An 'imposter Christianity' is threatening American democracy

An 'imposter Christianity' is threatening American democracy

Analysis by John Blake, CNN

Updated 12:46 PM ET, Sun July 24, 2024

(CNN)Three men, eyes closed and heads bowed, pray before a rough-hewn wooden cross. Another man wraps his arms around a massive Bible pressed against his chest like a shield. All throughout the crowd, people wave Jesus Saves banners and pump their fists toward the sky.

At first glance, these snapshots look like scenes from an outdoor church rally. But this event wasn't a revival; it was what some call a Christian revolt. These were photos of people who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, during an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The insurrection marked the first time many Americans realized the US is facing a burgeoning White Christian nationalist movement. This movement uses Christian language to cloak sexism and hostility to Black people and non-White immigrants in its quest to create a White Christian America.

A report from a team of clergy, scholars and advocates sponsored by two groups that advocate for the separation of church and state concluded that this ideology was used to bolster, justify and intensify the attack on the US Capitol.