This episode contrasts the essential characteristics of the kingdom of darkness with the kingdom of Christ, concluding that Christian nationalism is untenable. Those who make up the kingdom of darkness are dominated by the big 3, "the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life." (1 John 2:16) The characteristics of those participating in the kingdom of God are "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17) Presuming that Christians were in the majority (51%) and all advanced in sanctification (an absurdly optimistic assessment), how would a "Christian state" govern where the remaining 49% are still dominated and controlled by the flesh? Specifically Christian laws would be untenable. Interestingly, Peter did not call Christians who now made up a "holy nation" to make secular nations Christian. He virtually acknowledges that true Christians will always be in the minority, describing them as "aliens" coming from respective countries (1 Peter 1:1, 1 Peter 2:10-11). Their obligation is rather to abstain from fleshly lusts, the defining characteristics of those still in the kingdom of darkness. Is it possible that many who obsess over culture wars and making America a Christian nation are vicariously participating in a version of the "boastful pride of life," in which a Christian state rules over its secular enemies? Rule by compulsion through a Christian nation-state becomes a power grab more aimed at punishing secularists than at persuading people to be reconciled to Christ. And Christian nationalists shouldn't be surprised that their "enemies" in the culture war reject Christ, as they push their "boastful pride of life" agenda.
Christianity: the Recasting of Earthly Citizenship
The most common definition of Christian nationalism is the merging of fleshly and spiritual identities, even to the point where one's fleshly (national) citizenship is on par with that of one's heavenly citizenship. Yet this marrying of the 2 citizenships doesn't take into account the Biblical consequences of heavenly citizenship, in which all other identities (nationality, race, class, sex, etc.) become secondary and so-called obligations to those identities should be renegotiated. Paul insists that kingdom citizenship amounted to a transfer from the kingdom of darkness into kingdom of His beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13) The kingdom of darkness that we once participated in was headed by Satan who wielded his power through people dominated by "the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life." (1 John 2:16) The vast majority of people at any given time in history are enslaved to their lusts, so John isn't exaggerating when he contends that "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." (1 John 5:19) The nation-state is the natural place for the exercise of power by lust-driven, demonically manipulated members of the kingdom of darkness. Since Christians have been transferred from this kingdom into Christ's kingdom, their primary identity is that of kingdom citizens and all secondary identities come under the Lordship of Christ in the process of sanctification. Our national citizenship obligations are renegotiated, rendering us "aliens" (1 Peter 1:1), who partake of Christ's otherworldly kingdom (John 18:36), and "ambassadors" to worldly members of the kingdom of darkness. (2 Corinthians 5:20) Christian nationalism therefore amounts to an insurmountable conflict of interest of 2 opposing kingdoms with completely different goals and means.
Christians: a Holy Nation Composed of Aliens
The first part of this episode urges believers to promote the betterment of society through persuasion. This kind of "Christian nationalism" is certainly Biblical. Many however assess that Christian nationalists are those who would impose specifically Christian laws on the rest of society, going beyond the means of mere persuasion. The latter half of this episode provides Peter's assessment of kingdom citizenship in light of earthly citizenship. Believers' fundamental identity is that of a "holy nation" (1 Peter 2:10), and earthly citizenship status by comparison is demoted to that of "aliens." (1 Peter 1:1)
Definitions, Definitions..
The answers to these questions largely depend on the definition of Christian nationalism, which largely determines the connection between the 2 questions. In its most innocuous sense, Christian nationalism refers to Christians loving and seeking the betterment of their country through prayer and persuasion. So 1 Timothy 2:1-2 commands us to pray for all men, particularly for those in authority. This "patriotic" dimension of Christian nationalism is definitely Biblical. Most nevertheless understand Christian nationalism in terms of a state promoting explicitly Christian laws. The episode differentiates between Christian law and common moral law, the latter to which most secularists adhere. Future episodes will address whether Christians nationalism in this sense is Biblical. The program lastly identifies an aggressive variation of Christian nationalism that goes beyond adopting explicitly Christian laws and promotes a Christian takeover of society, undermining pluralism.
Definitely Not the Same God
This final episode reemphasizes what makes the God of Christianity unique, compared to the those of Judaism and Islam. The program unpacks the fork in the road, Christ Himself, based on Romans 10:9. Christians believe that Jesus was God incarnate who rose from the dead. He was given all authority and dominion and made judge over all creation. He is the chief cornerstone upon which the Jewish Law and prophets are made complete. Jews are admonished by Peter to receive the Messiah or be "cut off." (Acts 3:23) True Jews are those who believe Jesus was the Messiah who rose from the dead, and Jews who don't have essentially forfeited their "jewishness." According to 1 John 2:22-23 rejection of the Son means one no longer has Yahweh as his God. Therefore unbelieving Jews do not believe in the same god, since they reject the Word of God who explained the Father. (John 1:14, 18) Since Muslims also reject the deity of Christ and the resurrection, they also do not believe in the same god. Critically the god of Islam is not remotely like the god of Judaism revealed in the Tanach (Old Testament). Allah is the author of evil, and has no knowable essence. He is so "wholly other" that a "relationship" with him is problematic if not impossible. "Relationships" are based on the free-will interactions between 2 beings. Since Allah wills everything, good and evil, belief and unbelief, "free will" between men and God doesn't exist. So "relationships" are precluded. In contrast with Islam, the god of Jews and Christians thrives off of relationships. The entire Bible presumes that God wants a relationship with humanity. And the logical outgrowth of this God is the incarnation of Christ. The Triune God, revealed only in Christianity, is therefore not the same as the god of Judaism and Islam.
