Is a country built on hypocrisy and deception capable of standing as
“One nation under God”?
This question lingers in my mind daily as I continue growing into a self-liable citizen. Christianity sits as America’s predominant religion. As much as I’d love to believe it to be purely out of discipleship, the truth is quite the opposite. This country’s foundation, as some may know, is based on the Discovery Doctrine, a common practice of conquest and conversion. With conquest comes power above all else– above religion and above the people. Today, this system has rebranded itself as Christian Nationalism, a political ideology that works to fuse Christian religion and national identity together. This is the same driving force that has used the bible to justify disposition of indigenous peoples, slavery amongst nations, and authoritarian governments.
Now, how could such an entity be one “ordained by God”?
Surely, the Lord of love and mercy would say otherwise. As stated by Jesus and written in scripture, “They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules” [Matthew 15:9]." These same words hold up today, largely through a country pushing this nationalist agenda.
1 Timothy 1:15 states, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”.
When Christ walked this earth, his mission was to save lost souls, not governments or regimes– but people. If we take a look at America, we could easily note how difficult our leaders have made it for everyday people, who are often overlooked. This in itself contradicts the teachings of Christ.
Here’s a little about Jesus: he was born a refugee who fled from persecution, came up humbly working as a carpenter, and was most importantly, a radical leader– spending his time with and educating the marginalized groups of the world (e.g., the impoverished, sex-workers, and Gentiles). In doing so, he paved the route and showed us the true meaning of “loving thy neighbor”. This entails looking past race, ethnicity, and class, because through his power, love surpasses worldly identity.
Allow me to insert two facts about myself– I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I am also a Black Woman in America. In addition to these two facts are two others about this country– In its true form, America is a western stagefront– manufactured to conquer above all else, hence my previous mention of the Discovery Doctrine. This country is also a system that prides itself on and under God. But how can the two coincide with each other? Is it even possible?
In 1791, the First Amendment, [located in The Bill of Rights], incorporated the concept of separation of church and state. This, in simplistic terms, was meant to prevent the government from enforcing its own church. The amendment also created a sense of neutrality in regards to religion. For this, I am thankful. I have been able to express my religious customs freely, all while being able to walk into areas where others and their theologies have room to take up space. But even stating this as a lived experience, sits generally false.
Every day, we hear stories of marginalized groups in congregations, targeted in the nature of propagandic teachings, bigotry, and so much more. Just last month (September 2025), a white supremacist threatened to actively kill and terrorize practicing muslims at a mosque in Dearborn, Michigan. This is only scratching the surface to some of the extremities hate has taken to silence the voices of other religions.
Furthermore, these same acts have been seen immensely throughout the Black Christian Church. The 1963 KKK bombing of Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church, which killed four little girls, has haunted generations as a silent reminder of our enduring exclusion in this country. I could go on endlessly about these instances, but the recurring pattern is one of domination and the relentless pursuit of power in the name of white supremacy.
This notion of supremacy often overlaps with nationalist ideologies, using Christianity and economic fears to justify the “purification” of the nation (as seen with Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Groups like Turning Point USA further reinforce this, targeting youth and grooming them into the ideology of Western “Christian” conservatism. The impact of this harm continues to produce mentally unstable and neo-Nazi-minded young people. These influences pacify their terroristic desires and tell them that they’re justified through God, just as this country's Founding Fathers. We’ve seen this with religious center threats, bombings, school shootings, and cyber attacks. With the authority of Christian Nationalism, we’re starting to see this with ICE agents and political leaders. Through the continuation of this agenda, we will see a growth of domestic terrorists in places of enforcement and power.
So what are followers of Christ to do in this reality?
When Jesus walked this earth, it is historically recorded what he did and how he acted upon his call to reconcile people with God. Christ guided and educated disciples in their youth. The disciple John was likely a teenager when he was called to Christ, while the others’ ages spanned from adolescence to Peter, who was thought to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Jesus knew to reach the youth because that is undeniably where the future starts– but he didn’t do so in the way many leaders do today. Instead of teaching the ways of a religious agenda, Jesus showed his followers how to live and educate radically against worldly agendas. In Christ’s movement, there is no space for confusion, no room for political agenda, and absolutely no capacity for hate.
Just as Jesus intended us to live by love, so shall we do, as followers in today’s world. Before, it was Jesus condemning the religious leaders for living hypocritically and against outward appearance. Today, it is we who must denounce the strategic and perverse ways of Christian Nationalism and live by the truth that is Jesus Christ.
