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The United States has crossed into open barbarism — torture, kidnapping, and high sea piracy as state policy. This is not law enforcement. This is a poisonous cocktail of imperial violence that threatens humanity itself. From Vietnam to Venezuela and into Iran. Maduro’s wife was dragged before a U.S. court bruised, battered, with a blackened eye — the physical marks of abuse carried into a courtroom as if they were normal. Maduro himself appeared limping, visibly injured, showing clear signs of coercion and mistreatment. This is what “justice” looks like when empire abandons law. A sovereign leader abducted. A spouse brutalized. Bodies used as evidence of power. The US Jew Power. There is no legal cover for this. No moral excuse. No ethical defense. Kidnapping a head of state to impose control and plunder resources is not democracy — it is state-sanctioned criminality. War on Humanity. When the U.S. boasts about such acts, it is no longer pretending to uphold international law. It is openly mocking it. The world is no longer safe from this monster. This is not strength. It is fear wrapped in violence. History will remember it not as leadership — but as imperial thuggery laid bare over barbarism, human misery.

Here is the historical breakdown 1. The Covenant was with Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → the 12 tribes The covenant is about BLOODLINE, not a later religion. Abraham was NOT a “Jew” — the word did not exist Isaac was not a Jew Jacob (Israel) was not a Jew The 12 tribes were not Jews; they were Israelites Only ONE tribe later became known as “Yehudim / Jews”: the Tribe of Judah So the covenant belongs to the entire House of Israel — not to a single tribe and certainly not to Rabbinic Judaism. 2. Judaism as a religion did not exist until ~500 BCE After the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE): ▪️ The priestly elite (Ezra, Nehemiah) rewrote/edited scriptures ▪️ New laws, new interpretations, new identity ▪️ The “House of Judah” became known as “Yehudim” → Jews ▪️ Later all Israelites began to be retroactively called “Jews” This is how a regional tribal identity became: a national identity → then a religious identity → then a global identity But it is not the same as the ancient Israelites. 3. 10 tribes disappeared — only Judah survived The Assyrians destroyed the Northern Kingdom (10 tribes). Only Judah + Benjamin + some Levites remained. These survivors became: “Jews” — people of Judah (Yehudah) The rest of Israel was gone or absorbed into other nations. So the word “Jew” NEVER meant all the descendants of Israel. 4. Rabbinic Judaism arose EVEN LATER (~200 CE) Modern Judaism is based on: Mishnah (200 CE) Talmud (400–500 CE) Rabbi interpretations New laws, new theology This is 1000+ years after Moses. So Rabbinic Judaism ≠ Mosaic religion And Rabbinic Jews ≠ ancient Israelites 5. How did the Covenant get “claimed”? By redefining the word “Israelite” to mean “Jew” After the exile, the elites of Judah began calling themselves: “We are the whole nation of Israel” (even though Israel had 12 tribes) This linguistic shift allowed: the Tribe of Judah to claim the Covenant meant for the entire House of Israel 6. The Real Reason for the Confusion Language manipulation “Israelite” (all 12 tribes) becomes → “Jew” (1 tribal group) Scriptural editing Post-exile scribes rewrote history to center Judah. Religious evolution Rabbinic Judaism replaced ancient Israelite religion. Modern politics Today’s claims rely on the rewritten identity, not on original scripture or history. Final Answer (simple): The Covenant was not given to “the Jews” or “Rabbinic Judaism”. It was given to Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → all 12 tribes of Israel. The word “Jew” originally referred only to people from Judah — not to all Israelites. Modern Judaism inherited the covenant claim through historical rebranding, not through original scripture. IT WAS PLAIN STEALING. THEFT. JUST LIKE ANYTHING RELATED TO JEWS.

