Many American Christians have been surprised that the Republican National Convention has featured all of the following:
-a prayer to a Hindu god (yes, it really happened)
-an OnlyFans influencer giving a speech (yes it really happened)
-a clear softening stance on abortion, seen in JD Vance’s election as Trump’s potential
VP, and Trump’s distancing himself from Project 2025.
Whether you’re a Republican/republicanish or not, these things matter to you because the polls suggest that by JanuaryTrump is going to become the first US President since Grover Cleveland to serve two non-consecutive terms. If you are a Republican, you might be happy to see the broadening of a base that has seemed to be pretty narrow for a long time. If you’re progressive you might think that these developments are all a ruse.
As a conservative Christian, I share the same disappointment as many others that the GOP seems to be waxing post-Christian and, at worst, pagan.* We’re happy that God can still be a part of conversations, but we’re not happy that “God” can be defined relativistically, i.e. Hindu gods are prayed to the same as Jesus Christ, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (cf. Jn. 8:58). And we’re definitely not happy for the normalizing of conditional infanticide that is itself 99% of the time the result of an over-sexualized culture leading to irresponsible behavior. In our Huxleyan brave new world, if pleasure is king, we can’t be surprised that pleasure drives policy and platforms.
Indeed, Christians should not be surprised by these things. America has always rightly touted freedom of religion as well as a divine-influenced understanding of natural law, i.e. that God is real, however you define him, his moral/ethical truth is apparent to all of us, and we should all seek it. The effect of this religious pluralism is that Christianity can have cultural influence, but that’s the best that it can do. Living in what Aaron Renn has called “negative world”, where Christianity is considered culturally weird, it is not only the Left that will bristle at our Christian absolutism, but many on the Right as well.
That said, the RNC demonstrates, post-assassination attempt, some encouraging things as well:
-Theism: Like I said, at least God is presupposed. Into that world Christians can say “What you call ‘the unknown god,’ I now proclaim to you” (Ac.17:23).
-Progress on our Infanticidal Regress: The GOP term-conditioned abortion softening (i.e. that it’s okay as long as it’s early enough) is better than allowing abortion to full term or even, in its most insane versions, post-birth. God will judge these people; indeed, he’s already begun. At least for now, late term might be dying (…maybe).
-Patriotism: It was hard to watch Trump pumping his fist post-gunshot, saying “fight,” and not feel a little patriotic. The moment was electric. Resilience is a life-lesson that all people need to learn (and is at the center of Christian hope, Rev.1:9, 2:19, 3:10). Trump’s moment put American resilience on display powerfully. The moment will be talked about for years and years.
As Christian conservatives we do well to realize that a likely red/reddish November will not bring with it the kingdom of God. Rather the kingdom advances by the gospel and cannot be quantified by worldly measures: The gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ is like a tiny, unassuming seed which, once planted, needs time to grow (Mt.13:31-32) and doesn’t do so while we’re watching (Mk.4:26-29). Our eyes are forward on Christ, and the church demonstrates, despite our feelings, that we’re not alone in this: “Here there is not Greek or Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free; but Christ is all, and in all” (Col.3:11). The Spirit works as we do our job as dual citizens first of the kingdom in this earthly place God has us. Right now that requires the same patience we've needed over the last few years; only now, maybe there’s a slight bit more encouragement.
But stay awake. Again Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, and you’re not first a citizen of this world. That’s why neither of the major parties in American politics are Christian, though one might have more in common with Christian values. “Conservative” isn’t enough if by it you mean “not liberal.” Consider Ambrose Bierce’s astute definition of a conservative as “one who is enamored of existing evils,” while a liberal is “one who wishes to replace existing evils with new ones.”** Many of those to whom the Lord will one day say, “I never knew you” will be conservatives who put country before, or at least beside, Kingdom.
Don’t settle for mediocrity: Seek Christ and his righteousness…true righteousness…and play the long game. We’ll win in the end.
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*Chantel Delsol describes this post-Christian paganism in her book The End of the Christian World. Aaron Renn discusses this in his very helpful Life in the Negative World, 41.
**Quoted in Kreeft, Summa of the Summa, 532.
