Published on March 12, 2024, 12:50 am

A recent controversy ignited surrounding statements made by Politico reporter Heidi Przybyla. During a television interview, she suggested Christian nationalists believe human rights are divine and not granted by worldly authorities. This sparked substantial backlash online, forcing her to reassess her stance. The contention largely stemmed from the fact that, under her proposed definition, Thomas Jefferson would be considered a Christian nationalist due to his assertion in the Declaration of Independence that we possess unalienable rights bestowed upon us by our Creator.

Nevertheless, rather than offering clarity, Przybyla retreated into ambiguity which clouded over her own entrenched views on the matter. She addressed this topic further in a Politico article where she opined about Christian nationalism raising long-standing issues and questioned whether this group respects the American principle of separation of church and state. She also challenged whether they play by democratic rules as they attempt to influence laws.

She went on to assert that some individuals might bypass these questions altogether because of their steadfast convictions, buoyed by the belief that their values align with divine principles. However, when querying who these people are exactly, she didn’t provide any particular examples.

The overall narrative seems to suggest that so-called “Christian Nationalists” seek to push an agenda based on their religious beliefs into political spaces traditionally secular in nature. One example given is Russell Vought who has been interconnected with this group due to his conservative policies during his tenure as the Office of Management and Budget director and now as president for Center for Renewing America.

Across various articles from Przybyla’s repertoire, one finds a repeated emphasis on Christian conservatives’ attempts to legally influence policy. According to her writing style and tone, religious conservatives working behind-the-scenes impose a threat to democracy with the active pursuit of specific sectarian agendas.

Interestingly though, it appears that there’s double-standard or bias creeping into the journalist’s approach since left-leaning groups often engage in similar activities like lobbying legal changes through amicus briefs, the same activity she criticizes for purportedly advancing the “Christian nationalist” agenda.

Navigating through these trusted news articles with a Christian worldview makes one introspect. Do journalists bring their own predispositions to bear on these issues, painting opponents as threatening and their allies as normal? Amid this discourse offering real news, it’s insightful to consider Jesus’ proverb: “Physician, heal thyself”. Perhaps that would accommodate more balanced journalism without bias or contradictory interpretations. Or could that also be deemed as pushing Christian nationalism?