So far in 2017 I have read thirty books. The Myth of a Christian Nation by Gregory A. Boyd ranks at the top as the most important and helpful book I have read this year. It has my highest recommendation. Boyd’s writing is well organized and clear. He presents his case effectively. And I found myself cringing under conviction from some of the things he wrote.
The argument of the book was not easy to write or to preach, neither are the words easy to read or hear. At several points in the book I knew he had written truth and the discomfort I felt told me I had been living in part within the myth. A large portion of Boyd’s church left when he preached and taught these things to his own flock, showing how deeply this myth has penetrated even good Christian souls.
Boyd argues that the United States from its founding was not and was never intended to be a Christian nation. Very few of the founders of our nation would be viewed as orthodox believers by today’s standards. Yet the myth lives on that we were uniquely founded by and for God. And millions of Christians fervently believe this despite all evidence.
As I opened the book I did think I would agree with Boyd’s argument. For many years I had difficulty saying the Pledge of Allegiance daily in the classrooms where I taught. I struggled with the whole concept of pledging allegiance to anything or anyone since I had already given my full allegiance to Christ. How could I pledge something to a flag that I had already given to Someone else? How could I pledge my allegiance to a nation when my citizenship is in heaven? You may have answers to these questions, but I recognized my answers as unbiblical rationalizations. Jesus said you cannot serve two masters.
And what did I mean when I pledged allegiance to a nation under God. Looking through our history I could see scant evidence of this. God did not lead us to enslave blacks and others, to commit genocide against the indigenous peoples of this land and then break almost every treaty promise we made to them, or to make war on our neighbors because of some manifest destiny. Yet, despite all the historical evidence, millions of my fellow citizens feel their hearts warmed when our country is described in Biblical terms as a shining city on a hill, as God’s new Israel, and as a country whose blessed condition depends upon how effective Christian voters are in controlling the non-Christians around us.
I do not believe our nation does now or has ever guaranteed either liberty or justice for all. The lynchings of the past and the present prison population, by far the highest per capita in the world, cannot be said honestly to reflect liberty or justice. And yet, to point out this truth would draw fierce reactions from many Christians in this country.
The flag of this nation is not just treated with respect; it is considered a sacred object. To burn it is to desecrate it (de-sacred). Boyd opens one’s eyes to the civil religion commonly shared by nearly all white Americans. We believe we have a divine duty to make war on others in order to help them find democracy and capitalism. Our soldiers are encouraged to believe God is on their side as they make war. We are surrounded by mottos on our money and symbols of our nation that we treat much as the Israelites of old regarded the high places, sacred pillars, and little household idols even as they praised God at the temple in Jerusalem.
If, as you read my words here, you feel discomfort over some of them or have quick responses that settle the issue for you, then you may be much like I was as I read Boyd’s book. It was not a comfortable read. It is not the kind of truth to be preached to complacent Christians. His words are a prophetic call to all believers in Christ to stop confusing the kingdom of God with our own political views.