Hypothetical: One country must no longer exist.
A: the United States
B: Israel.
You have to choose.
Whether you’re Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, the answer for an American citizen should be easy. I took my customary Birthright trip to Israel as a college student, and it was a beautiful country that deserves a prosperous future. But as an American, I can still answer this hypothetical without a second thought: the only right choice is B.
Yet when Republican Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon was hit with this exact hypothetical on X this week, he gave a disturbingly wrong answer. “Read Revelations and report back,” he responded, seeming to imply loyalty to Israel over his own country, that as a sitting Congressman he is sworn to faithfully represent. The Book of Revelations details the Jewish return to Israel as precursor to the second coming of Christ, a key tenet of Evangelical belief.
Read Revelations and report back.
— Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) December 15, 2024
Of course, for anyone already inclined toward antisemitism, this can provide ammo for the nasty, age-old discourse on so-called global Jewish conspiracy. But at the same time, potential for such bad faith attacks shouldn’t be used as an excuse to overlook just how insane Bacon’s contention really is. It’s not antisemitic to suggest one’s primary loyalty should be to one’s own country, and it’s not acceptable to simply use faith as a justification to suggest otherwise. No one would question the Founders’ devoted and sincere Christian faith; neither would anyone question their loyalty to their new City upon a Hill. A sitting American Congressman who can’t understand this should think seriously about whether he belongs in Congress at all.
It’s baffling that I even have to say this but: America First actually means… America First.
