BUCKNACKT'S SORDID TAWDRY BLOG
We should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive & well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate, bier or wein in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WHOO-HOO, WHAT A RIDE!!!!!!"
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Verse of the day
Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. - Matthew 10:28
Voice of the day
I realized that war was monstrous. If it didn’t kill those it touched, it took away a piece of their souls, so they could never be whole again. - Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, The Mountains Sing (2020)
Prayer of the day
Safeguard of souls, turn us away from the impulses of war that break us down. Create in us instead a permanent pursuit of understanding among each other.
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Contact Congress now to demand peace and an end to the war with Iran. As Christians, we know that each and every life is precious and every step must be taken to avoid bloodshed. Instead of recklessly pursuing a policy of escalation, we demand an end to violence and vigorous oversight from Congress in pursuit of peace.
THE 1st Amendment of the US Constitution mandates the separation of church and state. Christianity mandates following the teachings of Jesus Christ. The apostasy of "christian" nationalism violates both the the US Constitution and the teachings of Jesus Christ. "Peace is so central to Jesus’ ministry that it takes a willful misconstrual of his message to imagine a Christianity that is compatible with violence of any kind, let alone imperialism and war." - Michael Woolf Below are just a few of my post on this blog referencing "christian" nationalism followed by this article from Military.com.....
I am tempted to judge the Christianity of many who claim the faith but don't ( in my opinion ) live it. Then I remind myself there are some ( maybe many ) who have the same thoughts about my claim of being a Christian and realize judgement of one's personal faith is best left to God. However, I will not hesitate to judge the claim of being Christian when it based on the rejection and perversion of the tenets of Christianity as apostasy. "christian" nationalism is apostasy, a perversion of Christianity and those who proclaim it as Christianity are the false prophets, the wolves in sheep's clothing we are warned about in Scripture. This from Sojourners.....
On Dec. 17, 2025, evangelical minister and Republican political activist Franklin Graham led a Christmas worship service at the Pentagon, where he preached about God being a “God of war.” I find it to be one of the most bizarre Christmas sermons ever given, but it was telling. In fact, it telegraphed the foreign policy of the U.S.
A few weeks later, President Donald Trump would order the kidnapping and extradition of Nicolás Maduro to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges. Now is the time for Christians to reclaim the message of peace that is at the heart of the gospel, and to resist imperialism.
While there are undoubtedly many root causes of this violation of international law, one of them is Christian nationalism and its insistence that the U.S. is a country chosen by God. Once a country’s chosenness has been established, all things become possible, from invading foreign countries so that the U.S. can “run” them and control their oil reserves to acquiring Greenland by force.
While this idea has no bearing in scripture, it does represent the apotheosis of one of the U.S.’s most sacred beliefs: American exceptionalism. That hubris has often led to disastrous results for both the U.S. and the world. From the Cold War to the War on Terror, the U.S.’s self-conception as a global police force has led to death and misery, with at least 80 people being killed in the attack on Caracas, Venezuela as the latest example.
That exceptionalism, perhaps best embodied by this administration’s “America First” doctrine, manifests as unlimited power that ignores both international law and the U.S. Constitution. When asked what constrained his actions, Trump replied that his morality was “the only thing that can stop me.” In this understanding of the U.S.’s might and power, the guiding question is not whether something should be done, but whether something can be done. As far as Trump is concerned, anything that constrains America’s power or the will of its leader must be tossed aside.
What is striking about such claims is that they emerge from the idea that the U.S. is a Christian nation. On Dec. 21, 2025, Vice President JD Vance gave a speech at a Turning Point USA event where he argued that “Christianity is America’s creed” and that “by the grace of God, we will always be a Christian nation.” As a casual review of the U.S.’s founding documents reveals, it is a myth that this country was ever meant to be a “Christian” nation.
When dangerous theology becomes policy, Christians have a unique opportunity to propose better ideas about the nature of God, and we can start in scripture. Peace is so central to Jesus’ ministry that it takes a willful misconstrual of his message to imagine a Christianity that is compatible with violence of any kind, let alone imperialism and war. From Jesus’ “blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9), to his straightforward command to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44), it is clear that God is a God of peace, not war—no matter what Franklin Graham or anyone else says.