NEW: The United States is not installing the Venezuelan opposition in power at present, not out of respect for democracy, but because doing so would require a large-scale, long-term U.S. military occupation, according to ABC journalist David Alandete. What the U.S. has instead resorted to is kidnapping — not the arrest of a fugitive, not the capture of a criminal, but the abduction of a sitting head of state, an act that has no standing in international law. Heads of state are not “captured.” They are kidnapped when seized extraterritorially by force. This follows a long and documented criminal pattern: Iraq — invasion based on fabricated weapons claims, resulting in mass civilian deaths Libya — regime change by force, leaving a destroyed state and open slave markets Afghanistan — two decades of occupation ending in collapse Syria, Yemen, Somalia — proxy wars, sanctions, and covert operations Seven Muslim-majority countries destabilized under the banner of “security” Now Venezuela and Iran are already scheduled for destruction. Unable or unwilling to openly deploy troops, Washington is playing with domestic traitors, offering money and protection to collaborators willing to sell out their country — a textbook imperial tactic repeated across decades. Wrong is wrong. Kidnapping is kidnapping. Looting is looting. Calling it anything else is propaganda, not analysis.

The twenty-first century is not a rupture from history but its continuation by familiar means. It opened, like those before it, in blood and fire. Behind the rhetoric of progress and civilization lies an unchanged structure of power—where might dictates morality, domination is normalized, and exploitation is refined rather than abandoned. History is not written by time, nor guided by justice; it is engineered by power. Each era merely perfects the instruments of control, while the powerless pay the cost. The world bears witness as the historical record expands, not in ink, but in the blood of innocents—spilled to sustain the architecture of supremacy, while conscience is anesthetized and silence is mistaken for peace. From 1899 Baltimore USA Jew Conference with United States Political elite, DECLARING the domination of the world by Jews started by naming COLONIZATION OF PALESTINE on 10th June, 1899. All wars fought up to date by USA and Europe are done to sustain the greed of Jews and their lust for power. To reap billions for the War Industry owned and run by Jews. 25 Million Jews world wide fully controls 8 Billion of Humanity, through the enslaved Western Governments and Western World Bodies like UN and EU. All created for Jews.

From 10 June 1899 to 1 January 2026, AND ON GOING, Palestine has been subjected to a planned project of invasion, occupation, Genocide and dispossession. The process was formally DECLARED at the USA Baltimore Conference on 10 June 1899, where JEWS leaders AND USA POLITICIANS JOINTLY declared the objective to invade Palestine. The Ottoman Empire was dismantled by the United States, Britain, and France, paving the way for the occupation. Britain systematically depopulated Palestine for Jews with Jews up to 1947. Since then, Palestine has been occupied, looted, and depopulated through sustained genocide and pillage by USA, UK and Europe joined together. This is historical reality. Today 1st Jan. 2026, Gaza remains under relentless military assault. Artillery and aerial fire targeted eastern Gaza City, Al-Tuffah, Al-Maghazi camp, and areas east of Khan Younis. Gunships fired over Rafah, while ground forces opened indiscriminate fire on tents sheltering displaced families in Al-Bureij and Al-Nuseirat. A child was killed in Mawasi Rafah, and three Palestinians were wounded east of Al-Maghazi. Heavy gunfire continues west of Rafah. The health system has collapsed. Hospitals lack basic equipment after systematic destruction. Al-Shifa Medical Complex reports critical shortages, including the absence of MRI capability. Gaza’s only cancer hospital, the Turkish Friendship Hospital, remains destroyed. Leptospirosis has spread due to sewage flooding, contaminated water, overcrowding, and the denial of medical care. Weather is now killing people. A wall collapsed onto displacement tents, killing a child and injuring others. A third severe storm system is approaching, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and extreme cold to a population without shelter. The humanitarian strangulation is deliberate. Dozens of international aid organizations have been ordered to halt operations. UNRWA confirms new restrictions further paralyzing aid delivery. Palestinian civil organizations state this is genocide by starvation. Despite the siege, people struggle to survive. Fishermen were shot at sea. Thirty members of one family, including children and elderly, remain trapped in a collapsing home. Five gas trucks entered Gaza, reaching only 12,843 people—a fraction of the need. This is Palestine. The SLAUGHTER HOUSE OF WEST AND DEMOCRACY. This is real. From 10 June 1899 to 1 January 2026, Palestine has been subjected to a planned project of invasion, occupation, Genocide and dispossession. Gaza exposed Western Lust for Genocide and human mass slaughter. The reality that is not fiction.

