AI Is A Gateway To The Welfare State
October 6, 2026 |
Keith Giles
Americans are witnessing a troubling, though not unexpected, rise in hateful rhetoric and political policies. Like it or not, this trend directly correlates with the increasing entanglement of Christian religious values and conservative politics. Unfortunately, history has repeatedly shown that when religious doctrine and national politics combine, they can rapidly synergize into something dangerous. Some of the first warning signs we can watch for is a rise in narcissistic thinking and a sharp decline in empathy and compassion toward perceived outsiders. Let’s explore these ideas.
The collective narcissism of religious nationalism operates very similarly to a narcissistic abuser. Its basic message is that the people of this belief system in this particular country are inherently superior to people of all other religions and nationalities. All manner of abuse and exploitation is justified by simply citing the group’s self-declared God-given superiority.
The egocentrism of this philosophy fuels the group’s hunger for political control while resisting empathy toward anyone who isn’t among God’s “chosen people”. To solidify power and silence victims, leaders of religious nationalist movements openly encourage discrimination and resurrect outdated hierarchies. Within this framework, sexism, racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, and transphobia are all presented as part of the natural order.
The rallying cry or religious nationalism is, unfortunately, not new to Americans. The United States was founded under the banner of “Manifest Destiny”, the belief that settlers were pre-ordained by God to rightfully take and rule this land. The mantra of Manifest Destiny continues today, telling American Christians that God is on their side and nothing they do can change that.
The impact of this misguided worldview is that any resistance to their agenda or criticism of their methods is perceived as an affront to the Almighty himself. With power by divine association, religious nationalism offers political immunity to the ruling class while leveraging its economic privileges. Those who don’t align religiously and politically with this movement are villainized, dehumanized, and alienated in the name of a loving God.
While it’s undeniable that American culture and even politics are steeped in Christian ideology, our predecessors saw religious nationalism as a serious threat. Our constitution’s first amendment explicitly forbids the government from establishing a national religion, thereby ensuring the separation of church and state. The recent doubling down on religious nationalism in conservative politics not only violates our country’s stated foundations but also threatens to undermine the basic freedoms that were once considered the American Dream. Our “inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is becoming increasingly conditional.
Perhaps even more disturbing, many religiously devout Americans are unwittingly being manipulated by political figures who claim to champion their cause. People who once sincerely believed in love and compassion are now admiring and emulating the bullies who lead them. The scam of religious nationalism is slowly robbing them of their dignity and moral compass.
One of the most effective tools of this conditioning is terror. The fear-mongering propaganda of religious nationalism portrays liberals, foreigners, and minorities as threats to our safety, livelihood, and family values. Even worse, it explicitly discourages tolerance for outsiders and dissenters, labeling it as the “sin of empathy”. When anyone with different beliefs or lifestyles is dehumanized, having basic compassion for them is presented as a traitorous act.
The final tactic of religious nationalism comes straight from a cult leader’s playbook. The driving terror of the movement is underscored with dire predictions of religious and nationalistic persecution. Members are warned that a horrible day of reckoning is rapidly approaching where anyone who claims to love God and country must choose the side of righteousness and defend freedom. The religious population has been perfectly primed for this spiritual and political doomsday prophecy. By combining the fear of holy war and political subterfuge, outrage and desperation take hold.
Drawing on this fear, savvy leaders can preemptively accuse their political enemies of planning to undermine and attack the “chosen people”. In the name of religious freedom and self-preservation, ruthless retaliation is seemingly justified. If the “persecuted” group manages to win the war for faith and freedom, the faithful few are offered a new kind of gospel where an earthly paradise is manifested through riches and power. Having been tested by fire, the country will allegedly emerge as the truly righteous nation that God intended them to be.
While this may seem like an exaggeration, the narcissistic cycle of religious nationalism has played out many times before. History’s bloodiest wars were sparked with the same egocentric rhetoric we’re hearing now. Religious believers, despite their earnestness, have repeatedly fallen for, regretted, and disavowed this cycle far too many times, only to repeat it again.
The point of this bleak analysis is that it’s time for us to read the writing on the wall. It’s time to stop allowing our fear and anger to override our empathy and reason. Regardless of our faith or politics, we are not enemies. We don’t need to force other people into submission to prove our right to freedom. Let’s try something new.
