In an article published by Evangelical Now, Russell Moore responds to the decision by Tucker Carson to interview and so platform Nick Fuentes who Moore identifies as a “neo-Nazi apologist” Moore spells out that:
We have a choice. The Bible will not sit alongside Mein Kampf. The cross will not yield to the swastika. We must ask right now: Jesus or Hitler? We cannot have both.
My initial reaction was “should we really have to spell this out?” However, the reality I’ve seen, just as much on this side of the Atlantic is that it does need stating explicitly. Far, far too often, I am hearing Christians promote ethno-cultural nationalism, align themselves with far right activists such as through the Unite the Kingdom March and christen this anti-Gospel, anti-Christ ideology as “Christian Nationalism.” In Moore’s words:
The question is whether the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. If it is, as I firmly believe, then what happens if words like evangelical or church or salvation or (I shudder to write) Jesus are filled up with the meanings of an antichrist alt-gospel? In that case, what’s on the line for generations is a matter of eternity.
And I’ve realised that this does need to be explicitly pointed out because with perhaps just one or two exceptions, Christian leaders are simply not getting it. As Moore comments on the US scene,
This matter is crucial for the future of the USA, but the stakes are even higher for the church. It is well past time for the church of Jesus Christ to take this seriously. And the first step to seeing how to do so is to ask, “Why do so many evangelical pastors and leaders not take it seriously now?” Already some constantly online young men who profess to be evangelicals are winking and nodding with HH [“Heil Hitler”] references and “noticing things” memes [widely thought to refer to far-right antisemites and “Nazi apologists”] while commending the ideologies of Nazis such as Carl Schmitt. Some older leaders don’t take it seriously because they think the numbers of these young men are so few, and some because they think the numbers are so many.
Those who think the numbers are too few will wave away concerns with phrases like “Online is not real life,” usually pointing out that very few of these social media trolls are preachers or pastors. They will note that those who are preachers are typically in front of tiny congregations and spend most of their time podcasting and posting back-and-forth arguments online all day. That is true—and is utterly beside the point.
Those who say such things do not understand how almost every fad—good, bad, and neutral—that has swept through evangelicalism has taken hold. These trends start out in small groups of people that are not large enough to be taken seriously by “successful” leaders. These small communities then cultivate the fads until a couple people with bigger platforms adopt them. And then, seemingly suddenly, they are everywhere. Power evangelism, prayer walking, seeker-sensitive services, laughing revivals, New Calvinism—all of these (and again, some of these things are good, and some are not) happened that way.
His words are, I believe, equally true for the UK. There is a nervousness about speaking up and confronting this ideology. This comes from a few reasons. First, it is mistakenly seen as a matter indifferent, about disagreement over politics and so “we don’t want to cause division and lose people.”
Secondly, those bringing in this false gospel claim to be standing with and speaking for the working classes. Indeed, they claim to be guardians of the so called “Quiet Revival.” It’s important not to be cowed by this but to insist that any true revival will confront the idol of ethno-cultural nationalism.
It is worth reflecting too that there is an additional challenge here because people was play down the danger. Not only will it be presented as something only affecting small numbers of people online but Russell Moore’s article will be dismissed as “nothing to do with us” because it’s all to do with America. In fact that’s the danger of EN including an American context article. But it isn’t just over there. On September 13th Evangelicals shared a platform with Tommy Robinson and have been promoting his agenda since.
I’ve been writing persistently on this subject for some time. The duty of elders and leaders is to stand up, to guard and protect the church from danger and wolf attacks. I am encouraged that Russell Moore in the US is taking a stand and that John Stevens of the FIEC has done here in the UK.
However, we need a clear stand from all, from the FIEC, New Frontiers, Evangelical Alliance etc . Who will stand?
Faithroots 