1. No — Israel does not have the right to “defend itself” while it is the occupying power. Under international law, an occupying military force cannot claim “self-defense” against the very population it occupies. This is the position of: UN General Assembly International Court of Justice (ICJ) International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Dozens of UN Special Rapporteurs To call colonized, occupied people “terrorists” for resisting occupation is simply the modern language of empire. The type of language used by the "Human Animals" among us. Anyone who claim the European Jews who occupied Palestine under British Mandate of Palestine are exactly what Israel & Jews represent. The most Evil among humanity. The "Human Animals" that are a threat to humanity. 2. When Israel was created through UNGA Resolution 181 (1947), the UN partitioned the land into two states: A Jewish state on 55% of Mandatory Palestine. *UN looted the Arab lands for European Jews. The biggest "WRONG" in human history. An Arab state on 45%. . Everything beyond that 1947 designation — including: West Bank East Jerusalem Gaza’s borders The Golan Heights Lebanese territory (Shebaa Farms, Kfar Shuba hills) is occupied territory under international law, and Israel has no legal sovereignty there. So Israel has no right to “exist” or “defend itself” inside someone else’s land. 3. Israel does not have a blank cheque to “defend itself” while occupying land that does not belong to it. Its legal right (in the sense that UN owned Palestine Lands) was limited to the 1947 UN-designated territory—not to Lebanon, not to Gaza, not to the West Bank, and not to Syrian land. IT IS A FACT THAT Palestine existed long before Judaism, before the Covenant with Abraham AS, and long before the first Jew was born or Jew RELATED tribes emerged. **Note. Only 2 Tribes out of 12 are termed Jews. Balance 10 Tribes were not. Jews hunted and killed most of them. And the propaganda that “Jews = Bani Israel = modern Israel” is a historical distortion: A CONCOCTION, A POISONOUS COCKTAIL OF LIES. Bani Israel were the descendants of Jacob AS; Jews and today's Judaism (THE CURSE ON HUMANITY) appeared centuries later; and the modern State of EUROPEAN JEW Israel is neither of them. Those who support Israel today simply stand with a colonial project that has used war, displacement, and genocide before and after its creation — nothing more.

