HEARTS AND MINDS ARE CONNECTED
Medical science reports the following differences between physical hearts and minds:

• • Heart:
    • A muscular organ located in the chest cavity
    • Primary function: Pumping blood throughout the body
    • Composed of cardiac muscle tissue
  •  Brain/mind
    • A complex neural organ located in the skull
    • Primary functions: Cognitive processing, emotional regulation, decision-making; generating thoughts, emotions, and consciousness
    • Composed of billions of neurons and supporting cells
    • Contains multiple regions with specialized functions

‎
Medical science also reports that there are clear intricate, bidirectional, functional relationship between hearts and minds.

The bible often combines heart and mind in single verses that also include the concept of soul. Obviously, this reveals that biblical hearts, minds and souls are symbolic terms with complex, interrelated interpretations.

Needless to say, the spiritual connections to mind, heart and soul are as complex as the connections between physical minds and hearts. It is not surprising, therefore, that God uses mind/heart/soul to symbolize how complex humans are. These complex connections are revealed in these links:

1. • Fear and Anxiety: Christian Nationalism’s Achilles’ Heel
   • Psychology and Biology of Fear
   • Fear Affects the Ability to Think Clearly
   • Fear Affects the Ability to Act Logically

‎
People who sincerely desire to confront the plague of Christian Nationalism do well to at least understand that these complex relationships exist. Lacking such understanding, they will make the mistake of seeking simple, human solutions to social and political divisions that trouble America. Perplexity ai reports the following solutions that have been proposed:

• • Listen First Approach: Organizations like the Listen First Project emphasize the importance of listening to understand, rather than to respond or argue. This approach encourages people to be curious about others’ perspectives instead of being dogmatic about their own views.
  • Creating Safe Spaces for Conversation: Many bridge-building organizations facilitate workshops and events where people with different political views can engage in respectful dialogue. These spaces allow participants to find common ground and build interpersonal trust.
  • Independent Redistricting Commissions: Implementing nonpartisan commissions to draw voting districts can lead to more competitive elections, less extreme legislators, and better representation
  • Media Reform: Some initiatives focus on depolarizing news reporting, such as Solutions Journalism, which aims to present a more balanced view of issues
  • Community Action: Encouraging bipartisan groups to work together on shared local concerns can help build bridges across political divides
  • Education and Awareness: Programs that help people recognize their own biases and understand the perspectives of others can contribute to reducing polarization
  • Congressional Reforms: Efforts like the Select Committee for the Modernization of Congress have proposed changes to reduce partisan enmity in Washington, such as altering how new representatives are introduced to their roles
  • Promoting Political Courage: Initiatives like the Political Courage Challenge encourage citizens to engage with bipartisan groups and work on polarizing civic issues. By implementing these solutions, organizations and individuals hope to create a more unified and collaborative political and social environment in America, replacing the “us versus them” mentality with a problem-solving approach.

‎
While well-intended organizations have worked to promote unity, Christian Nationalists have successfully hindered their efforts because they are not interested in unity. Everything they say and do is focused on Christian Nationalism values. They actually see people who do not share their values as the enemy whom they want to defeat with spiritual warfare and other nefarious strategies (legal illegal). They refuse to talk seriously or constructively with people who are not like them. But the real reason for failure is that the solutions listed above do not work is that they look to change behaviors and minds while ignoring the fact that the real problem is the conditions of their hearts. Behaviors will not change, nor can they change permanently, unless hearts change.

It is impossible to overestimate the significance of the spiritual heart to God. In fact, it could be said of God that he places all his attention on the heart. The spiritual heart is as elementary to spiritual life as the physical heart is to physical life. Because all of his words and all of his miracles are focused on the heart, all successful efforts to confront Christian Nationalism will focus on the heart also.

NOTE: It is critical to mention at this point that heart change has nothing to do with religion or even belief in God. See RELIGIOSITY IS NOT A QUALIFICATION FOR TRUTHTELLERS.

Permanent heart change is not a political strategy. Political strategies focus on the short-term need to attract enough votes that put a candidate in office. Heart change provides for lasting, good government. Which is the better strategy is not up for debate by anyone who really cares about people and a stable, democratic government. Here are some of the qualities of hearts that have been changed:

• • A changed heart obeys God’s laws about loving your neighbor as yourself.
  • A changed heart obeys God’s laws about doing justice for others.

‎
Cristian Nationalists have a warped view of what God wants them to do. Their view is that God wants them to have dominion over others. They do not understand that all of God’s laws are designed to achieve unity of all people through godly love and justice. Dominionism is the antithesis of love and justice.

When we see hearts and the idea of changing hearts and minds the way God sees them, we will understand that the entire bible is devoted to heart change — not to religion. And the reason for heart change is to achieve unity. It is a simple process:

1. People with changed hearts love their neighbors
2. People with changed hearts pursue justice for their neighbors.
3. People with changed hearts live in unity.
4. People with changed hearts create governments that do not show favoritism or partiality for anyone.

‎
When we see hearts the way God sees them, we will have all the incentive we need to pursue a spiritual, heart change strategy to confront Christian Nationalism.

When Americans buy into the heart and mind strategy, truth tellers will employ Productive Strategies for Changing Hearts and Minds to achieve lasting change in all aspects (i.e. social, political, government, religious, economic, education, etc.) of American culture. Doable, Common Sense Strategies for Achieving Political and Social Unity shows that these are the matters God really cares about.  But we can’t appreciate why he would care so much until we see hearts the way he does.

See this link for an introduction to God’s view of hearts. Then come back to this page for ideas on how to change hearts and minds of Christian Nationalists and other rogue leaders around the world who cause injustice, pain and death to oppress the people they should be providing for and protecting.