Doug Wilson Triggers Catholics With Double Standards

Doug Wilson fancies himself the leader of Christian Nationalism, and, while his star has shone bright in the last few years, it’s evident that Wilson’s ideology is no Christian Nationalism but rather a postmillennial version of libertarianism. This becomes clear when his ideal state allows for some forms of public idolatry but not others, much to the shagrin of Roman Catholics.

In a recent interview with Dad Saves America podcast, hosted by Catholic John Papola, Doug Wilson asserted that Catholic expressions of idolatry would not be allowed in an ideal Christian society.

WILSON

Catholic church bells would be okay. But a parade in honor of the Virgin Mary, carrying an image of the Virgin Mary down Main Street — no!

PAPOLA

What about a Eucharistic procession?

WILSON

That’s… that’s a new one. I would say probably not. It would depend on what was being done around it, how it was being conducted. But basically, public displays of idolatry — what the Protestant foundation of the law would consider to be idolatry — would not be allowed. So you wouldn’t have a Hindu procession with a Hindu god; you wouldn’t have a procession of the Virgin Mary.

Banning Catholic idolatry is fine, however, Doug Wilson has previously asserted that Jews would feel especially welcomed under Christian Nationalism. Attempting to address this glaring double standard Wilson states:

“If I believe that an ideal form of government would be a Protestant republic, as I do, then it is incumbent on me to define and explain what I would propose to do with any religious minorities were such a republic to be established. It is intellectually dishonest to be coy and pretend that there are no issues like this to be addressed. This is not the same thing as proposing legislation that will deal with those groups in a completely different context starting this coming fall. John Pola and I were talking about a hypothetical situation centuries from now in order to weigh the principles involved.

At the end of the day, the reason a stout Protestant republic could not allow a Virgin Mary parade is because it would be public idolatry. Sorry, but there it is. You guys shouldn’t be doing that.

Let me give you a couple of very practical examples. Could Muslims be here? Yes, they could be. Could they hold political office? No. Could Muslims gather together with their Muslim family and friends to pray to Allah? Yes. Could you have a mosque? Yes. Could they have a minaret, a prayer tower that issues a public call to prayer? No, because the public spaces belong to Christ. We’re a Christian nation. So church bells are okay, but a Muslim call to prayer in the public space would not be okay. Catholic church bells would be okay, but a parade in honor of the Virgin Mary carrying an image of the Virgin Mary down Main Street? No.

In those public spaces, the republic would not grant permission for any public displays of idolatry. There wouldn’t be a ton of Muslims, but those who were here could gather freely in private spaces to pray. There wouldn’t be a ton of Hindus, but they would be free to do the same. The Jews would be unhassled in their synagogues. Mosques would be okay (there would only be a few of them), but no minarets. No public calls to prayer. The Jews couldn’t have Virgin Mary parades either. This is an equal weights and measures thing.”

Doug Wilson’s argument falls flat for a number of reasons. First synagogues, mosques, and Hindu temples are all public places of worship and therefore public idolatry. Wilson is carving an exception for this while hardlining against Mary parades and Eucharist processions. But Wilson’s public versus private distinction is misapplied to merely parades, Muslim prayer calls, and Hidu statues. Sure these things are bad, but he’s not abiding by his own standard.

Secondly, Wilson’s ideal society allows for Hindus and Muslims in the first place, and reckons that they won’t mass reproduce to achieve a critical mass. This is a bad assumption. But Wilson’s ideal republic is a multicultural society which is sad.

In the Bible, we see a pattern where all of the good kings tore down the Baals, and some good kings went beyond that and tore down the high places as well. Public idolatry was suppressed to the praise of the Scriptures. And homosexuality was suppressed by many of these same kings as well. But Doug Wilson’s ideal is like King Jehu, who tore down the Baals but carved out an exemption for the Golden Calf.

Wilson’s words were careless and are the latest unnecessary beef he has caused in a moment where his recognition in right-wing politics has never been higher. Although with the affection of Pete Hegseth, Wilson has trampled on much of the good graces of the populace with his foolish comments on the USS Liberty, defending the Talmud, and other beefs.