When Politics Become Religion (featuring: Screwtape)

Every day, I find that I spend more time than I am willing to admit focused on the trajectory of our society. It horrifies me. You probably agree, but depending on your political beliefs, your agreement is for different reasons. I am horrified because of so many reasons, but the conflation with Christianity and politics is central to my anxiety. Jesus did not write the constitution. He did not author the Declaration of Independence. He didn’t write the “Our Platform” section on any political party’s home page. We are witnessing an age where objective truth is rare, and I feel like I can almost picture the conversations that Satan’s workers are having about us. 

If you haven’t read C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters, I recommend that you do. It gives you a (fictional) view of how devils strategize to ruin us and our witnesses. Screwtape is a senior devil who works in an administrative fashion, and he is writing to his nephew, Wormwood. They speak of “patients” (humans) whom they are hoping to turn against Christ. 

Screwtape listening to Taylor Swift (circa 2025)

I have been workshopping some 2025 Screwtape Letters that I hope would make Lewis proud. Take a read. Let me know what you think. 

The Screwtape Letters: 2025 Edition

Letter I

My dear Wormwood,

I note with displeasure that your patient has recently begun attending a small church that preaches what they call "the Gospel." This is most unfortunate, but is not irreversible. The beauty of our current age is that we have managed to so thoroughly confuse the humans about what Christianity actually entails that many who consider themselves devout believers are, in fact, some of our most effective agents.

Your patient lives in what the Americans call a "swing state.” How perfectly that describes the spiritual condition we wish to cultivate! Pay close attention to my instructions, for the political season ahead offers us unprecedented opportunities.

First, you must understand that we no longer need to turn humans away from religion entirely. That approach is terribly old-fashioned and, frankly, ineffective. Instead, we have learned to corrupt religion from within. The key is to make your patient believe that his political convictions are not merely preferences or prudential judgments, but divine mandates. Once a human begins to think that God votes exactly as he does, we have accomplished something far more useful than mere atheism. We have created an idolater who believes himself to be a prophet.

Begin by subtly suggesting that faithful Christians must support one particular political party. It matters not which party. We have operatives working both sides effectively. What matters is the exclusivity. Plant the seed that anyone claiming to be Christian while supporting the "other side" is either deceived, compromised, or never truly converted at all.

Watch for his reaction when potentially political topics arise in his church. If the pastor preaches about loving enemies, helping the poor, or caring for immigrants without explicitly endorsing your patient's preferred political solutions, whisper that this pastor is "going woke" or "not preaching the true Gospel." If he preaches against something that the patient feels is fine, suggest the pastor is being "judgmental" or "on the wrong side of history." Whether your patient dismisses biblical teaching as too progressive or too regressive is irrelevant to us; what matters is that he learns to filter Scripture through his political lens rather than the reverse. We have found these phrases wonderfully effective at making humans dismiss any teaching that challenges their political assumptions. Most importantly, encourage him to get his theology from news commentators and social media influencers rather than from careful study of Scripture or church tradition. The humans have handed us a remarkable gift in their information age; they now live in echo chambers so complete that they can avoid hearing any perspective that might challenge their preconceptions. Exploit this ruthlessly.

Your affectionate uncle,

SCREWTAPE

Letter II

My dear Wormwood,

Your last report fills me with cautious optimism. Yes, it is encouraging that your patient has begun to view his political opponents not merely as wrong, but as evil. This is precisely the mindset we wish to cultivate. However, I must warn you against moving too quickly. Humans retain an annoying capacity for self-reflection, and if you push too hard too fast, he may begin to notice the contradiction between his political hatred and his Christian profession.

The art is to make him believe that his hatred is actually righteousness. When he feels anger toward political opponents, suggest that this is "righteous anger" like Christ's cleansing of the temple. Never mind that Christ was angry at religious corruption and exploitation of the poor. The comparison will feel satisfying and will help him avoid examining his own heart. Encourage him to believe that his compassion for the marginalized makes him more Christ-like than those 'heartless conservatives.' Pride in one's political virtue is just as useful to us as pride in one's political purity. Or if he leans the other way, whisper that his commitment to 'biblical values' proves his superior faithfulness compared to those 'godless liberals.' Whether the human puffs himself up for his enlightened compassion or his moral clarity matters little to us. Both forms of spiritual pride accomplish the same end. The key is ensuring he measures his Christian maturity not by his conformity to Christ, but by his distance from the other political tribe. I'm pleased to hear that he has begun sharing political memes that mock and dehumanize his fellow humans (whom he sees primarily as opponents). This is excellent progress. Each time he clicks "share" on content that treats other humans as less than human, he deadens his conscience a little more. The beauty is that he will justify this as "standing for truth" or "defending the faith."

Pay particular attention to his language. We want him to adopt the vocabulary of warfare when discussing politics. Encourage him to speak of "battles," "enemies," "taking back the country," and "spiritual warfare" in political contexts. Once a human begins to think of fellow citizens as enemies in a cosmic war, he becomes capable of justifying almost any behavior as necessary for victory.

Also, work to make him suspicious of any Christian who doesn't share his political fervor. If a fellow believer suggests that Christians might reasonably disagree about political matters, or that the Kingdom of God transcends earthly politics, plant the thought that such people are "lukewarm" or "compromised." We have found it particularly effective to quote the Revelation passage about lukewarm believers being spat out; the humans love to weaponize Scripture against each other.

One more crucial point: begin to blur the line between his political identity and his Christian identity. We want him to reach the point where he cannot tell where his faith ends and his politics begin. When this fusion is complete, any attack on his political positions will feel like persecution of his faith, and any challenge to his faith will feel like political betrayal.

Your affectionate uncle,

SCREWTAPE

Let us not be Wormwood’s patient. Let us be the patients who frustrate Screwtape by refusing to let our politics define our faith. Let us hold fast to scripture and not social media. May we be found among those believers who confound the enemy's schemes.