The Idolatry of the Flag: A Rejection of So-Called Christian Nationalism
A new heresy is spreading through the public square, cloaked not in robes of righteousness but in the jagged armour of nationalism and xenophobia. It is the doctrine of ‘Christian Nationalism,’ a political ideology that seeks to baptise bigotry in holy water and wrap prejudice in the Union Jack, all while claiming the mantle of a faith it systematically betrays.
At its core, this movement represents a fundamental and dangerous perversion of the Gospel. Christianity has never been, and can never be, a mere cultural tag or a genetic inheritance. It is, and always will be, a matter of faith. As the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Our identity is not found in the soil we stand on, but in the Saviour we follow. It is a faith built upon God’s word, not the shifting sands of political philosophy, racial anxiety, or nationalistic fervour.
The teachings of Christ are not a buffet from which one can pick and choose convenient morsels while ignoring the challenging main course. We are called to a life of radical love, inconvenient sacrifice, and profound humility. Christ’s command in Matthew 22:39 to “love your neighbour as yourself” is not a suggestion with an asterisk excluding those who arrive on small boats or pray in a different direction. It is a non-negotiable pillar of the faith. To claim the name of Christ while promoting hatred towards the stranger is to engage in a form of theological fraud.
This hypocrisy is embodied by certain public figures who wear their faith as a public relations accessory rather than a covenant. Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, frequently presents himself as a ‘man of God.’ Yet his rhetoric often veers into the unchrist-like, sowing division and fear. His audacious call for the Church to “stay out of politics” reveals a staggering ignorance of the prophetic tradition he claims to respect.
The God of the Bible is deeply political—not in the sense of party allegiance, but in His relentless demand for justice for the poor, the marginalised, and the foreigner (Isaiah 1:17, Zechariah 7:9-10). To ask the Church to be silent is to ask it to abandon its divine mandate. This is compounded by the actions of his partner, who reportedly broke a contract purely to secure headlines, placing convenience and image above integrity—a direct contradiction of the Biblical principle that “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1).
Similarly, commentator Alex Phillips, who publicly posted her baptism, continues to trade in the very currency of toxicity her faith calls her to reject. Her vehement anti-immigrant stance and the fact she was publicly caught in a lie stand in stark opposition to the call to truth-telling and compassion. Baptism symbolises death to an old life and rebirth into a new one in Christ (Romans 6:4). It is a tragedy to see it treated as a cultural badge of approval rather than the beginning of a transformative journey toward Christlikeness.
This is the heart of the issue: Christianity is not a cut-and-paste exercise. You cannot claim it defines our country, our flag, and our patron saints while refusing to let it define your own heart and actions. The Cross of St George and the Cross of St Andrew are not symbols of territorial supremacy; they are reminders of martyrs who died for their faith, not for a border. To weaponise them against others is to dishonour their memory.
True Christianity is about humanity, not territory. Christ’s kingdom, as he told Pontius Pilate, “is not of this world” (John 18:36). His mission was one of reconciliation between God and humanity, and between human beings themselves (2 Corinthians 5:18-19), not the erection of barriers.
Therefore, real Christians have a sacred duty to reject this new wave of Christian nationalism. We must call it out for what it is: idolatry. It elevates the nation above the kingdom of God and worships the flag alongside the Cross. We must remember the words of the prophet Micah: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
The path of Christ is one of radical love and challenging truth. It is time we stopped letting cultural warriors redefine it into something comfortable, hateful, and small. The faith of our ancestors was never meant to be a shield for prejudice, but a sword against it. It is time we wielded it accordingly.
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