A throne with a lit cross. An ominous symbol of Christian nationalism.

Why Christian nationalism endangers liberty

ByTC Marti

Christian nationalism is rising, and it’s a direct threat to liberty. Explore how it twists faith into state control and crushes dissent. 

Christian nationalism is on the rise. Not Christianity. Not faith. But a dangerous fusion of religion and state power, where the Bible becomes less about spiritual freedom and more about enforcing political dominance.

You don’t have to be an atheist, or even irreligious, to reject this movement. You just have to believe in freedom. And if writing Beyond the Lost taught me anything, it’s that when governments use faith as a shield for coercion, real liberty burns.

What Is Christian nationalism, really?

Let’s be clear: Christian nationalism is not about living by Christian values.

It’s the belief that America is a Christian nation by divine design and that government must reflect a narrow interpretation of Christianity. It fuses patriotism with piety and weaponizes both. Sounds fascist, right? This ideology says:

  • Laws should be based on “biblical morality.”

  • Dissenters are immoral, anti-God, or even traitors.

  • To restore the country, we must return to Christ, with the state leading the charge.

In Beyond the Lost, Pastor Jerry represents this archetype. Polished, persuasive, seemingly benevolent, yet a pillar of a movement that justifies state-backed violence as divine justice.

Coercion in the name of Christ

True faith is voluntary. Christian nationalism is compulsory.

It tries to bypass the soul and legislate belief, using the blunt instruments of law, surveillance, and shame. This is the same formula used by every theocracy in history. Historical examples? Too many:

  • The Inquisition.

  • Puritan exile of dissidents like Roger Williams.

  • Prohibition, driven by religious moralism and state force.

  • Jim Crow laws justified by twisted scripture.

Today, it echoes through:

It’s not revival. It’s religious authoritarianism.

Liberty and theocracy cannot coexist

Liberty requires:

  • Freedom of religion.

  • Freedom from religion.

  • Equal right to self-ownership under the law, regardless of creed.

Christian nationalism says:

  • God’s law > nature’s law.

  • Government must enforce morality.

  • The state should serve the church.

You can’t serve two masters, freedom and control.

In my dystopian survival trilogy Beyond the Lost, we see what happens when coercion is dressed in robes and armed with scripture. When one character’s spiritual curiosity becomes a tool for manipulation. Dissenters are marked for removal, and faith becomes a weaponized hierarchy, not a personal journey.

The Pagan, the Atheist, the Heretic—All Crushed

Make no mistake: Christian nationalism doesn’t just target atheists or secularists. It erases:

  • Pagans.

  • Muslims.

  • Jews.

  • Even Catholics and Eastern Orthodox.

  • Christians who interpret scripture differently.

It’s a crusade against classical pluralism. A purge of dissent. And it’s not hypothetical. You’ve already seen its seeds, heard the rhetoric, and watched the laws shift. Ask yourself where it leads.

You don’t need to be secular to say so

The irony? Many of the strongest voices against Christian nationalism are themselves devout Christians.

They remember what the Founders knew:

Faith thrives most when it’s free.

Madison. Jefferson. Roger Williams. They all warned us: Unite church and state, and you destroy both.

Burn the theocratic bridge before it’s built

Christian nationalism wears the cloak of tradition, but its heart beats like every other authoritarian system—lusting for power, punishing nonconformity, and rewriting liberty in its own image.

It’s not just a theological disagreement. It’s a political warning.

In the world of Beyond the Lost, you see what happens when people refuse to question their “chosen” leaders, especially those claiming to speak for God.

Want to see these ideas in action?

The Beyond the Lost trilogy explores the rise of Christian nationalism through the eyes of principled rebels who reject all forms of state control, religious or secular. It champions merit, voluntary association, and the right to dissent, regardless of language, background, or origin.

And it’s a work that I can’t wait to share with you.

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