In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s memorial, you’d think elected leaders quoting the Bible was the political equivalent of announcing a national law mandating Sunday School uniforms. The outrage machine roared to life: “Separation of church and state!” “Keep religion out of politics!” “Religious freedom means ALL religions, not just Christianity!”
And of course, the favorite Twitter panic phrase: “Christian nationalism!”
Apparently, if an elected official so much as thanks God in public, we’re one prayer away from a theocracy with Moses on the dollar bill. It’s absurd.
Christian Nation ≠ Christian Nationalism
Let’s clear something up. There’s a difference between acknowledging that America’s institutions and laws were shaped by Christian principles, and claiming government should force everyone into pews at gunpoint. One is history. The other is a dystopian fever dream usually sketched by people who think “Romans” is just a European soccer team.
Our Founders constantly spoke about God. Adams said our Constitution was built only for a moral and religious people. Washington warned that religion and morality are indispensable supports for political prosperity. Lincoln quoted Scripture as naturally as he breathed. Martin Luther King Jr. preached justice straight from the prophets. By today’s standards, all of them would be trending as “Christian nationalists” by Tuesday afternoon.
But here’s reality: no one with actual power is proposing the establishment of a national church. No one is suggesting we ban non-Christians from public office. The hysterical cries of “Christian nationalism!” are nothing more than a scarecrow propped up by people who can’t stand that some leaders openly acknowledge God.
Freedom vs. Liberty
A lot of this debate comes down to language. Americans love to shout about freedom, as if it’s the highest good. Freedom, raw and unrestrained, basically means “I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.” Which sounds fun until “whatever I want” includes your wallet, your spouse, or your safety.
That’s where liberty comes in. Liberty has always meant ordered freedom – freedom bounded by virtue, by truth, by responsibility. The Founders understood that without virtue, freedom collapses into chaos. Think of it this way: freedom is a teenager with car keys; liberty is the parent riding shotgun with the emergency brake.
So when critics say, “Religious freedom means all religions,” they’re partly right and partly missing the point. Yes, the government can’t establish an official religion, and it can’t stop people from practicing their faith. That’s the First Amendment. But “religious freedom” doesn’t mean government has to pretend every worldview is equally true or equally good. Liberty isn’t license. It’s freedom ordered toward the good.
Romans 13 and the Role of Government
This is where the Bible is refreshingly blunt. In Romans 13, Paul writes that governing authorities are “God’s servants for your good.” That doesn’t mean rulers exist to rubber-stamp every preference under the banner of “tolerance.” It means government has a God-given responsibility: promote justice, restrain evil, encourage virtue.
And here’s the kicker: the idea of a “value-neutral” government is a myth. Every law, every regulation, every policy reflects someone’s moral vision. Outlawing theft? Moral. Regulating marriage? Moral. Deciding what kids are taught in school? Moral. Even tax policy is moral at its core. The question isn’t whether morality shapes government, but whose morality.
So when leaders invoke Scripture in public, the issue isn’t whether it makes people comfortable. The issue is whether it reflects truth—and whether it calls us back to virtue.
Love, Truth, and the Christian Public Servant
Now, don’t misunderstand me. Twisting Scripture to justify cruelty is wrong. Using religion as a blunt weapon to dehumanize people is wrong. Christ commanded us to love our neighbors – including the ones who despise us, vote against us, and roll their eyes at us.
But love without truth isn’t love – it’s surrender. Telling people their confusion is clarity, or their sin is virtue, isn’t compassion. It’s abandonment. True compassion both cares for people and speaks truth, even when it stings.
As a public servant, that means serving everyone – Christian, non-Christian, atheist, skeptic – but doing so with integrity to God’s justice, moral order, and truth. Those duties don’t conflict; they inform each other. Don’t you want an elected official who believes in something bigger than his/her self?
The “Christian Nationalism” Boogeyman
This is why the whole “Christian nationalism” narrative is laughable. It paints any public expression of faith as a slippery slope to theocracy, while ignoring the fact that every competing worldview—from secular humanism to gender ideology – functions like its own religion with dogmas, doctrines, and heresies.
If a leader prays in Jesus’ name, critics scream “Christian nationalism!” But if a school installs secularism as its official creed and silences dissent, we’re told that’s “neutral.” Neutral, my foot. It’s just a new orthodoxy, with different priests and different commandments.
It’s not “Christian nationalism” to say our rights come from God, not government. That’s literally the Declaration of Independence. What’s the alternative? Pretending our rights come from the DMV?
Healing Through Truth, Not Silence
Critics argue that bringing faith into public life deepens division. But silencing faith doesn’t heal wounds – it deepens them. Healing comes when leaders speak truth with love, when liberty is tied to virtue, and when we remember that our freedoms are not government-issued perks but God-given rights.
Charlie Kirk lived his life calling people back to courage, faith, and truth. His memorial sparked outrage only because it reminded America that liberty untethered from virtue is just chaos in drag.
If Invoking God Offends You, Maybe the Problem Isn’t God
This isn’t about installing a state church or forcing Bible verses onto your cereal box. This is about acknowledging the obvious: liberty dies without virtue, and virtue doesn’t come from Washington. It comes from God.
So the next time someone cries “Christian nationalism” because a leader dared to pray in public, remember this: acknowledging the Source of our liberty isn’t a threat to America – it’s the only reason America works at all.