It is time to call such characterizations of God what they are: not just bad theology, but the creation of an entirely different deity, one who has more in common with the Roman god of war Mars than the God of scripture. In that same Christmas sermon, Graham said that God “hates” and spent much time dwelling on an obscure story from 1 Samuel 15 that has been used to support ethnic cleansing and genocide. Sermons like Graham’s reveal little about God and much more about the sorts of power that Christian nationalists worship.
In imagining a god with unlimited power and desire to punish, they are ignoring some of the very best ideas about who God is. The Jewish idea of tzimtzum describes how creation came not from the exertion of God’s divine power but instead from God’s withdrawal. In order to create something that was not divine, God had to recede to create a space for that thing to exist. This idea is echoed from a Christian perspective in Marilynne Robinson’s fantastic book, Reading Genesis, where she argues that restraint is one of God’s key attributes. In making human beings, Robinson argues that “God must practice almost limitless restraint,” leading to her conclusion that “to refrain, to put aside power, is godlike.”
Especially in a time when the line between church and state is being blurred, ideas about God and the use of power are tangled up with one another. If God is all-powerful and all-vengeful, then the state can pursue its goals without any hindrance or accountability. But if God is fundamentally restrained, discretionary, and extremely thoughtful about the use of direct intervention, that models what good use of power looks like for the state as well.
It’s laughable to imagine that God would be in favor of the U.S. kidnapping the leader of Venezuela and seizing control of the nation and its lucrative oil reserves, and yet that is exactly the sort of idea that Christians are forced to confront head-on. It wouldn’t be the first time that Christian theology has been used to justify U.S. aggression. During the Vietnam War, the popular evangelist and Franklin Graham’s father, Billy Graham, as well as Archbishop Francis Spellman, and former Christianity Today editor-in-chief Carl F. H. Henry all lent theological and ethical support to U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Spellman even blessed B-52 bombers with holy water.
Theology is never neutral; it can be used to bless bombers or fight imperialism. As in previous times, Christians are confronted with a choice. As German liberation theologian Dorothee Sölle warned in her 1990 book The Window of Vulnerability, “We have learned to use our tradition. If we do not, it will use us.” We cannot allow Christian nationalism to remake God in its own violent image and use theology to advance its own ends. Instead, we must forcefully advance a theology that makes peace—not power—holy.
Peace is so central to Jesus’ ministry that it takes a willful misconstrual of his message to imagine a Christianity that is compatible with violence of any kind, let alone imperialism and war.
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Verse of the day
Thus says the Lord: Act with justice and righteousness and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place. - Jeremiah 22:3
Voice of the day
War is not healthy for children and other living things. - Lorraine Schneider
Prayer of the day
God of justice, let us fight against war and oppression, to protect those who are most vulnerable.
Heather Brady takes a look at how scripture transcends the gender binary. Here are 10 Bible verses that show a biblical approach to gender that is as varied as the colors in a rainbow.
Public broadcasting belongs to all of us. It’s how millions stay connected to the truth, especially in areas where commercial media won’t go. Tell Congress: Protect funding for NPR and PBS now. Keep democracy and accurate news on the airwaves.
Looking for your next great read? Check out Sojourners' Bookshop page for curated selections of books on social justice and living your faith. When you buy through our Bookshop link, part of the proceeds support Sojourners and independent bookstores throughout the country.
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Verse of the day
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. - Colossians 3:9-10
Voice of the day
If we want injustice in the world to die, parts of us have to die too. - Daniel José Camacho, “Who Am I?”
Prayer of the day
God, help us shed the parts of ourselves that uphold injustice so we may be renewed in your image and live as people of truth, justice, and love.
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This Bookshop list provides a deep dive into the complex topic of Christian nationalism, the value of religious freedom, and ways to further a fair society. Our Bookshop page features a variety of Sojourners reading lists. When you buy from Bookshop, part of the proceeds goes to support Sojourners' work and local bookstores throughout the country.