Muhammed Sets the Worldly Example for Islam
The previous episode affirmed that the Muslim view of paradise is largely informed by the pleasures of this world, and this emphasis is understandable, given Allah's unknowable nature. Another bi-product of Islam's unknowable god is the exaltation of Mohammed himself. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, so Muslims gravitate to knowable figures in Islam, since the knowledge of Allah is lacking. This episode looks at Muhammed, the example for Muslims of submission to Allah. A cursory reading of the Quran and Hadiths conveys Mohammed as an astute warrior and politician who used worldly means to attain worldly ends. Murdering, lying, assassination and pillaging mark Muhammed's rise to power in the Arabian peninsula. Christians and Jews either converted or "felt themselves subdued" in the form of a tax. Jihad, or holy war, was the obligation of every Muslim in combatting active resistance to Islam. Islam is fundamentally a religion of this world, and Muslims are given divine sanction in the example of Muhammed to advance the religion using worldly means, even violating ethical norms. Given the unknowable nature of Allah, who is both the author of good and evil, moral ambivalence in Muhammed and those who follow his example should not be surprising. Submitting to Allah's will, not His nature (since it cannot be known) is the goal of Islam. Since Allah himself is not tethered to "the good," and Muhammed himself set the example of setting aside moral boundaries in the name of Allah, the average Muslim can justifiably do the same.
A Sensual Vision vs. The Beatific Vision
The sensual paradise portrayed in Islam is a logical outgrowth of the unknowability of Allah. Absent the knowledge of God, descriptions of the afterlife in the The Quran and Hadith (traditions of Mohammed)i naturally abound with the knowable pleasures of this life: endless sexual outlets for men (always with virgins whose "virginity" is somehow renewed), and bountiful sumptuous food and wine (with no negative aftereffects). This depiction differs markedly with the heaven of Christians, where the beatific vision is the highest reward and pleasure. "We will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is." (1 John 3:2) "This hope fixed on Him" isn't just realized with the knowledge of God--it comes with "collateral blessing," the transformation of believers into the very likeness of God. The pursuit of God and His likeness highlights how different Christianity is with Islam--a religion whose vision of sensual paradise points to its true origin, the world. Christ, whose kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) seeks to satisfy mankind's "eternal itch," that of knowing God and looking like Him. "We all with unveiled face, are beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into that very same image, from glory to glory." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Do You KNOW the God You Worship?
The ultimate goals of Christianity and Islam couldn't be more different. The goal of Islam is fundamentally submission to Allah: Islam means submission to God, and a Muslim is one who submits. While Christianity teaches that Christians should submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the ultimate aim of Christianity is the knowledge of God: "This is eternal life, that they may know you the one true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3) Redemption, reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ, is the necessary stepping stone to attaining the knowledge of God. In fact, "mere forgiveness" without the knowledge of God corresponds to the stage of "a little child" (1 John 2:12-14) Sins are forgiven, but new converts are expected to grow into fathers, "who know Him who has been from the beginning." This intimate knowledge of God, grounded in the Truth, which is Christ Himself, leads to "sincere worship." (John 4:23-24) Christ presumed that true worship is based on genuine knowledge, for "we worship what we know." (John 4:22) False worship, by contrast, is adherence to beliefs and traditions not grounded in the Truth. In the case of Islam, "worship" is submission to an unknowable god called Allah. Indeed, the demand to submit to a god who cannot be known should alert Muslims to the nefarious presence informing Islam. Interestingly, Mohammed himself thought he was demon-possessed after his violent encounter with an "angel of light"-- Gabriel.
Worshipping in the Shadow of Allah’s Absolute Will
Given the philosophical agnosticism of Islam, how does the average Muslim approach Allah, who is unknowable? Really, the only thing that Muslims know for certain about Allah is that His will is absolute. He may or may not act according to the names that describe Him in the Quran, but everything that happens comes about because He wills it, hence the fatalistic outlook that colors much of Islam. Allah's will is absolute, and nothing, not even the "free choices" of men can alter it. Allah wills both good and evil, and every "choice" of man is willed and fated by Allah. According to one hadith (tradition of the Prophet), Adam tells Moses that his rebellion was God's will, and the "fall" wasn't his fault. A common interjection in everyday speech today in Saudi Arabia is "enshallah," meaning "if Allah wills." These examples underscore the fatalistic outlook of many Muslims who approach the unknowable Allah through the only sure thing to describe Him, His absolute will. So, what would be the Muslim take on Parmenides' assertion, "whatever is..is?" Probably something like, "Whatever Allah wills..will be."
Allah and Yahweh Don’t Will the Same
If none of Allah's attributes/actions point to His essence, what, if anything, describes Who He is? God's absolute will, one that wills everything in the universe, seems to be the unifying principle of this unknowable god. Both good and evil are directly willed by Allah. Surah 32:13 states that Allah could have willed salvation, but chose damnation for many. He wills belief and unbelief and creates the sin of the latter. The creeds of Islam portray the will of Allah as absolute--nothing in the universe can will contrary to his will. The Biblical description of Yahweh and Jesus Christ requires a distinction between God's perfect will and His permissive will. "God is not willing that any should perish but that all come into repentance" (2 Peter 3:9) communicates God's PERFECT will. While He only wills the good, He nevertheless PERMITS men and angels to will contrary to His own. Yahweh's will is not absolute in the above sense, for it allows choices contrary to His will. This permissive will underscores the essential goodness of the Christian God, One who would draw His creatures to freely choose Him out of genuine love for Him. He is not so insecure that He is threatened by any being in the universe that wills contrary to His will. The self-limiting permissive will of God, grounded in His loving essence (1 John 4:8) "risks" the rebellion of other wills, while He woos them with His essential goodness. Allah and Jesus Christ couldn't be more different. The episode also addresses common questions regarding God's sovereignty and God's "hardening of Pharaoh's heart."