UMC bishops denounce Christian nationalism as ideology that ‘defies God’s love’

Michie · Sep 24, 2024

United Methodist Church bishops have publicly condemned Christian nationalism, claiming that it fundamentally contradicts God's love and prioritizes power over compassion.

In a pastoral letter released last week, Bishop Tracy S. Malone, the president of the UMC Council of Bishops, raised concerns about the increasing polarization and division within communities and nations.

"Nationalism is a political ideology that defies God's love by pitting the interests of one group of people against others," Malone wrote on behalf of the bishops, denouncing both Christian and secular nationalism.

Continued below.

UMC bishops denounce Christian nationalism as ideology that ‘defies God’s love’

United Methodist Church bishops have publicly condemned Christian nationalism, claiming that it fundamentally contradicts God s love and prioritizes power over compassion In a pastoral letter

www.christianpost.com

Fantine · Sep 24, 2024

What a compassionate church! In my town, the Methodists are a beacon of light and hope for so many.

jas3 · Sep 24, 2024

Oh the irony!

Fantine · Sep 24, 2024

We forget that the Native Americans whom we displaced after stealing their lands, believed in.the Great Spirit. They still practice their religious traditions and I participated in several while living in South Dakota. A group of campus ministry youth held sweat lodges at the state prison to pray with those society has forgotten.
So basically Christians claimed another's nation as their own, kind of what Jacob did to Esau.
Only missionaries like Fr. Marquette and other Jesuits treated them like children of God.
Then of course their was slavery--an intrinsic evil in Christian Theology.
Finally, many founding fathers were proponents of the Enlightenment.
I know Christian nationalists have published revisionist history to bolster their claims.

Ignatius the Kiwi · Sep 24, 2024

Nationalism as a political ideology is actually rooted in the liberal principles of representation of a peoples. If one looks at the National Revolutions of Europe against monarchs, like the Hungarian revolution, it's difficult for the modern liberal to deny its legitimacy.

But the UMC, along with most Liberal Christians, simply despise public application of Christian norms. Christian Natioanlism is merely Christian participation in democratic politics which doesn't water down Christianity to satisfy secularism or secularists. It insists, if Christians can attain power, that Christian ethics can govern society. Believe it or not, Christian ethics are superior to secular enlightenment principles. Shocking to many Christians I'm sure.

If you are against Christianity as a public value set, your true loyalty lies somewhere else. It's like how certain Catholics support abortion and LGBT despite what their Church says. They aren't loyal to Catholic teaching. They are loyal to progressive politics.

Listening to the UMC when it is dying won't help either. It'll only make things worse for Christianity in the USA.

Oompa Loompa · Sep 25, 2024

Fantine said:
We forget that the Native Americans whom we displaced after stealing their lands, believed in.the Great Spirit. They still practice their religious traditions and I participated in several while living in South Dakota. A group of campus ministry youth held sweat lodges at the state prison to pray with those society has forgotten.
So basically Christians claimed another's nation as their own, kind of what Jacob did to Esau.
Only missionaries like Fr. Marquette and other Jesuits treated them like children of God.
Then of course their was slavery--an intrinsic evil in Christian Theology.
Finally, many founding fathers were proponents of the Enlightenment.
I know Christian nationalists have published revisionist history to bolster their claims.

Who are you responding to?

Oompa Loompa · Sep 25, 2024

Fantine said:
What a compassionate church! In my town, the Methodists are a beacon of light and hope for so many.

Who are you responding to?

Fantine · Sep 25, 2024

I am applauding the original post and debunking the false premise of Christian nationalism.

Fantine · Sep 25, 2024

Ignatius the Kiwi said:
Nationalism as a political ideology is actually rooted in the liberal principles of representation of a peoples. If one looks at the National Revolutions of Europe against monarchs, like the Hungarian revolution, it's difficult for the modern liberal to deny its legitimacy.

But the UMC, along with most Liberal Christians, simply despise public application of Christian norms. Christian Natioanlism is merely Christian participation in democratic politics which doesn't water down Christianity to satisfy secularism or secularists. It insists, if Christians can attain power, that Christian ethics can govern society. Believe it or not, Christian ethics are superior to secular enlightenment principles. Shocking to many Christians I'm sure.

If you are against Christianity as a public value set, your true loyalty lies somewhere else. It's like how certain Catholics support abortion and LGBT despite what their Church says. They aren't loyal to Catholic teaching. They are loyal to progressive politics.

Listening to the UMC when it is dying won't help either. It'll only make things worse for Christianity in the USA.

What the UMC is saying is that the interpretation of Jesus' message is incomplete and harmful, divisive and exclusionary, replacing social justice and peace--the core principles--with authoritarianism and separation.
Other leaders, Pope Francis, for example, see the same flaws and the need for global dialogue, addressing climate change, and helping the refugees and immigrants--not building walls.
Jesus himself was a refugee in Egypt.

bèlla · Sep 25, 2024

Ignatius the Kiwi said:
If you are against Christianity as a public value set, your true loyalty lies somewhere else.

I don't support it and my loyalty lies with God. Not misguided humans using mean spirited tactics in the name of an entity who wouldn't recognize them. That's why you're failing. It isn't God ordained or anointed.

~bella

Ignatius the Kiwi · Sep 25, 2024

Fantine said:
What the UMC is saying is that the interpretation of Jesus' message is incomplete and harmful, divisive and exclusionary, replacing social justice and peace--the core principles--with authoritarianism and separation.
Other leaders, Pope Francis, for example, see the same flaws and the need for global dialogue, addressing climate change, and helping the refugees and immigrants--not building walls.
Jesus himself was a refugee in Egypt.

What the UMC is doing is contributing to the decline of Christianity in the West. If Christians are to operate on a societal level as secularists, no different from their atheist neighbours, then society which naturally drift towards said outcome. As we've dechristianized society, we haven't seen the resurgance of private Christianity, rather we've seen it's remission. The communities of Christians which view themselves as apart from the wider society are the only ones which can grow.

Did Jesus demand equal status in Egypt Fantine? Or did he return home to his people and preach to them? Christianity is not your progressive politics and you'd be appalled at what the Church throughout history actually looked like.

Ignatius the Kiwi · Sep 25, 2024

Fantine said:
I am applauding the original post and debunking the false premise of Christian nationalism.

There is no debunking though. There is nothing inherently wrong with Christian Nationalism. Either you believe in the dominant secularism which seeks to exclude religion from power or you believe Christianity can contribute to the political process. You evidently believe Christianity should not contribute, except when you selectively interpret it to meet your Democratic progressive ideology.

By the way, thank you for actually responding with a quotation. Can you do it more often?

Ignatius the Kiwi · Sep 25, 2024

bèlla said:
I don't support it and my loyalty lies with God. Not misguided humans using mean spirited tactics in the name of an entity who wouldn't recognize them. That's why you're failing. It isn't God ordained or anointed.

~bella

Do you believe Christians should be utterly apolitical? What tactics are you thinking about exactly? Politics is a matter of necessity as there will always be a governing structure and while I'm not a Christian Nationalist, I'm sympathetic because at least they are approaching politics seriously from a Christian perspective. Many Christians don't these days, instead, like Fantine, they assume the dominant political model of society and force it on to their faith and try to make their faith comply with power.

What do you mean when you say I'm failing?

UMC bishops denounce Christian nationalism as ideology that ‘defies God’s love’

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