Humanity Cannot Survive Western Ideology in Its Current Form** The West taught its citizens for centuries that: they are morally superior, their violence is justified, their interests override others’ rights, some humans matter and others do not. This is not “civilization.” This is systemic barbarism covered with PR slogans. To protect humanity, the world must: expose the lies, disarm the propaganda, rehabilitate the conditioned minds, and ensure the next generation grows up free from digital indoctrination. Only then can humanity breathe without fearing Western bombs, Western sanctions, or Western fabricated narratives. The era of Western mental colonialism must end — or the world’s suffering will never stop. 1. The Core Problem: Western Civilization Never Evolved — It Only Rebranded Its Barbarism From colonial conquests to Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and now Gaza, the West has maintained one consistent operating system: Invade, pillage, extract, justify, repeat. These countries were built on genocide, slavery, and the belief that they are morally entitled to dominate the planet. Nothing changed. Only the marketing improved. The colonial flag was replaced with “democracy,” “human rights,” “counterterrorism,” and “rules-based order” — all meaningless slogans masking the same violence. 2. The Western Public Is Not Innocent — It Is Manufactured The Western citizen is not born cruel; they are engineered into it. The Machinery: Propaganda schools Sanitized history Racist mythology Militarized entertainment Algorithmic brainwashing 24/7 media conditioning Digital addiction beginning in childhood This produces a population that can: watch genocide in Gaza and call it “self-defense,” cheer for bombing nations they can’t locate on a map, dehumanize entire populations on command, and blindly follow whichever colonial flag is raised next. The world is not dealing with “misinformed” people. The world is dealing with systematically conditioned colonial minds. 3. Why the West Needs De-Brainwashing — Now A brainwashed society is dangerous not only to itself, but to the rest of humanity. The Western world behaves like: A self-appointed global police A resource extraction mafia A military cartel led by the United States NATO as enforcers UK and France as aging colonial parasites Gaza exposed this entire structure in raw daylight. The moral mask is gone. All that remains is brutality with a press release. Unless Western populations are de-programmed, the cycle of invasion and plunder will continue — justified by new excuses, new slogans, new lies. 4. Children: The Last Line of Defense Modern Western children are raised by: TikTok YouTube Predatory algorithms Corporations Zionist-owned media structures Parents are not parenting. Screens are parenting. The result: Zero emotional regulation Zero empathy Zero attention span Zero capacity to challenge propaganda A society built on digital zombification cannot produce ethical adults. Thus, protecting children from the predatory information ecosystem is the only way to stop the next generation from becoming worse than the current one. 5. Adults: Radicalized Beyond Awareness Western adults have lived their entire lives inside an information cage. Trying to de-brainwash them requires: breaking their identity, destroying the propaganda they believe is “truth,” exposing the violence they supported, showing them the full HD reality of what Western bombs do to human beings. This is not “education reform.” This is psychological decolonization. It will be painful. Most will resist. But without it, global peace is impossible. 6. The De-Brainwashing Plan: Aggressive and Unapologetic 1. Rip the Mythology Apart Force Western nations to confront: their colonial massacres, their coups, their stolen resources, their genocides, their fabricated wars. No sugarcoating. No “balanced debate.” Just the raw truth. 2. Criminalize Propaganda Regulate media monopolies. Expose government influence operations. Ban military-funded entertainment propaganda. 3. Algorithmic Disarmament Break the digital brainwashing machines: Make algorithms transparent. Block child-targeted psychological manipulation. Remove political and military propaganda from children’s platforms. 4. Mass Psychological Rehabilitation Programmes Not optional. Mandatory. Using: cognitive dissonance exposure, empathy shock, uncensored war reality footage, dehumanization reversal, and structured group rehumanization sessions. 5. Global Accountability Tribunals Just like the world forced Germany to face its crimes, the world must now force: USA UK France NATO states to confront and answer for post-WW2 atrocities, from Vietnam to Iraq to Libya to Gaza. Only through legal and moral consequences can any society truly change. 7. The Global Reality: The West Will Not Change Voluntarily The West only reforms when: It loses power, or Its lies lose their effect. Both are happening now: Global South rising Multipolar world emerging Western propaganda losing reach Gaza breaking the moral façade Youth rejecting colonial narratives This moment must be seized. De-brainwashing the West is not an act of mercy — it is an act of global self-defense.

“US media reported that the ground operation in Lebanon will begin within the next few hours.” Reportedly footage near Lebanese border in occupied Palestine. Hezbollah hasn't attacked the tank positions. https://t.me/Mimews/548 The Western Medias. ️Israel tells US it plans imminent ‘limited’ ground operation in Lebanon – Washington Post ️Israeli ground operation in Lebanon ‘could start as soon as today’ – BBC

“US media reported that the ground operation in Lebanon will begin within the next few hours.” Reportedly footage near Lebanese border in occupied Palestine. Hezbollah hasn't attacked the tank positions. https://t.me/Mimews/548 The Western Medias. ️Israel tells US it plans imminent ‘limited’ ground operation in Lebanon – Washington Post ️Israeli ground operation in Lebanon ‘could start as soon as today’ – BBC

Netanyahu addressing Iran Public. Netanyahu speaks to the Iranian people - in English and with English subtitles. He has a habit of pretending to reach out to the people of the countries he intends to bomb next. https://x.com/netanyahu/status/1840740049299583355

“Hezbollah says it fired a Noor missile at Kfar Giladi - and this missile has not been used throughout the war so far”

Salam, The title to this thread says it all, which in your opinion is the better country to live in biased on three things, education, healthcare, overall quality of life.

