic process serves to preserve white Christians’ disproportionate access to political power. When it comes down to democracy or power, white Christian nationalism will choose power every time. Christian nationalism is interested in a government not for the people, by the people, but rather for a particular people, by a particular people.
It is important for white Christians to recognize the corrupt and immoral history of attempts to restrict access to the vote. White Christian nationalism has been a central factor in efforts to tilt elections in favor of white conservative Christians at the expense of democratic ideals. In 1980, Paul Weyrich, one of the founders of the Moral Majority and the American Legislative Exchange Council, told a group of white evangelical leaders, “Now many of our Christians have what I call the ‘goo-goo syndrome.’ Good government. They want everybody to vote. I don’t want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people. They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.” Weyrich’s views have served as central organizing principles on the political and religious Right.