It’s becoming increasingly common for conservative political leaders in the United States including here in Florida to use language and put forward policies that conflate American identity with religious identity. Many are focusing on issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, and trans rights and critics say this trend represents a rise in what’s called Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism is best summarized as the belief that the history and character of the United States is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Our guest counts himself among its critics, and says that while supporters of Christian Nationalism portray it as a social movement, it’s actually a well-organized political movement that seeks to gain political power and to impose its vision on all of society. Rev. Paul Raushenbush is an ordained Baptist minister, and he is President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, a national nonprofit founded in 1994
The rabbi was attending the meeting to speak out against Charles Van Zant, who is trying to censor literature and teach "Christian moral values" in state schools.