Donald Trump has added atheists to his list of targets. He announced to a crowd of his Christian Nationalist supporters that atheists will be stopped if he becomes President of the United States. “We are warriors in a righteous crusade to stop the arsonists, the atheists,” he said.
Let’s set aside for now the strange notion that atheists and arsonists are somehow naturally connected. The more pressing question is: What would it take for Donald Trump to stop atheists?
The only way that Donald Trump could stop atheists would be through the exercise of arbitrary authority. The essence of being an atheist, after all, is the rejection of arbitrary authority.
For nearly two thousand years, Christianity has been intertwined with earthly power, serving as a tool for emperors, kings, and dictators. It’s no wonder Christianity is often linked to authoritarianism. It is based on the belief that the entire universe is a supernatural tyranny, ruled by a monarch who claims the right to control and possess everything and everyone.
Monotheism, monarchy, and monomaniacal leaders are natural partners. They share a fixation on the notion that there can be only one way to understand life, one correct way to live, and one leader at the top.
For Donald Trump to stop atheists from being atheists, he would have to abolish Americans’ right to dissent. To achieve this, Trump would need to consolidate all governmental power in his hands and strip Americans of their ability to resist his will.
Being an atheist means rejecting totalitarianism. Donald Trump has made it clear that totalitarianism is his goal. That means it’s time for atheists to stand up and be atheists – before it’s too late.