Biblical Idolatry and the Plot to Destroy American Democracy
Part One: Introduction
Today (May 17,2026), Freedom 250 (a private-public group) is sponsoring an event called Rededicate 250, to “prepare for the nation’s 250th birthday with Scripture, testimony, prayer, and rededication of our country as One Nation to God.”
So, I’m going to start a new blog series on the role that the “authority of Scripture” plays in White Christian Nationalism.
I pledge allegiance to the Bible,
God’s Holy Word.
I will make it a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path,
and will hide its words
in my heart that I might
not sin against God.
I had never heard of this “Pledge to the Bible” until I taught in a Christian school in the 90s. I found it odd, but didn’t really question it.
I grew up with the Apostle’s Creed, which goes like this:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;*
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic** church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
*Traditional use of this creed includes these words: “He descended into hell.”
**universal
Do you see the difference?
Imagine two people raised in two churches, one framed around the pledge and the other around the creed. What happens after a few generations? How might these two ideas of Christianity evolve into distinct expressions of the same religion over time?
Over the next several weeks, I plan to share essays that will explore these two faces of Christianity that grew up within the context of democracy in the United States.
One side views liberal democracy as an expression of Christian values lived out in the secular, political realm, while the other believes that liberalism and democracy threaten Christian values.
I believe the idea of the authority of Scripture is at the center of the divide.
My hope is that understanding how these two sides of Christianity developed will enable us to have more productive conversations that can help with healing and lead to reconciliation.
I am not coming at this from a neutral position. I believe strongly that one side is rooted in biblical idolatry and that is being manipulated to create division and destroy the American Experiment and liberal democracy.
I am interested in seeking and shining a light on the truth.
Next Week: Part Two: A Certain Christian Civilization