Guest Post: Former Christian Evangelical On The Rise of Christian Nationalism

Tim Whitaker on why his faith as a Christian calls on him to counter attacks on Muslims

Today I publish a guest post by Tim Whitaker, Creator of “Tim Whitaker Speaks,” and Founder of The New Evangelicals. This powerful piece shares Tim’s journey growing up as a conservative evangelical Christian, and realizing that the actual message of Christ was counter to much of what the church had become. I am proud to publish this piece to demonstrate that as Muslims and Christians, as people of different faiths, we stand united to protect each person’s humanity, dignity, and right to worship if, when, and how they please. As you read, I encourage you to likewise subscribe to Tim’s articles and advocacy, because elevating good people doing good work is the path to build a more compassionate future. Let’s Address This.

Christians Must Stand Up Against Christian Nationalism

by Tim Whitaker

Tim Whitaker. [Photo Credit: Tim Whitaker]

I’ll never forget where I was during 9/11. My aunt called my mom frantic. My uncle worked in one of the towers, and we didn’t know if he had made it out or not. Thankfully, he was okay and arrived home safe a few hours later.

I was 13 and remember that day vividly. I remember how America came together to mourn the loss of those who died. I remember George W. Bush announcing that Iraq had WMDs, and I remember right-wing media pundits beginning a coordinated smear campaign to blame all Muslims and convince white America that every person they met who worshiped in a mosque was a secret radical jihadist planning to take over the country. And I believed it. After all, Sean Hannity made it crystal clear that America was under attack from Islamic extremists. The irony is that Sean helped fuel true religious extremism. But this one carried a Bible, not a Quran.

It wouldn’t be until decades later, when I left conservative Christianity behind, that I began to understand just how deeply brainwashed I was regarding my understanding of Islam. In this conservative Christian world, there is a robust apologetics industry that carefully curates how Islam is presented to their viewers. No need to hear from Muslims—these white men trained in evangelical apologetics will tell you everything you need to know. These men make a living by convincing their viewers that their very narrow version of Christianity is the one true path to God, while everyone else (including other Christians) believes lies that are sending them to hell. You can find their videos all over YouTube, reaching millions of people with propaganda that Islam is a massive threat in America—way bigger than Christian Nationalism (who stormed the Capitol on January 6th… again?).

This rhetoric has real-world consequences. Today, attacks on Muslims in the name of Jesus are on the rise.

In Dearborn, Michigan, Christian supremacists from out of state confronted Muslims with pure and utter hatred. They tried to burn the Quran and chanted during a council meeting that Christ was king, telling Muslims to “get the fuck out of the country.”

In Tampa, Florida, three men traveled out of state to harass Muslim students as they were peacefully praying at the University of South Florida. They waved bacon in front of them, spit on the ground while cursing the Prophet Muhammad, and demanded they convert to the “true faith” while calling them children of the devil. When the men who were praying protested, the three Christian supremacists hid behind “free speech” like cowards.

As a Christian, this hatred for our neighbors flies in the face of Christ’s teaching to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus doesn’t qualify Himself by saying “except if you’re a Muslim.” He is crystal clear. This is why I am mortified and ashamed to see that the source of so much Islamophobia is being justified in the name of Christ. These men might be Christian, but they sure are behaving in antichrist ways. It’s disgusting should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

To my Muslim neighbor: I first want to say that I am sorry for my complicity in believing and perpetuating notions about Islam that fueled this kind of hatred. Although I was ignorant, I was still part of a system that has caused—and is still causing—so much harm. I promise to do better and to do everything I can as a Christian to stand by you and advocate for your human flourishing. This includes fighting Christian Nationalism tooth and nail. I am honored to work alongside my friend Qasim Rashid for this piece. Our shared values are greater than our different beliefs.

To my fellow Christians: now is the time to speak up and be bold. We must not allow this hatred to go unchecked and unchallenged in our spaces. This isn’t complicated. If we are claiming to be followers of Jesus, that means a radical inclusivity centered on love and justice. Publicly decry Islamophobia. Educate yourself on the faith and learn to stand in solidarity with your Muslim neighbors as Christian Nationalism targets them.

We have work to do. Christian Fascism is here and we need to work together to build a better future rooted in love, justice, and inclusivity. Not hatred, division, and exclusion.

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Qasim here! In closing, I encourage everyone reading this to support and subscribe to Tim on Substack, TikTok, and Instagram, to support his advocacy for compassion and justice. Likewise, to address the targeted rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and disinformation, I’ve launched Islam Today, and invite you to subscribe.