Real atheists are taking on fake Christians during Easter weekend in Phoenix
If you are a believer in old school biblical retribution – you know, heretics and skeptics getting struck down by celestial thunderbolts – I would avoid downtown Phoenix in the coming days, particularly the area around the Hyatt Regency hotel.
In a way that some might consider symbolic, others might deem militant, and still others would regard as blasphemous, American Atheists are holding their national convention there.
This weekend.
Including Easter Sunday.
For which I would tell this bold and eclectic gathering of nonbelievers … bless you.
Christian nationalism is a real danger
The aim of the atheists, as stated in their convention information, is to draw attention to the advancement of Christian nationalism – a movement that is not Christian and goes against the core beliefs of the nation.
Nick Fish, president of American Atheists, said in a news release, “In Phoenix and elsewhere, Christian nationalists want to force their theocratic vision on everyone. We cannot allow them to succeed.”
They’re already doing pretty well in Arizona.
Unholy rise: Beware of Arizona's Christian nationalists
In January 2020, for example, the Christian nationalist “Pine Tree” flag was on display on the second floor lobby of the Arizona State Capitol.
Versions of that same flag appeared alongside the stars and bars flags of the Confederacy, large crucifixion crosses and Trump banners during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Arizona politicians are a part of it
Baylor University communications professor Leslie Hahner said, “Christian Nationalism is a set of ideological beliefs expressed by [some] white, evangelical Christians. Their beliefs champion the U.S. as a Christian nation, as one that is ordained by God. It’s often connected to, if not an outright embodiment of, ideologies of white supremacy.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation lists Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar among what it calls “Christian nationalist House members.”
Unhinged Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers says stuff like, “I stand with Christians worldwide, not the global bankers who are shoving godlessness and degeneracy in our face.”
That remark is a common anti-Semitic trope, and you may recall that Rogers also shared a picture on social media of herself next to a dead rhino branded with a Star of David.
Kari Lake has played that card for months
Losing Republican candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake has been playing the Christian nationalist card almost from the beginning of her campaign.
Like when a group of evangelical supporters laid hands on and anointed Lake at an event in Scottsdale.
Or when she compared MAGA Republicans to Jesus and said God would help her and her supporters “take back our country and save this republic.”
Or after the election, when her followers marched around Maricopa County’s election center seven times while blowing horns, expecting the walls to come tumbling down as in the Bible story of the battle of Jericho.
Religious organizations are also opposed
Nationally, we have politicians like Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene saying things like, “We need to be the party of nationalism and I’m a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists.”
The problem with that, on the most elemental level, is the First Amendment to the Constitution, which says simply, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the exercise thereof … .”
A grassroots religious organization called Faithful America is also working to draw attention to politicians like Greene and Rogers, saying in part, “Christian nationalism poses a grave threat to democracy, the church, and the common good – and grassroots Christians are sick of seeing false prophets distort the Gospel for their agenda of hatred, power, and division.”
Atheists will do even more this weekend
Programs scheduled during the atheists’ convention include sessions titled “A Bullet Train to Christian Nationalism: Vouchers and Public School Privatization” and “The Christofascist Attempt to Take Over Arizona School Boards”.
Jeanne Casteen, the executive director of Secular Coalition for Arizona, said, “Arizona has a Christian nationalism problem, and we must work together to stop it.”
That isn’t all that the men and women attending the convention will try to do, however.
On Sunday, working with a group called The Outreach Program, atheists will be packing 25,000 meals for people in need in Phoenix.
No matter what faith you believe in, if any, putting together meals for the hungry is an act of grace.
Amen to that.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Real atheists take on fake Christians in Phoenix during Easter
