Since 2010, I have been trying to infiltrate (unconcealed, upfront, in full daylight) and convert the secular Right movements such as Alt-Right, Neoreaction, Dark Enlightenment, the Manosphere...
This began from when I started work on my book Thought Prison - the fundamental nature of political correctness (http://thoughtprison-pc.blogspot.co.uk) and has continued. I published a few Essays in the original Alternative Right webzine - and perhaps as a result was put onto the Dark Enlightenment 'map' among the Christian Traditionalists (http://neorxn.com/introduction). Indeed, for the past few years I have gotten most of my blog traffic from the aggregator neorxn.com.
All this suggests to me that there must be a considerable spiritual hunger, indeed a specific interest in Christianity, among the secular Right - but, aside from a few individuals, the movement remains secular, and indeed net anti-Christian.
Why should this be? There are two reasons - one good, the other an error. The good reason is that the bulk of visible and self-identified Christianity - including the main Western denominations - is thoroughly corrupted with the worst kind of Left/ Liberalism: indeed it is not just 'corrupted'; rather these churches are primarily Leftist, and their Christianity is just a matter of jargon and 'lifestyle.
The error is that Christianity (or The Reformation) is blamed for Leftism (as in the 'Leftism is a Christian Heresy' meme). The truth is that Leftism was in its primary origins a mixture of atheism and apostasy - caused not by Christian devoutness, but by its lack.
However, the stark fact remains that the Organised Western Christianity which confronts a new Rightist is elderly, feeble, feminised, cowardly, and unspiritual. While there are some smaller corners and cells of Western Churches that are young, vigorous, patriarchal, and family-oriented; these are hard to find, and (rightly) exclusive and excluding with regard to membership - so not everybody can find a niche in any of the available alternatives. (I can't.)
All I can say is that people should not be put-off Christianity by any of this. Christianity is of immense power and potency - a deep well of courage and love - even when pursued as a personal faith - outside the churches.
I therefore say to anyone on the secular Right - don't wait to find a church: become a Christian first; and only then look around for a suitable congregation and denomination.
As Christian - explicitly, to yourself and others - your whole outlook on reality will be positively transformed in ways you can scarcely imagine; and then... who knows?
6 comments:
I grew up in a secular leftist church and it was a stumbling block for me. I have notes in my childhood Bible questioning why the church contradicted clear teachings on sexuality (from the early 90's). Sunday school's answer was that the Bible-was-old and we couldn't necessarily trust it.
Church service too was basically one of those 90's ads asking for money for third world countries.
Leftist authorities undermine their own power by questioning and destroying their inheritance. This leaves open the opportunity for conservatives, who perhaps tend to submit to authority, to "grow up" and reclaim our spiritual heritage for ourselves.
This suggestion aligns with my own experience. Your observation regarding the small corners and cells of Western Churches is accurate. One of those for me and my family has been the SSPX. You are correct that such communities aren't always the most accessible or welcoming. But I didn't find my way there without first without first recognizing the truth that is the orthodox Christian faith. The identity, faith and understanding came before I'd even discovered such a community. And that identity and faith has persisted even after finding myself away from that smaller cell of the Western Church due to geography.
You're on to something here alright. This is a wonderful piece that ought to be expanded upon. Thank you.
"The error is that Christianity (or The Reformation) is blamed for Leftism (as in the 'Leftism is a Christian Heresy' meme)."
I have heard this exact argument from some in the AltRight and some in the new left alike. Your short answer, this blog post, is excellent.
@Fred - I have made, and expanded, this argument many times, in Thought Prison, Not Even Trying, in this blog and on other blogs - but without much effect.
I therefore suspect that there are positive reasons for secular Right adherents wanting-NOT to become Christian; and I further suspect that these reasons are mostly sexual (since sex is, in the absence of religion, the most powerful motivator for most people).
The Christian insistence that sex should be endorsed only within marriage is one the secular Right want *not* to be true. The significant overlap between the Alt-Right/ Neoreaction/ Dark Enlightenment on the one hand, and the Manosphere/ PUA movement (with all its pseudo-scientific nonsense about Alphas, Betas etc) on the other, is strong evidence of this interpretation.
Since the sexual revolution (defined as the extension of approved sexual relationships beyond real marriage) has been the focus and main weapon of the New Left for the past few generations - this is another factor which confirms that the 'secular Right' is actually on the political Left.
"While there are some smaller corners and cells of Western Churches that are young, vigorous, patriarchal, and family-oriented; these are hard to find, and (rightly) exclusive and excluding with regard to membership - so not everybody can find a niche in any of the available alternatives. (I can't.)"
It seems to me there are two main options. To join an existing church and then move it towards whatever one thinks ought to be in the church, or to start a new church with like-minded people. Either is probably fine and will make more or less sense depending on the circumstances.
I view churches as similar to political parties, so do not expect any to be a perfect fit.
@ajb. The main problem may be a total or relative lack of like-minded people! My personal compromise is to lend some financial and practical support to a local evangelical church, and to support the CJCLDS through my writing, but I remain essentially an outsider.
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