What is Christian Nationalism?
Christian nationalism is both a political and religious ideology that asserts the United States is a Christian nation and that all levels of government should reflect and operate according to that belief. U.S. laws, school education, city/county policies, and the culture should adhere to an extremist American interpretation of the bible. There is no separation of church and state. The ideology is often rooted in white supremacy and the romanticization of America’s colonization. It often targets BIPOC, immigrants, women, and the Queer community.
“The scene in the Senate chamber at the [Jan 6] insurrection is the best physical description of the phenomenon. Their prayer in the chamber – in which they began “Jesus Christ, we invoke your name” – hints at the root at the core of religious nationalism: the assumption that Christ is at the core of efforts to establish and promote white protestant Christianity in the service of white male autocratic authority.”-Anthea Butler, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Freedom From Religion Foundation, and Christians Against Christian Nationalism
The rise of right-wing influencers on TikTok, YouTube, and other digital platforms has made it easier for Christian nationalist talking points to move from the fringe into broader acceptance among different segments of the population.
The assassination of Christian nationalist Charlie Kirk has revealed which Central Valley leaders expressed sympathies—and in some cases outright fanaticism—toward him. Kirk’s organization Turning Point USA, is described by the The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a “hard-right organization” with links to extremists groups and has a “tremendous amount of influence in conservative politics.”
On Thursday September 11, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer held a press conference to mourn the killing of Charlie Kirk and to denounce “political violence.” Dyer went on to say he felt “saddened,” “outrage,” and that “...in Fresno, we believe in treating people with dignity and respect.” Dyer was not alone, he was surrounded by City Council representatives Mike Karbassi, Tyler Maxwell, and Nelson Esparza, and Fresno County Supervisors Luis Chavez, Garry Bredefeld and Nathan Magsig.
No city or county official held a press conference to denounce political violence when Minnesota House Democrat Melissa Hortman was assassinated in her home back in June.
"Treating People with Dignity and Respect"
In 2024, at a Trump rally in Georgia, Kirk told attendees that, “the Democratic Party believes everything that God hates.”
Kirk accused Democrats of embracing immigration as part of their plot to secure voters, permit crime and enact the “great replacement.” He warned his hundreds of thousands of listeners, “We native born Americans are being replaced by foreigners.” He then promised Trump will “liberate” the country from “the enemy occupation of the foreigner hordes.” Source: Turning Point USA: A case study of the hard right in 2024
Kirk was a big proponent of the “Great Replacement” theory. The "great replacement" theory is conspiracy that the "Jewish elite" are trying to "replace" white people in the U.S. with immigrants from Latin America and "third world countries". The theory is often use to justify anti-immigrant policies, mass deportation, and even violence towards people of color. In 2022, an 18-year-old shot and killed 10 individuals, mostly targeted Black people, at a supermarket Buffalo, New York. The killings were largely motivated by the great replacement theory.
Fresno Mayor Dyer has remained silent on the recent ICE activity in Fresno and has yet to denounce the kidnapping of Fresno residents by ICE. Dyer did make it clear that “Fresno is not, by any definition, a sanctuary city.”
"In God We Trust"
If you’ve recently attended a Fresno City Council meeting, you may have noticed the large ‘IN GOD WE TRUST’ sign displayed on the chamber wall behind council representatives. What might surprise you is that the signage was only added in 2017, following a push led by then–Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, and Pastor Jim Franklin of Cornerstone Church.
“...because there is a vocal minority that wants to take God out of our beliefs, we shouldn’t be silent about that. … For too long, a silent majority has allowed a vocal minority to silence them,” Bredefeld was quoted as saying in a Fresno Bee article.
During a Sunday sermon on September 14, Pastor Franklin praised Turning Point USA and likened Charlie Kirk to John the Baptist. He told his congregation that Kirk demonstrated that, “you can speak the truth in an age where the enemy has tried to bully us into being silent.”
Cornerstone Church has become known as a hub for Christian nationalist sentiment. Pastor Franklin has used his platform and church resources to advocate for anti-LGTBQ policies at a city and county level. In the past his church has hosted several prominent Christian nationalist events and leaders, including hosting Sean Feucht.
