JUDGE NOT LEST YOU BE JUDGED

Note to Readers: See this link for a discussion of the biblical scripture about judging and this link for a detailed discussion of Christian Nationalism.

Trumpism is closely aligned with Christian Nationalism. In a 2026 poll PRRI reports the following:

Group	Christian Nationalist Adherents/Sympathizers	Notes
Republicans	56%	Majority, driven by white evangelicals
MAGA (inferred)	~50-60%	High overlap but includes secular nationalists
White Evangelicals	67%	Strongest CN/MAGA relationship

 

MAGA’s base heavily includes Christian nationalists, particularly on issues like cultural traditionalism, but not all MAGA supporters embrace CN ideology (e.g., explicit “Christian nation” governance). Two-thirds of CN adherents see divine purpose in Trump’s leadership.

That means that Trumpism is a hybrid philosophy of politics, patriotism, religion and personal self-interest. Therefore, just as commitments to these ideologies go the core of who people are in their hearts and minds, the same is true of Christian Nationalists. This means that any strategy that hopes to dissuade people from Trumpism also confronts the same obstacles that would exist if they tried to dissuade someone from their religious beliefs, as well as their politics, their sense of patriotism and  personal self-interest. Anyone who has ever tried to argue these issues with someone knows that logic and reason do not change hearts and minds.

Most rational, religious people consider it socially unwise to tell someone in a face-to-face conversation that they will go to hell if they don’t change their religion. Although religious people believe that their religion is THE religion that God prescribes, they don’t typically challenge other religious people about their faith. Extremist bible thumpers and many Christian Nationalists will not restrain themselves from such confrontations. The rest of us will show respectful restraint, even though we are convinced in our hearts and minds that they are totally wrong. There is an unspoken, mutual acceptance, if not respect, for other religions that restrains us from telling others that their religion is wrong and bullying or coercing them to change their religion.

The same kind of attitude exists with respect to politics — more or less — until election time. Unlike the issue of religion, at election time there are no cultural taboos against arguing about particular legislation, policies, parties and candidates in civilized, face to face conversations. We agree to disagree and hopefully remain friends without calling each other names or criticizing their thinking. Freedom to call names is reserved for political candidates, partisan political pundits, bloggers, and some news commentators who express their opinions at a safe distance from the people they offend. Most civilized people don’t do these things.

It is wrong to think of MAGA as evil, stupid people whose politics and religion can be changed with reason, logic and facts. It is correct, however, to think of them as normal people like us. The only difference between us and them is that they have been deluded by fine sounding rhetoric that radically activates their political and religious beliefs. The other difference is that their ideas of truth and lies are different from our own.

People who are active in politics and/or religion should find it possible to relate to Christian Nationalists because they might otherwise share some of their political and religious beliefs with Trump’s supporters.  The main difference between mainline Christians and MAGA is MAGA’s misguided zeal for Christian Nationalist ideology that underlies their politics and religion and their ideas about truth. So, just as most people discretely avoid arguing about politics and religion with people who do not agree with us, and just as most people avoid name-calling and bullying as strategies for making friends, or selling a product to a customer, they would do well to avoid these aggressive, in-your-face strategies if they hope to changing hearts and minds of people who disagree with their politics

Preserving the relationship with MAGA  is more important than telling the truth to them one time. If the relationship is preserved, the opportunity to tell the truth may come later.

Liberals feel like they are at war with MAGA. Liberals should not feel like they have lost the war because they had to retreat from a single battle (i.e. verbal confrontation.) More likely, they are creating the relational environment in which someone else can speak the truth. It is critical to remember that MAGA beliefs may be the result of a lifetime of hearing lies. It may take many, many repetitions of truth to overcome those lies. Repetition of truth is a productive strategy for changing minds just like retelling of lies is also productive strategy for changing minds in a negative way.

Another important thing to remember is that logic and facts are meaningless arguments against MAGA  ideology. Logic and reason does not fit into their understanding of truth.

Because most people know hypocrisy and insincerity when they see it, it is critical that truthtellers have the right heart attitude before they share truth without an invitation to do so.  After that, it is just a matter of knowing which facts to share with whom and when.

