It was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who once famously declared publicly these undeniable bricks of truth: “The air is full of cliches which remind us that the religious community’s old sin against the Negro remains its current shame. Everyone knows that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in American life. Everyone knows, to use the title of Jackie Robinson’s book, that “Baseball Has Done It” — ‘it’ meaning racial desegregation — and that the church has not done it. Except for pioneering leaders in some denominations and courageous ministers and laymen scattered here and there, the mass of white Christians is confused and immobilized by the immensity of the nation’s racial crisis.” As legendary R&B crooner Johnny Gill would sing, “My, My, My.” To be fair, I am not singling out Christianity or the multitude of mainline faith traditions in America per se. But it is instructive to consider the role of religion as related to what Dr. King referred to as the ‘giant triplets’ – or more specifically the adverse societal conditions of racism, violence, and militaristic capitalism. What Dr. King called the giant triplets is precisely what I call America’s enduring three-headed pandemic. Or a tridemic if I may create a word.

In America, if racism, violence, and militaristic capitalism are considered bricks, theen guns must be considered the mortar binding those three together. While it is true that the United States of America has more Christians than any other nation on this earth, it is also true that the United States of America has more firearms than any other nation on this earth. Facts.

Buckle up because I’m about to go in. Christian nationalism is frequently confused with Christianity and/or patriotism – but is far removed from both of those things. Those who long for and strive for the confirmation of America as an ethno-pseudo-holy state established as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice and power to be conferred only upon White Americans and those who would willingly forfeit their own rights to White Americans forever and ever, amen. By the way, in this preposterously unjust model, God is also deemed to be White; which by proxy would elevate White Americans to the most favored status of God’s new chosen people. To achieve their individual and collective goals, Christian nationalists are willing to replace the Lord our God with indescribably flawed human beings such as Adolf Hitler, Ayn Rand, Vladmir Putin, 45 (a.k.a. their favorite president ever), and/or any other self-righteous would-be autocrat. To achieve their individual and collective goals, Christian nationalists are willing to leave the traditional political parties in America to cast their lot with radical groups, terrorist organizations, militias, neo-Nazi conclaves, and other poisonous un-think tanks. To score political points and to own the libs, Christian nationalists are more than willing to initiate violent attacks on places once considered among the very safest in all of American society: churches, schools, movie theaters, government buildings, airports, and courthouses to name a few.

Here are some basic truths. You cannot legitimately claim to love God while declaring that you hate any member or any group of God’s people. One cannot actively worship at the altar of guns and gun ownership without sooner or later acknowledging – publicly or privately – that guns have become his or her personal idol. A group of Americans cannot profess to deeply love America and its ideals on one hand – while on the other hand plot to destroy America from within if they cannot make this nation one gigantic Burger King: where they rule because they can always have it their way. Here’s a newsflash: if everyone isn’t welcome at your church on Sunday or any other day of the week, no one is truly welcome at your church… especially you. If you have a friend who hates a non-White person – and that someone is incapable of articulating precisely why he or she feels the way they do in 25 words or less – I respectfully suggest that you tell your friend to grow up. After all, God is up. Above us all.

It’s enough to make you want to scream.

Racists know well that the entire topic of race is a social construct. It’s a huge, gravy-smothered lie; an old wives’ tale lined with razor blades. Racists know white supremacy is unsupported by science, math, the U.S. Constitution, critical thinking, the laws of man, and especially the laws of God. There isn’t one White person in the entirety of the Bible. Try as they might, these misguided Caucasians cannot produce any documentation that affirms their deep desire to demonize or criticize any person or group of persons as inferior to them. So instead, some Wypipo deliberately allow themselves to fall into conspiracy rabbit holes. There is no shortage of topics for them to obsess about such as critical race theory, White replacement theory, 9/11 being an inside job, the deep state, mass shootings as false flags, etc.

In theory, capitalism is a beautiful thing. A system of commerce powered by the laws of supply and demand is foundational; but the road to hell is paved with unrepentant, militaristic, and even cancerous capitalism. A glaring example occurs whenever/wherever the politicians we vote for to represent us who receive generous salaries and even more generous insurance benefits (both at taxpayer expense) for themselves and their families turn around and write legislation preventing you and your family members from having decent insurance benefits. To those elected officials, if you’re not dying, you’re not trying.

On any given Sunday, plenty of White Americans are busy attending somebody’s church somewhere looking for the Holy Ghost; quite possibly with ghost guns in their vehicles, homes, and offices.

Everybody knows that racism, violence, and militaristic capitalism are running wild in America. But far too many Americans stand by idly and shrug their shoulders while apparently waiting for Superman to suddenly swoop in and save us from each other.

How shameful is it that the lyrics to the classic song “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” by the late great Marvin Gaye are even more timely and timeless than in the 52 years since its release? America, do better.

By the Reverend Arthur L. Jones, III