Sean Feucht is a Christian nationalist who supports Trump and has ties to Turning Point USA. He has used his platform to promote Christian nationalist ideals and has publicly stated that America needs more "Christian nationalism." In the past he has frequently used the Proud Boys, the alt-right hate group, as his personal security.
In a KVPR article, Cornerstone Church Pastor Jim Franklin remarked, “I think this is a town that has Judeo-Christian values as a whole. I think we have seen that historically. So if I were running for office, then of course I would want to align myself with those values so I could represent them,” Franklin says. And it is not uncommon to see Cornerstone Church get cozy with city and county leaders.
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer with his wife at the "Celebrate America: One Nation Under God" event hosted by Cornerstone Church. Photos from Mayor's Dyer's Facebook page.
On his official Facebook page, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer shared a photo of himself attending Cornerstone Church’s ‘Celebrate America: One Nation Under God’ event, which promoted itself as the largest free fireworks show in the Valley. “...I was proud to Celebrate America with over 3,000 people at Cornerstone Church’s annual event. This event has one of the largest free fireworks shows in the Central Valley, and it’s such a wonderful way to celebrate our nation. Events like this remind us of the strength and spirit of our Fresno community,” said Mayor Dyer on Facebook.
The Tip of the Iceberg
We have barely scratched the surface on the influence Christian nationalism has on local politicians. But what is certain is that we have seen the escalation of Christian nationalist ideology in the policy making process of local governments. Recently, the Central Valley’s BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community has been targeted by Fresno County Board of Supervisors Garry Bredefeld. Bredefeld ended his term at Fresno city council and was elected to serve as board of supervisor for Fresno county, a county of a population of 1 million.
Bredfeld wants to end the celebration of Pride Month in Fresno County. “I have a lot of concerns and a lot of complaints from my constituents about having gay Pride Month celebrated in the libraries, and that’s a problem,” Bredefeld told Fresnoland.
Bredfeld also spearheaded efforts to dismantle Fresno County’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from the county. Charlie Kirk was critical of DEI and often made bigoted remarks about Black people in regards to DEI.
“If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.”
“Happening all the time in urban America, prowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people, that’s a fact. It’s happening more and more.”
“If I’m dealing with somebody in customer service who’s a moronic Black woman, I wonder is she there because of her excellence, or is she there because of affirmative action?”
Kirk supporters point out the quotes are taken out of context.
Does your church or bible study group promote Christian nationalism?
We want to help you recognize the red flags, things to look out for are:
- Idolizes the U.S.A. Church leaders or members make comments such as the "U.S. is the greatest nation in the world," or the "U.S. is blessed by God."
- Leadership doesn’t acknowledge systemic racism or fails to condemn white supremacy.
- Heavily promotes mission trips but is silent on Trump’s anti-immigrant policies.
- Consistently works to “evangelize” the “inner city."
- Celebrates patriotism, arm forces, law enforcement and the American flag is prominently displayed.
- Preaches “submitting to government authorities.”
- Fearmongering rhetoric about “wokeness”, “liberalism”, “social justice”, "feminism" and “socialism” and critical race theory.
- Leadership talks about “the enemy” or “spiritual warfare" when it comes to government policies and laws or the media.
- Supports policies, candidates and elected leaders who are anti-LGBTQ+.
- Supports Trump.
Want to see more reporting on the influence of Christian Nationalism in the Central Valley?
Sources:
Trends and Threats of Hate & Antigovernment Extremism, The Southern Poverty Law Center
What is Christian nationalism and why it raises concerns about threats to democracy, PBS
White nationalism remains major concern for voters of color, Brookings
‘In God We Trust’ to be put into Fresno City Council chamber, Fresno Bee
'In God We Trust' Debate Highlights Role Of Religion In Fresno Politics, KVPR
Photo of Sean Feucht in front of Fresno City Hall “Let Us Worship” event.
Charlie Kirk in his own words: ‘prowling Blacks’ and ‘the great replacement strategy’, The Guardian
6 Warning Signs of Christian Nationalism in US Politics, Sojourners
The Idolatry of “Christian” Nationalism, Christians for Social Action
The ‘Great Replacement’ Theory, Explained, National Immigration Forum
What is ‘great replacement theory’ and how does it fuel racist violence?, PBS News