As the COVID vaccine becomes more accessible to broad swaths of the population, faith leaders are finding ways to combat vaccine hesitancy, encourage a return to normalcy and reckon with the ways in which the vaccine fits into their faith.
Add to that the biblical concept found in 1 Peter 4:17—that judgement must first begin at the house of God—and you have a crescendo of voices trying to work their way through the unholy syncretism of “God and Country” in America, otherwise known as Christian nationalism. This is not just a national movement, either, as Spokane-area Christian pastors and leaders are adding their voices to this mix.
I was inspired to write this piece when I heard on the radio that Teddy Roosevelt had called Thomas Paine “a dirty little atheist.” I have continued my research by extending it to our 16th president.