Is "Christ is King!" Hate Speech?
A dust-up online has some accusing the proclamation of being a right-wing dog whistle fueled by anti-Semitism and hate. How should Christians respond?
Tomorrow Christians from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue will unite across the world to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They will declare “Christ is King!” through praise and prayers and the proclamation of the empty tomb.
However, this celebration may be tainted by the accusation that “Christ is King!” is being co-opted by individuals and groups who support anti-Semitic, white nationalist views (Explained here). Some Christians and churches may be tempted to “turn down the volume” on their celebrations in order to distance themselves from the allegation that to declare “Christ is King!” means they are complicit with these bad actors and party to hate speech.
How should Christians and churches respond?
Below are two of the best videos I’ve seen that explain why “Christ is King!” should
a) be celebrated and proclaimed by Christians with passion, conviction, and without reservation, and
b) why the insinuation or assertion that "Christ is King!” is hate-speech needs to be patently rejected.
The first is from Protestant Lauren Chen.
The second is from Roman Catholic Dr. Taylor Marshall.