The Hypothetical Christian Island

It finally happened, a Christian Nationalist asked a question I had been waiting for for a few years now. “What if a new island grew out of the Pacific and it became inhabited by 1,000 Christians? Are they allowed to set up a government that honors God?”

Now this question was asked, intended to be a “gotcha” moment by the Christian Nationalist. After all, who would say that on this hypothetical island, a society that has only known Christianity would not know any other societal type, and would therefore be a “Christian Nation.” However, I have been waiting for this question, because it highlights more than any other how unBiblical the Christian Nationalist movement truly is & why at the first sight of Scripture they run from the conversation.

What would this island look like?

If this Island, made up only of believers, were to set up a new society built on Biblical principles, this would be what we should expect.

A society whose Leadership is submissive & considers others as higher than themselves (Ephesians 5, Philippians 2). A society that holds no personal property, but instead holds everything in common, & so there is no poor among them (Matthew 19, Acts 4). A society where healthcare, nutrition, & education are not reserved for the wealthy (Luke 10, Matthew 20, Matthew 25). A society that does not have a military, but instead is a force of peace in the world (Matthew 5, Matthew 26, John 13, I Corinthians 13, Galatians 5). A society that welcomes immigrants & refugees, treating them as better than themselves (Matthew 25, Philippians 2). A society that concerns itself more with the building up of the Kingdom to come, rather than building there own.

Is this the society that we hear preached about by those wanting a Christian Nation? The response from these advocates is a resounding NO! They want a nation that is defined by what Laws they establish, what Culture they choose to dominate, & the submission of others who do not think as they do. Christian Nationalism has no Biblical basis. When we show what Scripture would require of such a society, we are told it is Marxist, Liberal, or Effeminate. This is why the quickest way to end a conversation with a Nationalist is to open the Bible, and read it, rather than wield it as a weapon for the destruction of others.