Wisconsin Is Hotbed of Satanism (too old to reply) Outlaw Satanic Cults 15 years ago Permalink Raw Message As a cleric with many years of study, experience and knowledge in this area, I am alarmed and dismayed by statistics that confirm that Wisconsin is the nation’s most Satanic state. There are more Satanic cults in Wisconsin per capita than any state in this great land of ours. Here are the facts as shown in government reports: Wisconsin has over 87,000 practicing Satanists; this is more than all those in California, Texas and New York combined. Wisconsin has 297 Satanic covens. That is more than the entire continent of Europe. Wisconsin was home to serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein and Charles Manson. This is due to the Satanic influences of Wisconsin cults. Wisconsin habitually lets pedophiles out to prey on more children. Examples include the Spanbauer and the Gerald Turner Halloween Killer cases. This is caused by the Satanic influence of devil-worship cults over the Madison liberal clique. It is these liberals that support the pedophiles and Satanists. The Wisconsin Parole board is mostly Madison liberals. The mark of the beast ‘666’ is often scrawled in Wisconsin on hidden places in Wisconsin wooded areas and in Wisconsin schools. Wisconsin is slow to ban Satanic cult influences over the liberal, corporate media. That is why television channels show nudity and Satanic violence on Wisconsin airwaves. Most Wisconsin people are addicted to these Satanic television shows, even if they are not Satanists.

One thing that I do not really understand is that liberal Democrats in the U.S. are being labelled “communists” by political rightists. Obviously the Democrats are pushing liberal social agendas. But on economics I can’t really see any “communistic” aspects. A look at the Biden administration shows this. A key plank of communism is the abolition of profit. Under Biden public programs such as Medicare are being privatised through subcontracting. Profiteering is being encouraged through the use of direct contracting entities (DCE). (Incidentally, by resorting to DCEs, the Biden administration is actually continuing a Trump-era policy, as the preceding article notes.) The Biden administration, which opposes Medicare for All, also approved the largest increase in Medicare premiums on record. Future Medicare cuts are planned. In addition to supporting Clinton’s welfare reform, Biden has repeatedly voted for neoliberal free-trade agreements such as NAFTA and the TPP. Open borders certainly helps complement these pro-capitalist agreements. In Latin America Biden has supported widespread privatisation and militarisation. I don’t see the Biden administration collectivising agriculture, as was done in the Soviet Union and other communist states, for instance. He certainly isn’t nationalising the privately-owned Federal Reserve. Aside from the social issues, what is the basis of calling Biden and Co. “communists”? On economic issues there isn’t a trace of communism.

Salaam everyone. I am very nervous about who's going to win. Trump is slightly edging out Hillary Clinton. I fear for the Muslims living in the US. I fear that something bad might happen. I really hope they are ready for when Trump starts his plan of banning Muslims, they need to find a safe place to reside. Luckily, I am in Canada which is a very safe home where I was born. I am fine with Justin Trudeau as prime minister succeeding Stephen Harper (who was going to make things worse for Muslims). Justin Trudeau is not that racist towards Muslims like Trump is, he is actually nice when compared to the racist garbage that Trump spews out. Canada is a good home for Muslims. I am really worried as I am writing this. I really do not want Trump to win.

Selam! I just saw a really powerful video about the recent events. I dunno if its Anonymous behind it? anyhow it made me tremble and really expressed my feelings!! Allahu Akbar!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vZqrQEpfgU

Salam, Can someone please provide contacts or links for scholarships for Shia students (MS/MBA) from India, studying in the United States (If any scholarship like this is available though). Thanks in advance

Salamun Alaykum, My name is Mehdi. I am from India and I am travelling to Salt Lake City, Utah, on 29th Dec. I will be attending graduate program at the University of Utah. I need to know Shia brothers and community centres who can help me get a rented apartment near the U (zipcode :84102) (The apartment should not be expensive). We are 3 students(the other 2 are not shia) who will reach SLC on 29th Dec 11pm. Kindly help connect me to the Student body/ Shia centres around here in Utah. I need this urgently done. Thank you for your help.:)

Trump says Saudi King wouldn't last 'two weeks' without US support https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/03/politics/trump-saudi-king-intl/index.html