When imagining how MAGA extremists might respond to attempts to change their hearts and minds, it is reasonable to assume that they will be resistant to the truthteller’s efforts at first. It is useful for truthtellers to put themselves in the shoes of MAGA. How would you respond to aggressive, in-your-face attempts to change your heart and mind regarding your political and religious beliefs?

Whatever you imagine that your response would be is what you can expect from MAGA. That is why truthtellers must be discreet, covert, patient and loving. These tactics are necessary because, if people suspect that someone is trying to manipulate them into agreeing with their personal political and religious beliefs, they are very likely to resist, double down on their beliefs and practices, and maybe even attack the truthtellers before listening to them.

With all these principles in mind, here are a few attitudes and behaviors truthtellers should avoid when talking politics and religion with Christian Nationalists.

RECOMMENDED THINGS TO AVOID DOING

Do not think of yourself as a member of one or more elite, unique, racial, religious, social, ethnic, economic or political subgroups.

Do not elevate yourself by thinking of yourself as being morally, politically or spiritually superior to anyone.

In your mind, writing and conversations, do not call people disparaging names.

Never feel pleasure or satisfaction when you see or hear about someone else’s misfortune, failure, or embarrassment. And do not report those events to others.

Never repeat a lie.

When, in your heart, you feel like you should share these recommendations with others who chronically do the recommended things that no one should do, do not resist what your heart is telling you to do. But before you do share, judge your own heart to make sure that your do not have a splinter in your eye.

In your mind, writing and conversations, do not use labels to identify others as members of one or more racial, religious, social, ethnic, economic or political subgroups.

Do not judge or condemn yourself or others if you find that you, or they, violate these recommendations.

Never base your decisions on who to vote for on what you hear or read from partisan media.

Do not participate in partisan echo chambers as a leader or follower.

Do not get your news only from media that have reputations for being highly partisan.

Do not make decisions about who to vote for based on political rhetoric and what you learn from partisan echo chambers, political leaders or religious leaders.

When you encourage others to vote, do not identify your personal political affiliation. Best you can, keep your ideas about voting apolitical.

When making decisions about whom to vote for, never think in terms of policies, self-interest or party loyalty. Always evaluate candidates in terms of character.

When talking about politicians and voting, limit your comments to issues of character.

Do not advertise your political leanings with speech, clothing, lawn signs or bumper stickers.

 

It is reasonable to label this list of things to avoid as “spiritual warfare” because they are invisible. Moreover, it is worth noting that none of these recommendations fit into norms of religious activity. (If they were religious, they would not be spiritual.) Only the truthteller knows when these things happen.  When we choose to not do things we might normally be in the habit of doing, we create, or at least preserve, an invisible, positive, productive spiritual environment in which  relationships are developed and truth can be told — someday. This is true for everyone — even people who do not believe in God.

When a truthteller chooses to adopt productive behaviors instead of continuing to do unproductive things that might otherwise be in their repertoire of behaviors, that is spiritual event. This shows that their hearts and minds have changed for the better — for the good of all Americans — and they are not just acting out their historical pattern of pursuing their own self interests or party loyalty. This exactly what we hope will happen in the hearts and minds of MAGA, but those who want to confront MAGA ideology must pave the way by avoiding unproductive behaviors.

This change is an example of personal spiritual warfare that must occur in the hearts and minds of truthtellers who choose to enlist in the war against Trump and MAGA. Such internal warfare in the hearts and minds of truthtellers must precede efforts to change the hearts and minds of  MAGA. It recognizes that truthtellers share some of the blame for division in America. See Spiritual Warfare: What it is and is not for more about spiritual warfare.

If truthtellers are not willing to change their attitudes and behaviors, they do not have authority to tell truth to others. It is the “judge not lest you be judged” principle. Truthtellers must remove the speck from their own eyes first. The speck is their heightened sense of self righteousness that convinces liberals  that they are the ultimate arbiters of truth.

If those who have specks in their eyes and judge others are unwilling to change, they are deceived in their hearts about their personal righteousness. That disqualifies them as a truthteller. In that case, they contribute to division despite any claims they might make about wanting to heal division.