Let's talk about Christian Fascism

The word fascist, once describing one of the most brutal regimes in modern history, is now being tossed at Christians simply for holding to biblical convictions in public life. That matters, and not just because it is inaccurate. Words, when misused, wound truth itself.

Fascism is not about loving God, raising families, or voting your values. Fascism is about exalting power, demanding total loyalty to the state, and crushing anyone who resists. It thrives on fear, silences dissent, and replaces God with government. It is coercive control, not faith.

When Christians are branded as fascists for standing on biblical truth, the language is not only wrong, it becomes dangerous. If every convictional stand is exaggerated into fascism, then the word loses its meaning.

So why are Christians called fascists? Because conviction is countercultural. In an age that rejects absolutes, conviction feels like control. Faith that challenges the spirit of the age feels threatening. Instead of engaging with arguments, some reach for the harshest label they know.

But disagreement is not dictatorship. Debate is not domination. The presence of conviction does not equal the presence of tyranny.

Christians who vote, run for office, or advocate for justice are not attempting to build a dictatorship. They are exercising the same freedoms every citizen possesses. True fascism silences opposition. Faithful Christians, by contrast, invite dialogue, defend liberty, and hold fast to the conviction that every person is made in the image of God.

When people silence others by slapping the word fascist on them, they step into the very spirit they claim to resist. True freedom listens, argues, and persuades. Tyranny silences. Call Christians what you will, but never confuse the Cross with a dictator’s throne.

I think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who stood against Hitler’s fascist regime. Bonhoeffer could have kept quiet, played it safe, and protected himself. Instead, he preached Christ, discipled young believers, and refused to bow to the idol of state power. For that, he was imprisoned and eventually executed.

His final words, spoken as he was led to the gallows, were simple: “This is the end—for me, the beginning of life.”

That is the heart of Christianity. So when the word fascist gets hurled at Christians today, remember Bonhoeffer’s witness. The Church rises on the power of a Savior who laid His life down. That is not fascism. That is freedom.