For the record: If a flight attendant tells you to have a “blessed” evening while exiting an aircraft it is not a marker of “creeping Christian nationalism”

Sometimes those on the cultural left say the quiet part out loud. In doing so they reveal the same level of ignorance found on the MAGA right.

Apparently Clara Jeffery, the editor of left-wing Mother Jones magazine, was offended when an Alaskan Airlines flight attendant wished her a “blessed day” as she was exiting the aircraft. After she got off the plane she tweeted:

Creeping Christian nationalism alert: @AlaskaAir flight attendant just wished us a “blessed” night as we landed in SFO (!) to groans. Other adjectives that would have sufficed: great, awesome, fabulous, amazing, fantastic…

And this:

Eh. It’s a matter of respect for the audience before you. Respecting their space and norms and wishes. Dominant cultures always feel they have a right to enforce their norms and intents. And…way off @AlaskaAir’s brand.

— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) September 28, 2024

Learn more at Mediate.

A few quick thoughts:

1. What does it say about Clara Jeffery that she felt the need to tweet this?
2. Clara Jeffery should probably have a debriefing session with fellow journalist Heidi Przybyla
3. These kinds of tweets only empower the real Christian nationalist trolls.
4. I am seeing more and more cultural progressives and strict separationists who think any mention of God or religion in public life is “creeping Christian nationalism.” I am also seeing more and more historians, academics, scholars, and people who know better just let this stuff slide without commenting on it because to do so might hurt their brands and platforms
5. We often talk about Christian nationalists who do not want to live in a pluralistic society. When are we going to admit that there are people on the Left who also reject pluralism by castigating people like this flight attendant?

I’m happy to come to your group and talk about what Christian nationalism is and is not. I will use this slide as part of my presentation:

Maybe I should add a final bullet point: “Not all people who say “have a blessed day” are Christian nationalists.”