Project 2025's Christo-Fascist Language
And what it means for YOU (Scroll to the end if you prefer to listen)
Project 2025 uses words like faith, religious, religion, Christian, and church almost 200 times.
For a 1,000-page public policy document, a significant number of Project 2025’s recommendations are built on a Christian Nationalist foundation. It isn’t hyperbole to call it a Republican Christo-fascist manifesto.
Today, we examine how they redefine “the pursuit of happiness” from the Declaration of Independence in Christian Nationalist terms.
Project 2025’s hidden Christo-fascist language is even more insidious. Journalists who didn’t grow up in these churches speed bump over Evangelicalese. I’m fluent in this language, because I was indoctrinated in my youth. Mainstream media outlets’ coverage of Project 2025 misses so much Christo-fascist language hiding in plain sight.
Let’s consider the concept of ‘a good life’ or ‘one’s best life.’ What do those phrases mean to you?
To most Americans, living the good life or living my best life means money in the bank, career success, a comfortable home, vacations to desired destinations, and the ability to buy things we want. For others, those phrases might contain the added component of doing good in our communities or in the greater world.
What does Project 2025 say about the good/best life?
When the Founders spoke of “pursuit of Happiness,” what they meant might be understood today as in essence “pursuit of Blessedness.” That is, an individual must be free to live as his Creator ordained—to flourish. Our Constitution grants each of us the liberty to do not what we want, but what we ought. This pursuit of the good life is found primarily in family—marriage, children, Thanksgiving dinners, and the like. Many find happiness through their work. Religious devotion and spirituality are the greatest sources of happiness around the world. Still others find themselves happiest in their local voluntary communities of friends, their neighbors, their civic or charitable work.
The American Republic was founded on principles prioritizing and maximizing individuals’ rights to live their best life or to enjoy what the Framers called “the Blessings of Liberty.”
Project 2025, pages 13 - 14
I’ve italicized words and phrases above to discuss in more detail. While the Declaration of Independence does state that all men are ‘endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,’ the Christian Nationalist framers of Project 2025 use this language to redefine our Founders’ intent. When they say we deserve the good life, they really mean the Christian life or a holy life.
The Pursuit of Blessedness
Anyone who’s spent much time in Christian Nationalist circles knows phrases like have a blessed day or you’re not lucky; you’re blessed.
But they also believe God blesses those who are faithful to him. The pursuit of Blessedness is a deliberate Christian Nationalist reframing of the founders’ pursuit of happiness. How do I know that’s what they mean? They give it away two sentences later.
Our Constitution grants each of us the liberty to do not what we want, but what we ought.
This is Biblical language drawn from Romans 7:15 - 20. It is based on the idea that all humans are born with flawed urges (see my post Christian Nationalists and Their Urges.) Fighting those urges means doing what we ought, ie: their interpretation of what God commands in the Bible, whether or not we follow their faith.
We’ve already looked at how their definition of pornography would make most of us pornographers. This is also why their abortion bans force women to give birth. It’s why they harass transgender people and those in the LGBTQ+ community. Or why they want to end no-fault divorce.
The pursuit of the good life is found primarily in the family - marriage, children.
Christian Nationalists define marriage as between one man and one woman. Men are the leaders of the home, the providers. A woman is to submit to the man. Her primary function is to produce and mother children. Their definition of the family is the foundation of ‘the good life.’
Religious devotion and spirituality are the greatest sources of happiness around the world.
Given this planet’s recorded history of the horrors of religious wars and atrocities in the name of multiple faiths, I vehemently disagree with this assertion. But it reveals how important their interpretation of faith - Christian Nationalism - is to the policies they intend to force upon all of us.
Republican framers of Project 2025 define ‘the good life’ as ‘the Christian Nationalist life.’ They will compel all Americans to live their definition of ‘the good life’ whether we accept it or not.
Tomorrow, we’ll examine one program that already forces American men into religious indoctrination to avoid jail time.
********************************************************************************
If you’re new, WELCOME! I’m so grateful you choose to spend time here. Several of you even upgraded to a paid subscription without knowing me from Adam’s house cat. I appreciate your faith in this work.
Paid subscribers can ask questions in the comments. I love to clarify and elaborate. Because your questions make this content better and more useful for everyone, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
Just another comment/observation here, I feel like the average citizen thinks the Christian national movement is only the extreme radicals....like Southern baptist, pentecostal, the FLDS, IBLP, etc.......My opinion is, it is NOT. ALL Christian denominations and churches are susceptible to this. Many embrace it! We can use Governor Greg Abbott as proof, if people didn't know better they would just think he was another radical baptist from Texas but he is actually Catholic. In other words he's just another radical Catholic... Lol.. Over the last 20 years he has ruined the state of Texas taking it so far to the right including getting the Ten Commandments at the Texas state Capitol. I do not want any religion in public buildings, libraries or schools. I say that as a person that does indeed believe in a Higher Power but fully rejects the bible.....a book written by men for men.
Not sure if you think this is worthy to point out in future posts so that people truly understand the broad nature, albeit there are many shades of gray within this movement.
Im really looking forward to see God & Country when it comes out. 😊
Masculine Christianity, the Book of Genesis completely exploited. Your point is exactly correct, religion and "in the name of God" has been used for 2000 years to commit atrocities. Project 2025 (Manifesto 2025) is another atrocity.
Curious, how do we reconcile the difference between say the Duggar family in Arkansas versus Governor Sarah Huckabee in Arkansas , the families were friends, but yet Sarah is not at home with 10 kids, so there are different "levels" of Christian Nationalism? Wouldn't the most ardent Christian Taliban disagree with a female as a governor?