Salam, My husband and I would like to go for Umrah this year. I was wondering if anyone can recommend any shia travel agencies that can help us from the US? I would prefer one in Texas, but open to anywhere in the US. Does anyone know of any shia groups going to Umrah during Ramadan? And is it permissible to do Umrah during Ramadan? We just want to go for a maximum of 3 days, possibly the last 3 days of Ramadan.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/isis-is-a-us-israeli-creation-top-ten-indications/5518627 Indication #1: ISIS Foreknowledge via Leaked DIA Doc Indication #2: ISIS Never Attacks Israel Indication #3: Toyota Trucks Indication #4: ISIS’ First Class Social Media Skills Indication #5: Israeli Group SITE First to Release ISIS Footage Indication #6: ISIS Leader Baghdadi a Mossad Agent Indication #7: Leaked Cables Showing US Plotting Syrian Overthrow Indication #8: Russia Bombs ISIS, US Protects ISIS Indication #9: ISIS Always the Excuse for Further Intervention Indication #10: ISIS is an Acronym for Mossad. [The Israeli Secret Intelligence Service. Interesting Coincidence]

Why release now your mantra Mr. Putin ? It has been quite long time the dog barking. http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/01/31/550746/putin-russia-us-sanctions

Question explains everything.

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A Christian Nation? Ryan LaMothe Photo by Forsaken Fotos | CC BY 2.0 Over the years I have often heard Christians of various political stripes assert that the United States is a Christian nation. More recently, Christian evangelicals, who supported Trump and his campaign slogan of “Make America Great Again,” seemed nostalgic for a white Christian America. One might be tempted to call the belief that the U.S. is a Christian nation a myth, the seeds of which were sown in 1630 when John Winthrop challenged his community to establish a city on the hill, reflecting the covenant of God and Christian charity. Many myths contain a grain or two of truth. Nevertheless, the belief in a Christian nation is more illusion than truth. This might be a provocative claim to many people that requires justification. Let me begin by acknowledging that most of the people who immigrated to America, taking native peoples’ lands, were primarily of various Christian denominations. Some saw this country as the new Promised Land, overlooking the fact that by occupying the land they removed any possibility of promise to the non-Christian people who lived here for millennia. So, I am willing to concede that white European settlers were mainly Christian. This was also true after the War of Independence and in this sense one might say this was a Christian nation in that most of the settlers called themselves Christian. I will come back to this, but for now let me say that this new “Christian nation” was clearly neither a Christian theocracy not a parliamentary system advocating a particular religion. Indeed, the Constitution enshrined the free exercise of religion, while establishing a wall between church and state. If we were to call this budding nation a Christian nation, it was oddly one that proclaimed the freedom of individuals to practice other religions—at least ideally—or no religion at all. Proclaiming the inalienable right of religious freedom would leave open the possibility that another religion might be dominant, which would mean we would no longer be a “Christian nation.” While some people cite numbers or percentage of Christians as a reason for calling the U.S. a Christian nation, others have argued that the U.S. is a Christian nation because it was founded by Christians and, therefore, some of their beliefs and principles were woven into the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. In reality, the Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights influenced those who penned the Constitution. Also, House Congressional Resolution 331 (1988) acknowledged the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy of Nations in writing the U.S. Constitution. To be sure there are references to God in the Declaration of Independence, but not in the Constitution, which is not to deny that Christian principles, to some degree, shaped the writing of the Constitution, though it is not entirely clear which principles. More apparent is the secular political influences that shaped founding texts. Indeed, it is more accurate to say the U.S. was founded on English and Enlightenment political values. This will not deter those who will insist that since most colonial and later U.S. citizens nation were Christian, then the U.S. was, by and large, a Christian nation. Fast forward to the present and polls indicate that approximately 84% of people in the U.S. identify as Christians. So, our stalwart believer may proclaim that we are still a Christian nation by percentages alone. Of course, we might look more closely at those numbers to discover that many of those who self-identify as Christians do not actually belong to a Christian community of faith. In some polling less than 38% of Christians actually go to church. What percentage do we rely on for being a Christian nation—51% or above of those who believe in Christ? Or do we count those who are actually practicing their Christian faith? If it is the latter, then we do not qualify as a Christian nation. Percentages and