Why Are We Still Paying These People To Work in Congress?

O, what a fall was there, my countrymen! Then I, and you, and all of us fell down, Whilst bloody treason flourish’d over us. -- Antony, Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene II- Shakespeare

I listened yesterday to a conversation between Dr. Brad Onishi of the University of San Francisco and Terry Gross on Fresh Air . Dr. Onishi is an ex- evangelical – what he calls an exangelical – and a scholar of the white Christian nationalist movement in the United States. He is co-founder of the Straight White American Jesus podcast and author of the book Preparing For War -The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism – And What Comes Next.

In the book, Onishi traces the history of white christian nationalism from the John Birch Society of the late 1950’s to the Big Lie and the January 6, 2020 terrorist assault on the U.S. Capitol. In his interview with Terry Gross, Dr. Onishi describes a growing cult of white christian nationalists intent on taking over the United States. He focussed on an extreme cult, the New Apostolic Reformation, or NAR. The NAR has become influential in American government and parts of the judicial system, Onishi says; the NAR advocates for Christian dominion over government, religion, family, business, education, arts and entertainment, and the media.

According to the NAR, some of its opponents are afflicted by demons, which must be cast out through exorcism. The NAR has aligned itself with Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn the election. Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House, has said he's been profoundly influenced by Dan Cummins, a Christian nationalist activist. A flag associated with the NAR hangs outside Johnson's office.

All of this was to me like finding a mass of maggots in the meat.

I do not know how such a movement, which seems to be large and growing, has been able to operate without being investigated for unlawful firearms possession, organizing to overthrow the government by any and all means, and probable inciting to riot.

We have decades of investigations of Black Panthers, Students for a Democratic Society, La Raza, anti-war groups, environmental groups, women's groups. So its reasonable to ask why we have not heard of any investigations of these clearly insane people who are committed to taking over the government of the United States on the basis of their "beliefs."

I also do not know how it is possible for a large group of people to refute facts and law, in their own minds, in favor of one of many deities. Some time in their lives, they gave up critical thinking, curiosity, and logic. When facts dispute their beliefs, they abandon facts and become vociferous about it. In fact, that combative voicing is a good indicator that you’re in the presence of someone who is not glued very tightly to the truth in utterance standard. I don't know how many of these religious fanatics there are, where they are, or how those of us who adhere to science and law can overcome them, and bring at least some of them back to reality.

What I really do not know how it is possible for avowed christian nationalist members of Congress like Mike Johnson, Lauren Boebert, and Marjorie Taylor Greene to remain in office when they have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution, while they admit to being forsworn by their allegiance to overthrowing the government of the United States by any and all means, including violence. This is to say, I do not know the mechanisms for removing them from office.

Rep. Greene has declared herself a christian nationalist. She’s been “prayed over” by a NAR preacher, in whose speech we hear some fairly magical thinking.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, speaking at an Aspen, Colorado church, stated that she’s “tired of that separation of church and state junk.”

“The church is supposed to direct the government, the government is not supposed to direct the church,” Boebert is quoted as saying.

Actually, the Constitution of the United States, to which each member of Congress swears an oath of allegiance, states that the government cannot pass any law respecting an establishment of religion,

Thomas B. Edsall’s New York Times opinion piece The Embodiment of White Christian Nationalism in a Tailored Suit provides a well- researched, very explanatory study of how we have come to this sorry pass. Edsall cites Robert Jones, the president and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, who observes that “...the Republican Party — a party that is 68 percent white and Christian in a country that is 42 percent white and Christian — has embraced its role as the party of white Christian nationalism.”

Edsall goes on to quote from “a long and data-filled analysis posted on Substack on Oct. 29, “Hiding in Plain Sight: The Sources of MAGA Madness,” Michael Podhorzer, a former political director of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., argued that the election of Johnson reflects the success of the Christian right in a long-term struggle to wrest control from traditional Republican elites, in battles fought out in Republican primary elections.

““From 2010 through 2022, a historically high number of House Republicans were defeated in primaries, with the vast majority of successful challenges happening in the most evangelical districts.

“The result: When House districts are ranked by the percentage of voters who are white evangelicals, the top quintile is represented by 81 Republicans and 6 Democrats and the second quintile by 68 Republicans and 19 Democrats.

“Republicans represent 98 percent of the most evangelical safe districts and 82 percent of the remaining above-median evangelical safe districts,” Podhorzer wrote. “These two categories elected just shy of three-quarters of the Republican Caucus in safe districts.”

“Mike Johnson becoming speaker is better understood in terms of the ongoing white Christian nationalist takeover of the American government through MAGA,” he writes.

It should not be surprising, Podhorzer said, “to see an election-denying evangelical Christian who favors a national abortion ban, Bible courses in public schools, and ‘covenant marriage,’ and who believes that L.G.B.T.Q. people are living an ‘inherently unnatural’ and ‘dangerous lifestyle’ elevated to the speakership.”

There is a strong correlation between election from a district with a high share of white evangelical voters, Podhorzer found, and election denial: “More than three-quarters of those representing the most evangelical districts are election deniers, compared to just half of those in the remaining districts. Fully three-quarters of the deniers in the caucus hail from evangelical districts.”

A recent P.R.R.I. survey, released on Feb. 8, “A Christian Nation? Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism to American Democracy and Culture,” measured support for Christian nationalism based on responses to five statements:

The U.S. government should declare America a Christian nation.

U.S. laws should be based on Christian values.

If the U.S. moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore.

Being Christian is an important part of being truly American.

God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society.

On the basis of the responses, P.R.R.I. created four categories:

Christian nationalism adherents: the 10 percent of Americans who overwhelmingly either agree or completely agree with the five statements above.

Christian nationalism sympathizers: the 19 percent of Americans who agree with these statements but are less likely to say they “completely agree.”

Christian nationalism skeptics: the 39 percent of Americans who disagree with the statements but are less likely to completely disagree.

Christian nationalism rejecters: the 29 percent of Americans who completely disagree with all five statements in the scale.

So this sums how we got here.

The only unarmed way out of this calamity is a four-letter word.

Vote.