Jewish community members were among the panelists who spoke after two local screenings of the documentary “Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy.”
Mainstream Civic Engagement hosted the Kansas premiere of “Bad Faith.” Nearly 100 attendees joined the July 31 showing at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, and more than 300 participated in the Aug. 1 event at Glenwood Arts Theater in Leawood, Kansas. This was the first of three events being held by Mainstream as part of its “Defending Democracy” event series presented by community member Donna Gould Cohen.
Rabbi Caitlin Brazner was one of multiple local faith leaders who spoke about the effect of Christian nationalism on their communities after the Leawood screening.
“America is a shining beacon because it was founded on the idea that people should have individual rights, and so I think that’s something we are desperate to protect, and we are so eager to stand alongside like-minded individuals who want to take up that fight,” Rabbi Brazner said. “I hope that we take what we learn from ‘Bad Faith’ as the fuel and energy we need to do what comes next, which is to vote, which is to organize, which is to address the rise of Christian nationalism and the incredible danger that it poses to our democracy, to us as people, to us as individuals, and to us as Americans.”
Michael Poppa, executive director of Mainstream Civic Engagement and mayor of Roeland Park, Kansas, said that Christian nationalism is “a dangerous movement to strike down our constitutional right to the separation of church and state.”
“Those who value civil liberties need to start paying attention now before we cross over into an actual theocracy in our country,” Poppa said.
Anne Nelson, who is featured in the film, a writer for Washington Spectator and author of “Shadow Network: Media, Money and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right,” participated in a panel following the screenings.
“Christian Nationalism is a threat, not just to our democratic institutions, but also to our way of life. Many of our forefathers came to this country to escape tyrants who wanted to impose their religious dogmas and practices on others,” Nelson said.
In addition to Rabbi Brazner, community members who participated in the post-screening panels included Mainstream Civic Engagement cofounder Judy Hellman; board member Liz Benditt; and KU Religious Studies Professor Sam Brody.
Mainstream Civic Engagement is part of Mainstream Coalition, founded 31 years ago by “a bipartisan coalition of legislators, faith leaders and community activists with the primary purpose of guarding against ideological extremism and protecting the separation of church and state,” according to its website. The founders included Dr. Robert H. Meneilly, David Goldstein, Hellman, Carol Sader, Nancy Brown and Rabbi Mark Levin.
The “Defending Democracy” series will continue with an Aug. 20 panel providing perspective on Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a conservative “presidential transition project;” and a “Get Out The Vote” brunch on Sept. 8 featuring Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Information for both events can be found at mainstreamcoalition.org/democracy.