numbers, though, are hardly adequate measures for determining whether we are a Christian nation or not. It would seem fairer to consider not so much belief, but whether the majority of citizens and their elected representatives embody and live out core principles associated with Christianity. This would be akin to considering whether the claim that we are a democratic nation is valid based on whether citizens and institutions uphold and live out the principles and practices of democracy. Do citizens act in democratic ways? Are there state and non-state institutions that uphold democratic values and principles? Let’s shift to whether we are a “Christian” nation. Do citizens and elected officials adhere to the core principles of Christianity as reflected in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ? Do state and non-state institutions promote Christian principles and practices? The simple answer is no, but it is important to at least identify a few key principles of Christianity. It is apparent in any cursory reading of history that there are various renderings of what it means to live a Christian life. Yet, it is safe to say that the ministry of Jesus Christ incarnates the love and compassion of God, which includes mercy and forgiveness. As Karen Armstrong (1993) notes, the three Abrahamic faiths elevate compassion as a central principle for living a religious life. If we consider love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness as central principles of being a Christian, then it is evident that these principles are less about mere belief than they are about actions or practices. I think most individual Christians and communities of faith, if they are honest, would say that they fall short of living out these principles. Indeed, Kierkegaard, surveying the landscape of Christian Europe, asked whether a Christian could be found in all of Christendom. No doubt he was aware of how far he and others fail to live out and up to Jesus Christ. More importantly, his query was not just about individuals, but calling Christendom itself into question. Individuals who call themselves Christian should be assessed in terms of the principles of Christianity, not so much to deny their identity, but to indicate to what degree they live out this faith. Those of us who call ourselves Christian know we do not measure up, yet we retain a Christian identity. When individuals use the term Christian to describe their nation, which includes identity, then it is fair game to use the principles as criteria. What does it mean to be called a Christian nation given the violent appropriation of land from Native Americans, which may rightly be called ethnic cleansing? Our ruthless treatment of Native peoples, which continues today, seems a far cry from any Christian principle. Consider how many American Christians legitimated slavery, Jim Crow, and racism. By what Christian principle do these fall under? The exploitation of Cuban, Philippine, and Central American peoples during the decades when the U.S. was a colonial power seems more in line with the principles of the Roman Empire than Christian values. The fire bombings of Dresden and Tokyo and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians. Has the U.S. ever asked for forgiveness for these acts? This kind of sociopathic brutality is a far cry from Christian compassion, though it is important to acknowledge that Christian communities perpetrated if not supported brutal actions (e.g., lynching). Let’s turn to the killing of around 2 million Vietnamese, which was more in line with the principles of realpolitik than Christian justice. Speaking of justice, read Acts and ask how Christian is it to have huge income and wealth disparities, millions of people without healthcare or inadequate healthcare, food deserts, and 7 million people in the penal system. Does this so-called Christian nation embody or even uphold any of the core values of Christianity? If this is not enough to dissuade people from calling the U.S. a Christian nation, I also raise the fact that I am not sure any nation could be Christian, except in only one sense and that is the view that we are a Christian nation because most citizens self-identify as Christian. That said, it is crucial to recognize that while religious communities can hold forth about their Christian values and principles vis-à-vis organizing the life of the community, nations abide by other principles, principles more in line with Machiavelli and Clausewitz, rather than Christ. To be sure, Constantine launched the West onto the idea of a Christian state, but this idea seemed to be far from anything Jesus had in mind. Moreover, Christ’s motivation, if I can talk about his motivation, seemed to be more about compassion, feeding the poor, healing the sick, etc., than it was about founding a nation. In short, Jesus’ kingdom is not to be found on earth, even though the kingdom of God is among us in acts of love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. These are virtues that are inimical the advancement of a nation state, let alone, an empire. So, let’s be honest and acknowledge that the U.S. and its government do not and, perhaps, cannot uphold Christian principles in organizing social or international relations. For this reason, we cannot claim the U.S. is a Christian nation. But I am not sanguine about people accepting this, especially