Today, one of my friends shared a post on Facebook. It had a video of UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s Easter message. The video was a brief statement from the Prime Minister to the people praising the work of Christians in the UK as they work to sort out the issues facing their country. It is very well crafted, delivered and communicates a strong message of Jesus’ message to those who are “the least of these.” I liked the message it sent of how welcoming Christianity is to those represent a different, or no, faith. The Prime Minister then goes on to speak directly about the shocking reality that we live in a world where Christians in some places are physically threatened for their faith, even losing their lives.
However, the thing that stuck out to me most is that the person who started the post put a header on it that read, “BREAKING: UK’s Prime Minister Defies Obama: Makes Huge Statement About Christianity.” As someone who likes to think they stay well informed, I don’t understand this heading. Members of the UK’s government make statements around Christian holidays every year, such as the Queen’s yearly Christmas message. Prime Minister Cameron gave almost the exact same message the year before. The really creepy part is he seems to wearing the exact same suit as well. If you look on YouTube, Mr. Cameron has even made short videos at Ramadan, Diwali, and Vaisakhi, as well.
In the Easter message, itself, the Prime Minister neither addresses the U.S., nor does he mention President Obama. Instead, the address is targeted directly at the people of the UK. I personally believe one thing that does perk the ears of viewers, however, is that Mr. Cameron does call the UK, “A Christian Nation.” I’m sure for some that seems like the brave to do, and the one thing that could be seen as slamming President Obama. But I believe if you were to ask Prime Minister Cameron, he would say that there is nothing in the address that has anything to do with President Obama, or the United States.
You see, there is a great difference between the UK and the US. When the Prime Minister calls his country, a Christian nation, he is correct. The Church of England (or Anglican Church) is a national church. It’s Archbishop of Canterbury is a member of the House of Lords in the parliament (along with 25 other bishops and archbishops), and the monarch is seen as the ceremonial head of the entire church. While the Anglican Church receives no direct monetary support from public taxes, it’s canon law places it beneath the authority of the Monarch who is “…the highest power under God in this kingdom…”
In the United States, however, we have a secular political mechanism. One that does not acknowledge a state religion of any kind. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits any law that would establish such a church, or for the law to make the practice of faith illegal. As a Baptist, I know of the historical struggle my faith tradition has had with state churches. The first Baptists in England were imprisoned, some of them dying there, by the Church of England during the 17th century. In the American Colonies, before the Revolution, Baptists were run out of the Massachusetts Colony by the Puritans because they did not adhere to the official religion of that colony. Our country has a different relationship to Christianity than the UK.
It is because of that checkered history of faith-sponsored violence that I am uncomfortable with the term “Christian Nation” being ascribed to the US. As we look around today at a political system where a racist, fascist, mysoginistc, demagogue draws huge support from a group who would like to proudly trumpet their Christian faith, I would like to make it known that I don’t want a “Christian Nation” here. Not if it is going to look like that.
