Beth Moore Urges Christians To Reject "Christian Nationalism", Tweet Goes Viral
Beth Moore makes headlines once again for one of her tweets.
According to Church Leaders, the best-selling author and president of Living Proof Ministries with over 1 million Twitter followers commented with words that went viral.
“’Christian nationalism isn’t the way ahead for Jesus followers. Christian faithfulness is,’ the renowned Bible teacher explained. ‘It’s fidelity to Christ — not fidelity to notions of American Christianity or to any political party — that will bring light into this present darkness. The church is bride to no one but Christ.’”
Best selling Christian author and Bible teacher @BethMooreLPM didn’t leave any room for interpretation on where she stands when it comes to Christian nationalism. https://t.co/uvRcl4p0fq @jessetjackson #BethMoore #ChristianNationalism
— ChurchLeaders.com (@ChurchLead) November 15, 2022
Moore and many other Christian leaders would distinguish between having a love of country that leads to engagement and loyalty and elevating “American faith and values” above all, at risk of making it an idol.
GotQuestions.org explains, “Nationalism is a sense of loyalty and commitment to one’s country. It includes belief that the country ought to self-govern, pursue self-interests, and encourage shared cultural attributes. Such goals are neither good nor bad in and of themselves. Appreciation for one’s culture, language, traditions, music, history, or achievements is a fine thing.”
“Christian nationalism is most often employed as a derogatory term. It is crucial to realize that labels can be unfairly used to trigger an emotional response.”
And, “Rather, the implication is that it’s wrong to promote a narrow caricature of the ‘ideal’ nation. Such details separate healthy love of country from the idolatry of factional nationalism.”
Moore is no stranger to controversy. And, she’s not the first leader to call out the church on this issue amid elections and political division.
Some commenters agreed with Moore, chiming in with numerous “Amens.”
Still others chafed against sparking such a discussion in a tweet, believing the conversation requires greater space and nuance. These commenters explained that some Christians are involved in the political process, not from idolatry or elevating national loyalty above God, but as stewards of the blessings of freedom.
One supporter wrote, “‘This tweet is going to attract a ton of controversy when it really shouldn’t. She’s saying Jesus over flag. If you struggle with that…welp.'”
Other commenters wisely asked Moore to define the terms she’s using. This is an effective strategy in avoiding reactionary emotions in today’s heated and divisive climate.
In 2020, when Moore tweeted then about the same topic, The Christian Post published an Op Ed by Michael Brown, Ph.D. who hosts the nationally syndicated, daily talk radio show, the Line of Fire.
The article covers the nuances of this topic in an extended fashion and provides readers with much food for thought about what Christian nationalism is and why some Christians warn against it.
His conclusion about Moore’s 2020 tweet? “Is she right to warn about the dangerous rise of Christian nationalism in our country today? I say absolutely yes. (For the record, she also warned against falling into ‘Bidenism.’)”
When analyzing any social media or major media in our times, it’s important to use wisdom, discernment, and ask to define terms. Ideas have power. Keep talking but be wise.
