Grad student essay contest 2024 — 10th place: Oz Paszkiewicz
FFRF awarded Oz $300.
By Oz Paszkiewicz
Christian nationalism is many things. It is manifest destiny, it is a strictness of thought that denies curiosity, but perhaps most importantly, it is the belief that Christianity, above all else, is the supreme and sovereign power over all people.
Pro football player Harrison Butker, in his hate-filled speech at Benedictine College, said, “Our Catholic faith has always been counter-cultural. Our lord, along with countless followers, were all put to death for their adherence to [his] teachings. The world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
This is the fundamental dogma of Christianity, that they are the ones being prosecuted, that they are the minority.
Because of the Christian nationalist belief that it must stand up for what’s “right,” Christian conviction has slipped surreptitiously into politics, redefining personal choices and experiences such as sexuality, abortion and race in the public debate.
As a queer, disabled person who was assigned female at birth, I feel particularly threatened. It is apparent through anti-abortion legislation, attacks on trans health care and the words of people like Butker that female bodies, trans bodies and bodies of color are the target. To Christian nationalists, there is nothing holier than the white, male body — that which was created in God’s image.
I’ve worked as a librarian for three years, and I’ve seen firsthand the attacks on freedom of thought and uncensored access to knowledge. The only books that are ever challenged are the ones that express queerness and BIPOC interests in a positive light, such as “Gender Queer” and “The Hate U Give.” By challenging our free access to information, Christian nationalists attempt to limit our ability to think freely. They want us (specifically, children who are still easy to mold and manipulate) to think like them. If the church does anything well, it’s scapegoating. To them, there is always an enemy, and, in this moment, the enemy is critical thinking.
South Carolina state Sen. Josh Kimbrell stood in front of a public library and decried books that attempted to “indoctrinate” children. I see this theme often with protesters, that they want to ban books that express “prurient” interest to children. But when we dig deeper into what their idea of “prurient” and “children” is, we see that they mean anyone under the age of 17 and anything that discusses sexuality in any way. Similar to abstinence-only education, their views turn sex into the ultimate sin. Their unspoken message is that you should not think about sex, you should not think about your body, you should not explore yourself, you should only submit.
In a democracy, we have to rely on our politicians to speak for us, but politicians who exploit their religion for votes become not just the mouthpiece of their people, but the mouthpiece of God. Meaning, Christians look to them like prophets. When Trump says, “they want to tear down crosses where they can, and cover them up with social justice flags,” he creates an enemy of progress. He makes a god out of fear and hatred.
Christians conveniently forget that everything is already theirs, that white, cis, heterosexual men have the most power, as we can see just by looking at the makeup of the Senate and House. But, their power is being threatened and they are thrashing like caged animals, trying desperately to keep what was once theirs. To combat their loss of power, they are attempting to pit the people against one another. That’s what makes them truly dangerous.
Oz, 27, attends Champlain College, working toward a degree in software development.
“I am a librarian with a love of technology,” Oz writes. “My goal is to expand my knowledge of coding to make software for libraries that increase access and inclusivity. In my free time, I crochet and volunteer with the local LGBTQ Youth Center.”
