Macon Magazine

74 maconmagazine.com | October/November 2024 C U P S A N D W A T E R My faith in a secular nation In a city with houses of faith on nearly every corner, Rev. Dr. Erin Robinson Hall's column explores the interconnectedness of Macon's faith communities and the diverse ways Maconites nourish their spiritual health and the wellbeing of those around them, inspired by "On Being" podcast host Krista Tippet's idea that "religion is as cup; spirituality is as water." STORY AND PHOTOS BY REV. DR. ERIN ROBINSON HALL HEADSHOT BY JESSICA WHITLEY Exploring faith and freedoms with the Understanding Christian Nationalism event M y children take decorating their bikes seriously. Red, white, and blue streamers in the spokes, glittery blue stars on their signs. Each Fourth of July, we have gathered with neighborhood friends for a parade. It's fun. My littlest loves to wave his flag and say, "I love America the most!" as if it's a competition. As parents, we try to elevate the conversation with, "What are some of the things we love about our country?" We end up on their biggest interest: the red, white, and blue popsicles. Our conversations will shi again soon as school teaches them about the presidential election. They w ill learn about candidates, voting, and how to care about our nation. We hope our children understand that patriotism can be expressed by people of different faiths. One freedom worth celebrating is religious liberty. When I think about waving flags in the neighborhood parade each summer, I imagine the gorgeous tapestry of identities in these families. A snapshot shows us people who are Episcopal, Jewish, conservative evangelicals, Wiccan, Agnostic, Baptist, and Muslim. Not one person is more or less American than another. That is the gi of religious liberty. This gi is less about adding people to your ideological team and more about how you live out the beliefs you hold dear. Celebrating freedom can also mean naming and learning about efforts to limit your freedoms. It means showing up beside your neighbors to learn, even when you disagree. Recently, an invitation caught my eye. Several downtown churches hosted an event called Understanding Christian Nationalism. The Christian Nationalist movement "contends that America has been and should always be distinctively 'Christian' from top to bottom – in its self-identity, interpretations of its own history, sacred symbols, cherished values, and public policies – and it aims to keep it that way," according to the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs (BJC). Like many Americans, I am a Christian, with a deep and abiding faith. The space to practice my faith is a freedom that should be afforded to people of all faiths and no faith. Our nation is stronger when religious liberty is upheld. BJC continues: "The fight for religious liberty is an effort to prevent the government from doing what even God will not do: coerce faith." Coercion is not an authentic faith. I am disturbed by this rising movement to make our nation Christian, only. I am not alone. Over 37,000 Americans have signed a statement by Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Of major importance is the statement that "Whether we worship at a church, mosque, synagogue, or temple, America has no second-class faiths. All are equal under the U.S. Constitution." As news headlines describe Project 2025 and evangelical voter guides are distributed at some churches, the invitation to discuss Christian Nationalism felt important to attend. Mulberry United Methodist Church, Centenary United Methodist Church, and St. Peter Claver Catholic Church hosted the two sessions open to the public. One organizer, Patrick Roche,

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