Christian Nationalism and Sanctuary Cities

OPINION — I live outside the city of San Angelo and can’t vote on the ordinance that would make San Angelo “a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.” Truth be told, at first I wasn’t paying much attention to it, anyway, because I thought it was a symbolic vote that had no real power, unlike the laws passed by the state legislature.

Also, I am personally opposed to abortion (though I do not support government involvement in a decision that should be between a woman and her doctor), so a symbolic act like this still did not bother me. Then two things made me sit up and take notice.

The first occurred last week, when a friend, who lives in another community, had her water break at 17 weeks. She and her husband faced an impossible situation. Because of Texas abortion laws, the doctors were afraid to take the baby, so they were left waiting for the baby, who could not live, to suffocate and die. It was a gut-wrenching experience for all involved.

Second, I read former San Angelo Mayor J. W. Lown’s powerful article explaining that this vote actually does carry enormous power and would do tremendous harm to our community. This ordinance, if it receives a majority, would impose one particular interpretation of scripture on people of various religious beliefs (and those of no religious beliefs). I see such an ordinance as both un-Christian and un-American.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (R-CO) recently told worshippers at a religious service, “The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church. That is not how our Founding Fathers intended it.”

She added, “I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk that’s not in the Constitution.”

While it is true that the government is not supposed to direct the church, the idea that the church is supposed to direct the government is not found in any reading of our Founding Fathers.

The Constitution’s only mention of religion is in Article 6: “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

This doesn’t sound like the Founding Fathers wanted the Christian Church or any religion to control government.

She couldn’t have been reading the First Amendment to the Constitution, because it clearly states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

The Founding Fathers were very clear that there was to be no established religion in America. This country was not founded on religion but on reason and the value of all persons (although that has taken many years to flesh out regarding the rights of people of color, women, etc.).

The indisputable truth is that our Founding Fathers were vehemently opposed to any official relationship between church and state, religion and government.

These strict anti-abortion laws in a secular democratic republic violate our constitution and the Bill of Rights. The genius of America is religious freedom for all.

The Jewish faith teaches that life starts with the first breath. Catholic theology teaches that life starts at conception. Historically, Protestants have held to both of these views, while modernday fundamentalists have promoted the Catholic position. As a Baptist minister, I respect all of their interpretations.

But should any religious group have the political power to force their interpretation of scripture on other Americans in a free country?

No, not if we respect the Constitution and the principles on which this nation was founded. I encourage the citizens of San Angelo to defeat this effort – by well-meaning people of faith – to divide us. This is actually the first step to what is happening all over Texas, with the Religious Right trying to take over school boards, city councils, and commissioners courts. Hood County (Granbury) is a prime example, with Ted Cruz’s radical father, Rafael, recently coming to town to endorse three Radical Right candidates for the school board.

San Angelo and Tom Green County has been known as a moderately conservative community that has kept extremes out of our local government. We have a great school board and no crazy book bans. We have a wonderful city council that seems to work for all citizens. Even our county elected officials (all Republicans) seem more interested in serving our community than promoting a right-wing agenda (as Republican state leaders are doing).

American democracy is under threat, and the biggest danger our country faces to remaining a democratic republic comes from Christians who want “the church to direct the government.” If they succeed, America will not survive as a free nation. Christian Nationalism is neither Christian nor patriotic. In reality, it’s evil.

I respect Christians and Jews and Muslims and any religious person holding deep convictions about their faith and about abortion, BUT when they seek to use government to enforce their particular religious beliefs on others, they are destroying the America our Founding Fathers intended when they formed this country.

A Religious Right-controlled America will have no public school system. It will have no freedom for anyone to live out their lives in any way that is different than their narrow definition of family and sexuality. Americans will lose basic civil and human rights, just as citizens in Islamic states.

Government controlled by any religion is a government that no longer guarantees freedom for its citizens, regardless of what religion is doing the controlling. It’s bad for Christianity, and it’s bad for America. I urge you to support the Constitution and the First Amendment, as well as a free faith not intertwined with government.

Please vote NO on the ordinance that would make San Angelo “a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.”

David R. Currie, Ph.D., is a retired Baptist minister, board member of The Interfaith Alliance in Washington, D.C., and a rancher and Sunday School teacher in San Angelo, Texas. He is also former Chair of the Tom Green County Democratic Party.