those Christian individuals who are more likely to think of themselves as staunch patriots. By adhering to this belief, more accurately an illusion, they avoid facing the fact that the fundamental principles that actually operate in state-craft, namely, ruthless, rational calculation in the advancement of U.S. economic and political interests, are contrary to Christian principles used to organize the first Christian communities, namely sacrificial love, compassion, forgiveness, and distribution of resources according to needs. I also think there are a few other reasons why many Christian Americans are steadfast in their belief that the U.S. is a Christian nation. First, Christianity has long been the dominant religious tradition in this country and has become, for many, intertwined with a national identity. Even if people recognize that one can be American and from other faith traditions, patriotic Christians’ identity is wedded to national identity. To begin to believe we are not a Christian nation can evoke anxiety and rage because it is a threat to that identity. A second reason for retaining this illusion is that it deflects one from the inherent cruelty of the state’s actions (e.g., drone warfare and the killing of civilians, policing the poor). Even when we find ways to justify violence (e.g., they attacked us first—just war), we can continue to hold out that we are Christian nation. “Christian” denotes something good, unsullied by our excesses. It is analogous to someone saying, after being cruel to someone, “All have sinned. I know this as a Christian and that God still loves me.” Pasting the title Christian over the notion of the state or nation is like trying to cover over the indelible stain of our national sins. Third and relatedly, to come face to face with ourselves, as Carl Jung noted, is a terrible shock for we will see how far we really are from our cherished ideals of ourselves. Our shared histories, which undergird our shared identities, are, more often than not, facades that screen the reality of wrong on the throne and right on the scaffold (Niebuhr, 1941, p. 40). Better to hold onto the soporific illusions of the title “Christian” than to face our collective past and present sins. As James Baldwin noted Americans “have the most remarkable ability to alchemize all bitter truths into an innocuous but piquant confection and to transform their moral contradictions, into a proud decoration” (1955, p.31)—the proud decoration that we are a Christian nation. Baldwin also wrote, “(F)or there is a great deal of will power involved in the white man’s naïveté” (p.166)—a naiveté fostered by the illusion of a Christian America. So, there are three basic rationales for citizens proclaiming the U.S. is a Christian nation. The first is the view that sheer numbers of people who believe in Christ indicates we are a Christian nation, but this fails because of the low percentages of people who actually practice some version of Christian faith. More importantly it also fails because the Constitution not only does not proclaim this, but actually leaves open the possibility of some other religion having greater numbers of believers, let alone practitioners. A second argument is that the founding documents of the nation are heavily influenced by Christian beliefs and principles. This might seem to be true, but the reality is that there were other influences, including those of Native peoples. Third, individuals may claim that we are a Christian nation because Christian principles and values guide how we understand ourselves and organize society. The truth, however, is that the United States has operated out of other principles more suited to Machiavellian principles of statecraft. One might ask why is it so important to rid ourselves of the illusion that we are a Christian nation. What good will come of it? Isn’t holding this belief an inducement to live out a more moral existence as a nation? As for the second question, one need only go down the depressively long list of cruel, destructive, exploitive, and oppressive actions perpetrated in the name of a Christian nation to see that it has not been an inducement to live a more moral life, though people like Martin Luther King Jr. and others used this to [Edited Out] the consciences of white Americans. If we work to get rid of or limit this illusion, people of other religious and secular faiths may feel more at home in the U.S. Perhaps another benefit would be a growing awareness of the misdeeds done under the name of Christian nation. In facing the sins of our past, there might be a sliver of hope for change. As James Baldwin (2010) notes, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced” (p.34). Notes. Armstrong, K. (1993). A History of God. New York: Ballantine Books. Baldwin, J. (1955). Notes of a Native Son. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. Baldwin, J. (2010). The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected writings. New York: Pantheon. Kierkegaard, S. (1846). Concluding unscientific postscript to the philosophical fragments: A mimic-pathetic-dialectic composition: An existential contribution, by Johannes Climacus. Responsible for publication: S. Kierkegaard. Trans. D. Swenson and W. Lowrie (1941). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Niebuhr, H. R. (1941). Meaning and revelation. New York: Collier Books.