In 2003, Jim Mulholland and I, concerned about the toxic spread of evangelical Christianity, authored a book called If Grace Is True. It proposed, among other things, that the grace of God was not confined to Christians, that God equally cherished people in other religions, and that God was unswervingly committed to their temporal and eternal well-being. We also said the elevation of Jesus to divine status was done to increase the church’s authority and had been used as a bludgeon to tyrannize people of other religions. The book was embraced by evangelicals across the country who wrote Jim and me glowing letters thanking us for our efforts. Nah, I’m kidding. They hated it. I got in lots of trouble, and for the next eight years had to fend off fundamentalist Quakers (Yes, we have them too.) who wanted to strip me of my pastoral credentials. Jim had no Quaker credentials to strip, so remained out of the fray, watching merrily from the sidelines.
We then noticed bad theology tended to be rooted in inaccurate perceptions of God, so we wrote a book called If God Is Love. To be honest, Jim wrote most of that one. I was still busy checking my mail for bombs and moving from one undisclosed location to another. By then Jim’s worldview was shifting toward agnosticism, a common experience for those who spend a lot of time with me, so he declined to write a third book. Forging alone in the literary wilderness, I wrote If the Church Were Christian, honking off the few remaining evangelicals who didn’t already hate me.
I was growing fond of what my publisher began to call the If series, though had not yet figured out the next logical book in the series. Then came Donald Trump and his pledge to make America great again. In case you weren’t aware, he stole the line from Ronald Reagan. In all his 79 years, Donald Trump has never had an original thought. He latches on to other people’s ideas and claims them as his own. This isn’t necessarily wrong, except when the person you steal them from is a bald-headed Nazi named Steven Miller.
This is when I decided to write a book called If America Were Great: Our Common Quest for a More Perfect Union, a point-by-point refutation of Trump’s horrific vision for America. My agent proposed the project to HarperCollins, my long-time publisher, who, despite the strong sales of the If series, declined to publish it, saying it was inconsistent with their publishing priorities. Bear in mind, gentle reader, that the owner of Harper Collins was one Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News and one of the more dangerous immigrants to the United States in the past fifty years, right up there with Elon Musk.
I defined ten principles that make for national greatness. I’m sure there are others I didn’t include, though these seemed to me to be the most pertinent ones in our current culture. Here they are:
If America were great, racial and gender disparities would be acknowledged and addressed.
If America were great, those who can, would help those who can’t, while holding accountable those who won’t.
If America were great, ethical alliances, commitments, and promises would be made and honored.
If America were great, it would be defined by its character, not its borders.
If America were great, noble principles would become national priorities.
If America were great, its citizens would live fully in the present and prepare wisely for the future.
If America were great, its citizens would pursue happiness without infringing upon the happiness of others.
If America were great, its leaders would nurture cultures and climates of peace.
If America were great, its leadership would be representative of its populace.
In the weeks ahead, I’ll be reflecting on these principles. Feel free to comment as you feel led.
Now, a word about Charlie Kirk. I was taught to never speak ill of the dead until they’ve been properly interred. I’ve written an essay about Kirk’s life and work, and will post it next Monday, September 22nd, following his funeral on the 21st of September.
Philip Gulley is the author ofthe popularHarmony seriesandUnlearning God: How Unbelieving Helped Me Believe.
Discover my books, stories, and more by visiting Books by Philip Gulley
Contact Philip directly at philiphgulley@gmail.com
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