Grad student essay contest 2024: Honorable mentions

By Sandra Adams

“We will kill you and your family if you do not wear the hijab or study Islam!” my teacher threatened my 8-year-old self. This was not my first encounter with religious dogma in my home country of Iraq. Shortly after this incident, since my teacher was part of the Iranian-backed militia, they knocked at our door, threatening my father and mother with death and the kidnapping of their three children.

After my family’s escape, I believed we were stepping into the land of freedom and equality, where the separation of church and state is upheld. However, the more I studied, the more the illusion of this perfect place shattered. In today’s political climate, Christian nationalism is on the rise.

Christian nationalist policies imply that women do not have the basic right to choose and control their own bodies. This perpetuates the cycle of control over women, subjecting them to political and human rights violations, as well as literal physical harm and even death. In some states, health care providers are unable to intervene and save a woman’s life due to the restrictive abortion laws and their consequences. This reinforces the notion a woman is merely a vessel and a second-class citizen whose life comes second to religious dogma.

Sandra, 29, attends Chandler Gilbert Community College, working toward a degree in aerospace engineering.

By Katie Guinn

Despite claims of being based upon Christian morals and philosophies, this movement has aligned itself with political ideologies that devalue and seek to endanger the most basic human rights. From immigration policies to women’s bodily autonomy to poverty assistance programs, this belief system consistently proves itself to be a hypocritical excusal of atrocities. Even more alarming is the remarks made by one of our presidential candidates in his December campaign speech in Iowa stating “Upon taking office, I will create a new federal task force on fighting anti-Christian bias to be led by a fully reformed Department of Justice that’s fair and equitable.” This is directly implying a criminalization of merely speaking against Christian Nationalism’s ideals or members.

There will be no equity or justice to be found should these extremists’ plans of action come to fruition. Their supporters and key members in power have openly stated their intentions to silence all other beliefs and undo the progress of freedom and equity that took more than 200 years to reach.

Katie, 26, attends Crafton Hills College and is majoring in communication studies. 

By Karissa Page

The Christian nationalist’s assertion that U.S. laws should be based on biblical teachings is alarming in an era where the U.S. Supreme Court is controlled by a conservative majority.

By using faith as a weapon, Christian nationalists are contributing to the cultural wars and widening the polarization in this country by creating enemies with people different than themselves.

Christian nationalists use lobbying to gain political power and influence laws that align with Christian values. They target wealthy conservatives and politicians. Wealth allows Christian nationalists to support elites and vice versa. In our grossly unequal economic system, power teeters towards those who can afford being politically active and fund campaigns. This gap in wealth is an ideal time for those with wealth to support Christian nationalism.

We must confront Christian nationalism because it contributes to the increasing polarization and extremist ideas in U.S. politics. We must oppose it because its intent is to dehumanize, spread hate and end religious pluralism. I urge you to act. Do not be politically apathetic. Participate in our imperfect democracy so that we can continue to transform our democracy by moving forward and not backward. Without separation of church from state, true religious freedom for all is impossible.

Karissa, 28, attends Oakland University, working toward a degree in social work.

By Lillian Poole

There are plenty of things to be afraid of in today’s America. Roe v. Wade has been overturned; Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is a radical evangelical; LGBTQ-plus rights and protections are being walked back in favor of making trans people the right’s boogeyman. All of these are larger than life, terrifying, front-page news stories.

Yet, fascism is insidious. While your attention is diverted one way, it strikes from the other. The threats to our secular democracy come not from a chapel, but from the courtroom.

Just because I’m not personally affected doesn’t mean that others aren’t hurt by this. What matters is that peoples’ rights are being wrongfully taken away because of the religion of another.

I oppose Christian nationalism because it’s hurting people and stripping people of their rights. It’s slow, it’s insidious, and it’s patient.

It can be given no quarter because every inch given could be a life taken. If the separation of church and state crumbles, then we are not a state that is truly free. People should not be forced to follow the ideals of a religion that they do not ascribe to.

Beware the snake that preaches righteousness while practicing deceit.

Lillian, 26, attends University of South Carolina, working toward a degree in library and information sciences.

By Tate Young

The clearest example of Christian nationalism in America right now is former President Donald Trump’s voter base.

Too often Christian doctrine is twisted to meet the ends of someone who has nothing to do with the bible at all.

In confusion, in fear of an uncertain world, in desperation for simple answers to complicated problems, those vulnerable to Christian nationalism turn to an authority figure who echoes the comfort of their church. A leader who gains enough followers this way can do literally anything and keep their support, because the support was never based on reason, but rather emotion. Relief from the fear. The leader is the salvation.

But the leader is only a human.

I was assigned female at birth. My federal right to reproductive health has already been stripped, and it wasn’t done in God’s name. It was done because Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices who would strengthen his Christian nationalist hold on the government. Christian nationalism has the potential to entirely transform our government into one where, despite its claims, we have very few rights at all. For all their frustration that the government is restricting their freedom, Christian nationalists would gladly accept a dictator.

Tate, 25, attends Washington State University, working toward degrees in anthropology and multimedia journalism.