I am not particularly predisposed toward theology, as I prefer to engage with the writings and teachings of contemporary Christian thought leaders rather than compose my own. Alas, I have not come across much coverage on the growing disconnect between White Christian Nationalism and the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church. Finally, this post is going to veer off from my more academic style of writing when it comes to these things. Admittedly, I’m tired and just want to get these ideas down so they don’t get lost in the floating soup of gray matter between my ears.
I’ve got a lot of respect for the Catholic Church—after all, they played a giant role in toppling one of the most powerful empires the world’s ever seen. I have to hand it to the Catholics for that one. (Yes, obviously there is a lot more here than just that, but hear me out.)
For example, and returning to the topic—I find it deeply troubling to see individuals who identify as “Christians” posing in front of “Alligator Alcatraz” as though it were an amusement park. The ongoing effort to vilify a minority population is both abhorrent and profoundly hypocritical. Overall, these actions and beliefs contradict the teachings of virtually all Christian denominations. Ultimately, judgment belongs to the Creator.
Of course, these hypocritical individuals don’t represent Christianity as a whole. I’m not here to shun off an entire group just because of some bad apples (similar to how immigrants aren’t all gangbangers like Fox News would have you believe.) Anyway…
I am not a Catholic, but I have been researching more and more these days, particularly with the emergence of Pope Leo XIV—who hasn’t shied away from stamping out the hypocrisy that is plaguing the alt-right and its fascination with tattooing God all over the government. (Which is weird because it goes against the ideology of the Founding Fathers.)
“Someone who says ‘I’m against abortion but says I am in favor of the death penalty’ is not really pro-life. Someone who says that ‘I’m against abortion, but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States,’ I don’t know if that’s pro-life.” —Pope Leo XIV
Not only that, but I regard it as difficult to do the mental gymnastics to disagree with what he’s saying here, and I’m not even on team Catholic.
From my very basic understanding, Catholic teaching urges people to listen, stay humble, and work toward the common good. The Gospel’s message—blessing the meek, the merciful, and the peacemakers—couldn’t be more different from the anger and grievance that fuel much of White Christian Nationalism.
Meanwhile, MAGA’s focus on tax breaks for the wealthy and rolling back regulations clashes with the Church’s call for fairness, workers’ rights, and an economy that serves everyone, not just those at the top. Perhaps this alludes to why a lot of MAGA-style churches are either breakaway non-denominational or strict fundamentalist Baptists—the kind that think evangelism means putting up a giant “Heaven or Hell: Your Choice” billboard instead of actually engaging with their communities’ less well-off folks. Why don’t we use some of those billboard funds to feed some people? Eh?
Nazi Germany and the Kirchenkampf
Bear with me through a brief history lesson (I think history is incredibly important.)
The tension between MAGA/Christian Nationalist politics and the Catholic Church echoes, in a milder way, the Kirchenkampf of 1930s Germany—the “church struggle” over whether faith would serve God or the state. Back then, political leaders actively attempted to reshape Christianity into a nationalist tool, postulating loyalty and silencing dissenting clergy.
Sound familiar?
Today, the MAGA movement’s push to merge religious identity with political allegiance raises similar questions. When faith becomes a badge of party loyalty rather than a testament to conscience, the Church risks losing the moral independence that once gave it strength.
David and Goliath
I’m not sure which is which, but one thing’s clear: I don’t envision White Christian Nationalism (or any modern political movement) toppling the Catholic Church. The hypocrisy and outright dogma are just too apparent and harmful. Not even the Western Roman Empire, with all its grandeur and might, managed to shake its foundations fully. Over the centuries, the Church has endured invasions, schisms, and political pressure, yet it has adapted and survived. Today, each pope seems to push things a little further in a more progressive direction than the last, whether on social issues, economic justice, or environmental stewardship. That resilience and aptitude for evolution make it obvious that the Church isn’t going anywhere anytime soon—no political wave, however violent, is likely to dismantle it.
During the Kirchenkampf, Nazi-aligned “German Christians” claimed to represent a purer, national breed of Christianity, stripping away transcendent and compassionate aspects of the Gospel. Today, MAGA-aligned Christianity risks doing something similar by wrapping religious identity in the flag and subordinating moral teaching to political identity.
History has a reputation of humbling those who try to morph faith into a political brand. The Church has outlasted emperors, inquisitors, reformers, and tyrants—it’s not about to crumble under a few decades of culture-war cosplay. Ideologies burn bright and fade fast; institutions built on something older and deeper tend to endure. So don’t lose sleep over the “God, Guns, Trump” flags—especially the ones made in China. 😉
Thanks for checking my latest post out. It’s not for everyone, I get it.
