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The Hollow Self-Righteous Pietism of Anti-American Christian Leftists

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

The Hollow Self-Righteous Pietism of Anti-American Christian Leftists

By Dr. Tom Snyder, Editor

A group of Anti-American Christian leftists, led by Pastor Brian Zahnd of the Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Mo., have collaborated on a new documentary based on Zahnd’s simplistic, superficial, political book, POSTCARDS FROM BABYLON.

The movie, which will be released in January 2021, is being marketed to Christian groups.

The book is a political manifesto disguised as a theological text urging Christians to stop getting involved in American politics, especially anything involving the Republican Party.

It unjustly and self-righteously compares Evangelical Christians and Republican conservatives, especially President Donald Trump, to Roman emperors who are engaged in a “naked lust for wealth and power.”

In doing so, it also compares America to the Roman and Babylonian Empires. This is a ridiculous comparison that wipes out centuries of Christian history and Christian culture in the United States in an attempt to make cheap political points.

Clips from the movie, which is still undergoing final changes, reveal the same horrendous pattern of Anti-American propaganda and include more shallow political analysis from Zahnd and his cohorts.

The problem with this analysis by these people is that America is not an Empire. The United States is actually a constitutional republic proclaiming limited government and individual liberty.

Furthermore, as the Declaration of Independence officially states, the Founders of the United States believed that “all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

In making his case against getting involved in American politics, Zahnd twists the meaning of Romans 13 to apply solely to authoritarian government authorities like the Roman emperors.

In analyzing this passage, Zahnd overlooks Romans 13:4 and 6, which say that the governing authorities are “servants of God.”

What if, however, these servants of God punish the righteous instead of bring punishment on “the one who practices evil,” as Romans 13:4 orders? May we not exercise prudent Christian judgment to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29)?

Zahnd’s portrayal of Romans 13 and America in his book is not only false, slanderous and shallow, it also confuses the different roles that Church and State embody.

As Romans 13 says, the role of the State is to punish evildoers and to enforce a rule of law that protects citizens, while commending those who do good.

However, the role of the Church is to convert the evildoer through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to disciple and discipline the believers under the Church’s authority.

As Martin Luther writes in “Temporal Authority:  To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed,” both Church and State are necessary, “the one to produce righteousness, the other to bring about external peace and prevent evil deeds (Lull, 666).”

It is wrong, therefore, to apply the duties and powers of the Church to the State, or vice versa.

One of the commentators in the POSTCARDS FROM BABYLON movie, a self-described conservative, castigates President Trump for being cruel and for “dehumanizing” people. However, his superficial portrayal of Trump, like Zahnd’s portrayal of America, is a false, straw man argument that creates a hateful caricature of Trump.

It should also be noted that, in the vast majority of cases, when Trump is mocking one of his political opponents, he’s not only doing so in a humorous manner, he’s also defending himself, more often than not, from people who have already made false, more malicious and even slanderous criticisms against him (just as this commentator does in the example cited above). If Trump didn’t respond strongly to these hateful critics, it would be a disservice to his supporters and to the citizens who might be swayed by their deceitful, slanderous rhetoric.

In Chapter 9 of his book, Zahnd does the same thing this commentator does in the movie.

For example, Zahnd repeats the slanderous leftist lie that President Trump said there are Neo-Nazis who are “fine people.”

In reality, Trump was talking about the different sides of the controversy over tearing down statues of Confederate leaders. Trump said there are fine people on both sides of that particular issue. Trump then added, “And I’m not talking about the Neo-Nazis and white nationalists because they should be condemned. . . totally.”

Zahnd also condemns Trump for putting children who have crossed America’s southern border illegally in “detention camps.”

By calling the children detention centers “camps,” Zahnd is bearing more false witness against Trump by conjuring up images of Nazi concentration camps.

Many of the children in these detention facilities have crossed the border without their parents or legal guardians. Even if they are accompanied by a parent, however, their parents are being charged with a criminal offense because they crossed the border illegally and were caught by Border Patrol agents.  That is why the children are separated from their parents.

Contrary to what Zahnd implies, however, these detention facilities in no way resemble a Nazi concentration camp, or even a Nazi slave labor camp.

For example, Breitbart News journalist Joel B. Pollak toured the El Cajon, Calif. facility, noting, “It is a comfortable facility providing lodging, meals, clothing, medical care, education, recreation, counseling, and other services.”

In fact, federal law requires that every child detained in these facilities be provided adequate food, heat, light, sanitary facilities, bedding, clothing, recreation, education, and medical care, including necessary psychiatric, psychological or other care and treatment.

Should the press hold the government officials running these facilities accountable for violating these laws about treating these children? Of course! And, if you want to make a proposal about changing these laws, be my guest!

From what we understand, Zahnd and the people interviewed in his movie don’t believe in national borders. This belief doesn’t fit with Scripture. The Bible clearly says that we should treat foreigners with hospitality, but it never advocates the destruction of all national borders.

That is something straight out of “The Communist Manifesto” by the two radical atheists, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

In fact, in Acts 17:26, Paul tells the people of Athens, “From one man, he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.”

There’s nothing wrong, therefore, with having national borders, and there’s especially nothing wrong with celebrating the ideals of our constitutional republic. Furthermore, it’s not compassionate, loving or Christian to encourage people overseas to enter the United States secretly and illegally. And, it’s not compassionate, loving or Christian for foreigners to secretly and illegally cross the southern border, especially since the immigration laws of the United States are among the most lax immigration laws in the industrial world.

In his book and in his movie, Zahnd and the people interviewed show a great concern for helping the poor, orphaned, needy, and widowed. In fact, his church in Missouri works with several ministries that help the poor and needy. This is very commendable.

However, if Zahnd and his friends truly want to help the poor, they should follow the lead of President Trump and support free market capitalism, which has done more to reduce poverty than any other system. They also might want to encourage anti-trust legislation against monopolistic corporations like Amazon and Google, which appear to be guilty of stifling competition from smaller companies.

They also should support hard work and independence, as Paul does in 1 Timothy 5:3-16, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15.

For example, in 1 Timothy 5:3-16, Paul says that help for the poor and needy should come first from their own families and only then from individuals, churches and private charities.

Paul adds in 1 Timothy 5:8, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Also, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 “not to be dependent on anybody.”

Furthermore, he criticizes idleness in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 and writes that people should work for their own living, saying, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

Zahnd and his friends should follow Paul’s biblical wisdom here and oppose the welfare state, including government handouts to the poor as well as to the wealthy. The welfare state is not biblical. Finally, they should encourage parents to educate their own children, per Deuteronomy instead of surrendering their God-given power to the big teacher unions, who are pro-abortion.

In conclusion, it’s clear from reading Zahnd’s book and watching clips from his movie, POSTCARDS FROM BABYLON, that Zahnd and his friends have a superficial and malicious understanding of President Trump and the Christian conservatives and Evangelicals who support the policies of conservative political leaders like Trump.

It’s also clear they teach a superficial, aberrant form of Christianity that’s been too heavily influenced by the Anti-American, extreme, atheist, socialist policies of the Radical Left. Their shallow, anti-patriotic “make love, not war” approach to politics has the burning smell of hollow self-righteous pietism and naïve pacifism.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.