The Christian Klan

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ku-Klux-Klan

In this photo there is a gathering of the well known organization the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). They are burning a large cross and dressed in their white robes. Historically, the KKK used this cross burning as a tactic to intimidate marginalized groups such as African Americans, Jews, and more. Bellah would talk about how religion is being distorted here. A cross is a symbol in Christianity that is usually revered however in this case they are setting it on fire in order to "express themselves", which is the argument they used to have it remain lawful. At the sites of these cross burnings, they would chant, sing hymns, and commit heinous crimes (lynching, etc...) This idea started hundreds of years ago in Europe as a way to alert soldiers of battle but was reintroduced in the 19th century (Dundon 2017). From there, white supremacists have used this "form of expression" to terrorize people for over 100 years. Bellah wrote, "The civil religion has not always been invoked in favor of worthy causes. On the domestic scene, an American-Legion type of ideology that fuses God, country, and flag has been used to attack nonconformist and liberal ideas and groups of all kinds …With respect to America’s role in the world, the dangers of distortion are greater and the built-in safeguards of the tradition weaker" (Bellah 1967: 14) The KKK were usually Christian men who believed that other groups were inferior to them and were real Americans like they were. It is very wrong for them to use expression as a justification for terrorizing black people. Some of the moral laws of the 10 commandments that American Civil Society has adapted such as not taking God’s name in vain and not killing people has been distorted or misinterpreted in this case. The combination of country, God, and white supremacy has distorted the way these people are able to reason and thus has become very dangerous to the country.

Bellah, R. N. (1967). Civil Religion in America. Daedalus, 96(1), 1–21. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20027022

Dundon, R. (2017, March 16). Why does the Ku Klux Klan burn crosses? They got the idea from a movie. Timeline. https://timeline.com/why-does-the-ku-klux-klan-burn-crosses-they-got-the-idea-from-a-movie-75a70f7ab135