Recent positions by religious leaders in their own congregations during the presidential campaign period in the United States have raised discussions about the direction of the evangelical bloc's vote in the elections and the growth of the ideology of Christian nationalism, which rules out the separation of church and state, specifically between evangelical Latinos in the country.

With this in mind, the 2023 Atlas of American Values, interviewed more than 22,000 adults in 50 states, measuring the interviewees’ affinity for the following statements:

● The US government must declare America a Christian nation;

● US laws must be based on Christian values;

● If America turns away from our Christian foundations, we will no longer have a country;

● Being a Christian is an important part of being truly American;

● God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society.

The only religious group to record an increase in support for Christian nationalism, with a 12% growth between the first survey carried out in 2022 and the one in 2023, is Hispanic Protestants. We noticed that, even with restrictive immigration policies and the revival of patriotism and Native American identity, the proposal to establish the United States as a Christian nation attracts more and more followers of this group. In contrast, levels of acceptance of this ideology were significantly lower among other religious groups: 75% of Hispanic Catholics and 92% of American Jews do not identify with these ideas. Yet, about 55% of Latino American Protestants and 66% of white evangelicals express support for Christian nationalism. This data extends to approximately three in ten Americans (28%) who identify themselves as supporters or sympathizers of this ideology. However, about two-thirds of Americans are skeptical or reject the value system of Christian nationalism.

The following preaching that “God is going to do something very big with the Latin people in the United States”, by Pastor Dionny Báez to his congregation in a sermon in February, is something characteristic of an ideology that unites the political discourse that claims to advocate values and Christian faith. As a religious leader and recognizing his own influence on his followers, the pastor believes that the criteria for supporting a candidate must be aligned with his values. It is on this basis that he encourages and advises those who ask for guidance about the votes in November.

Also aligned with this perspective, Pastor Samuel Rodriguez states that “Evangelical Latinos will vote like no other this year”, confident that the conservative bloc of Hispanic voters “is more involved than ever” in the elections. Regarding his speech, it is pertinent to mention that, for decades, the electoral base of the Republican Party was solidly made up of evangelicals in the United States for the last four decades, clarifying the rapprochement of the party's political agenda with the voters who have Christian values.

Now, when it comes to the political sphere, Donald Trump's speeches in the electoral scenario, such as “No one will touch the cross of Christ under the Trump administration, I swear” only reinforced the discussion around Christian nationalism, with its political agenda often linking to religious rhetoric.

It is worth mentioning that the idea of the existence of religious persecution against Christians in the United States, as suggested by the candidate, is questionable. Although topics regarding religious freedom and the influence of Christianity on American society are, in fact, up for debate, the situation in the USA is far from being compared to what occurs in other parts of the world, as evidenced by the World Watch List. 

According to the religious freedom monitoring source, one in five Christians faces persecution and discrimination in Africa; in Asia, it is two in five; and in Latin America, it is one in sixteen. At no point did the research point to worrying rates in the United States.

Regarding the concerns and priorities of Latin evangelicals during the electoral period, Pastor Báez says that the country's laws should be based on Christian values and that this would be an “ideal world” for him, as it follows his way of thinking. “The integral Christian foundation helps human development”, he said.

Proving his point, the news outlet Noticias Telemundo participated in an evangelical service in Miami and brought the vision of three Trump voters, proving the increase in support for Christian nationalism among Hispanic Protestants:

1. Osmani Martinez, a Cuban Christian, believes that it would be good if “the state and the church became one”;

2. Elizabeth Rodríguez, Puerto Rican, has her choice influenced by thinking about the well-being of her community and her family. Even though she defends democracy and freedom, she believes that there should be a system that includes God;

3. Félix Cordova is a Mexican who hopes to participate in the elections after passing the citizenship exam. His justification for voting for Trump is “because he made a difference, he continues to do so, he is a man who bends the knee and asks the Father for guidance,” believing that the Republican Party preserves Christian values in a world that is “out of control".

However, contrary to the speeches listed, the president of the Latin Christian National Network, Carlos Malavé, expresses concern about the lack of understanding among many Hispanics about Christian nationalism and how the political connotation of this ideology manages to indoctrinate their thoughts. For him, Latinos incorporated this perspective without realizing that it is harmful to the community to which they belong.

As a member of the group “Christians Against Christian Nationalism”, he denounces the ideology of Christian nationalism as a distortion of Christian beliefs and a danger to American democracy. For Malavé, racism and patriarchy, the underlying currents of this bias, can facilitate the marginalization of vulnerable groups or minorities, including immigrants. “A magnificent job has been done by extremist groups to convince even immigrants themselves that new immigrants are a threat,” he says.

Concluding his point, he points out that Christian nationalism is based on white supremacy and Christianity over other religions and identities, in addition to carrying “assumptions about nativism, [...] authoritarianism, patriarchy and militarism”. “In their minds, only Christians are true Americans”, adds Samuel Perry, associate professor at Baylor University.

The misinformation and lies spread — such as that of a state that will suppress Christianity unless Christians control the state — come from radical republican groups, according to Malavé.

Christian Latinos may be at a crossroads when it comes to going to the polls, given that the Republican Party, while defending religious principles, also promotes anti-immigrant policies. In any case, Baéz prefers to focus on the community's Christian values than worrying about positions that are not favorable to immigrants.

The same position is taken by Pastor Rodríguez who, despite being concerned about the situation described, (“the rhetoric is nativist and racist and I don't deny that”), is convinced that, without Christianity, there is only anarchy, chaos and darkness.

Still, for some far-right politicians, such as Lauren Boebert, the Republican congresswoman from Colorado, the separation of state and church “is garbage” and “the church should lead the government, not the government should lead the church”, she said in July 2022. Georgia's Republican representative, Marjorie Taylor Greene, says that “we must be Christian nationalists”, insisting that the idea should not be feared, as it could solve school shootings and the “sexual immorality” in the country.   

The ambiguity of Christian Latinos who choose to support Trump, even in the face of these contradictions, summarizes the difficulty of the political decisions and ideological commitments they face. It is because of this that we note the need for the Latin community to become aware of the implications of Christian nationalism, as this is a policy that directly harms this group of supporters, as stated by Malavé.