“I just learned these people try and save you, ’cause they hate you.”

– Taylor Swift, But Daddy I Love Him

I’ve been reading The Spirit of Early Christian Thought by Robert L. Wilken. Early on in the book, Wilken recounts how early Christians had a hard time convincing Greeks (and others) to subscribe to the gospel. Some, such as a philosopher by the name of Celus found anything that came from the “Jews” to be barbaric, because they weren’t like the Greeks. The Jews did such a good job maintaining their culture, their wisdom, and their enlightenment, that many found them to be uncivilized, because “they’re not like us.”

Celus’ antisemitism got me thinking about how many cultures presume to be more dignified, modernized, and civilized than the nations they seek to conquer. (How odd it is to carry disdain for someone, and then steal the resources they own.) Colonialism is not just about the invasion of lands, but the invasion of cultures, knowledge, and truth. He who holds the key to the city also owns the stories we are meant to believe and the truth we are meant to know. 

Christianity became a weapon of culture. Religion has always coexisted alongside culture, and it makes sense as religion is a portal for community and belonging. It shares the collective understanding of the past, the future, and one’s place in the cosmos. I had no idea–until I heard from religious trauma therapists–how much religion shapes our understanding of purpose, the meaning of life, and organizes our perception of reality. 

There’s a line from Taylor Swift’s song Daddy I Love Him, and it goes, “I just learned these people only save you, ’cause they hate you.” When I think about America’s relationship with the Native Americans, and how they were forced to assimilate…Christianity became a way to “civilize” people, not because they cared about the well-being of someone’s soul. But because they were trying to make them fit in, the colonizers felt more comfortable. Not the natives. 

Christian Nationalism seems to be operating under a similar psychology. We save them because we hate them, not because we care about them. We want to keep the status quo, even if we barely maintain it ourselves. It was never about Jesus; It was about control. It was never about compassion; It was about culture. 

Now I understand why so many white conservatives are concerned about the lack of “their culture.” When they say culture, they mean a world that looks familiar to them. A world that reflects their opinions, their values, and their religion. Even if the relationship with these facets doesn’t reflect any real meaning. They are placeholders for meaning in their worlds. It is about world-building. 

The more I dig into early Christian perspectives, history, and realities, the more I find a sense of belonging in my own world. Christians are meant to be displaced. Or maybe like the Jews, so tight-nit that we are more interested in maintaining what we have instead of insisting others assimilate into our worldviews.