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The Myth of Christian America  /  MCA (10 of 14): Persecution of Kingdom Christians  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
After recounting confiscations, banishments, jail, deaths en route to Virginia, and sermons calling the war “holy,” Bercot concludes: “It demonstrates why it’s impossible to have a Christian nation… Jesus had no political or governmental power.” What part of his historical argument most unsettles you, and what specific changes in habits (news consumption, voting assumptions, talk about “Christian America,” responses to pressure) would it require if you accepted his conclusion?
Another way to ask: After telling about violence, jail, and calling the war “holy,” Bercot says a “Christian nation” is impossible because Jesus had no political power. What part of his history bothers you most, and if you agreed with him, what would you change in your habits (news, voting, “Christian America” talk, handling pressure)?

Direct Answer Bercot’s most unsettling argument is that “Christian” rhetoric and church preaching supported persecution of obedient, peaceable believers—and that even Penn’s unusually just experiment still collapsed into coercion. If accepted, his conclusion would push Christians to loosen their trust in political solutions and prepare to live without power, even when pressured by neighbors.

Support from Transcript:

  • He recounts harsh outcomes: believers jailed, families having possessions auctioned off, Quakers “carted off to Virginia,” and “a number of them died” from mistreatment.
  • He describes confiscations down to household goods; families left with “unfurnished houses and the clothes on their backs.”
  • He highlights religious justification: ministers preached the war was a “holy cause,” claimed “all the angels of heaven are on our side,” and used fear-filled claims about “perpetual slavery.”
  • He argues revolutionaries took freedoms while claiming to fight for freedom, missing the irony.
  • He says Penn “did everything right” (legal title, fair purchase from Indians, religious liberty, depended on God) and still lost control.
  • He concludes this shows “why it’s impossible to have a Christian nation” and that Jesus had “no political… power.”
Discussion Follow-ups The transcript doesn’t give a step-by-step modern habit list, but a reasonable inference is: be skeptical of propaganda, resist coercive loyalty pressures, and stop assuming political victory equals God’s kingdom. What would it look like for your speech and choices to reflect neutrality and non-resistance under social pressure?

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