How to Flourish in the Public Square as Fascism Flourishes
We cannot flourish in the public square if we yield to fascism. To yield is to live in fear, to accept violence and domination as the new normal—or, worst of all, to stop resisting.
We cannot flourish in the public square if we yield to fascism. To yield is to live in fear, to accept violence and domination as the new normal—or, worst of all, to stop resisting.
Defining Fascism and Moral Failure
Fascism is an aberration of what it means to be human. It flourishes when an authoritarian figure suppresses dissent, appeals to extreme nationalism, and consolidates power through the chaos of fear and division. Such regimes inevitably lead to societal collapse and often literal death—because fascist leaders lack a strong moral center.
This void means these leaders, incapable of recognizing or honoring life, will hide behind bravado and bullying. While perhaps invoking religious language or displaying sacred symbols, their actions betray a profound disconnect from what it means to be fully human. Their goal then is domination—never empowerment. A person estranged from their own humanity cannot flourish. Fascists only use, control, and, ultimately, destroy.
The Bullies and Their Followers
Fascist leaders attract similarly wounded followers who aligning for self-promotion or acquiescing out of fear. In both cases, they have lost their moral compass. As such, they are to be pitied—but, never obeyed.
Lacking the capacity for self-reflection or mutuality, they become dangerous. They use, bully, and control. In their worldview, love, justice, and mutual respect are meaningless because it is only power that matters.
A Pastor’s Perspective
I am not a political scientist. I am a pastor. And I know sin when I see it.
Fascism is evil. It emerges when people forget they are made in the image of God—created for mutuality and relationship, joy and pleasure - together. When people forget the sacred truth that life is a gift to be treasured and shared in common, they display no sense of justice. Instead, they begin to imagine themselves as saviors, kings, or gods. This usurping of divine authority is not just arrogance—it is blasphemy.
Caesar proclaimed himself “Son of God.” Hitler envisioned a master race by exterminating those he deemed inferior. Today, we hear one who publicly identifies as the “Chosen One” while followers see messianic similarities.
But behind this grandiosity lies a deep insecurity and weakness that coalesce into alienation. These figures are profoundly alone—estranged not only from themselves but from others as well. This is what makes them extremely dangerous.
To Be Fully Human is to Connect
To be human is to be connected. Our moral and spiritual health depends on cooperation, empathy, and shared power. These are not idealistic notions—but existential necessities. Without them, we die, physically and spiritually.
To be a part of the human family is to value and respect each one recognizing we are all parts of the global family and to live in a way that honors and respects this value. People of faith call this “righteousness.” To live righteously is to foster compassion, kindness, and gentleness in how we treat others. These virtues are essential both for a flourishing individual—and a just society.
North America’s vulnerability to fascism however didn’t begin in 2016. Its roots trace back to our founding, through two foundational evils: colonization and slavery. These practices were built on the belief that some lives are inherently worth more than others. This ideology of domination led to stolen land, stolen labor, exploitation of sexual bodies, and centuries of sanctioned suffering and death. Because this foundational script has never been fully addressed, we continue to allow extreme wealth inequality, empower fascist bullies, and tolerate systems that exploit the many for the benefit of a few.
Pity the Fascist—But Restrain Them
Fascism is rooted in the false promise that dominance ensures safety. But true safety comes from shared power, mutual problem-solving, and community solidarity. Fascism cannot offer these. Without this moral center fascism can only offer fear and death.
Every major faith tradition teaches some “love your neighbor.” Flourishing depends on this kind of interdependence. The divine command is clear: “I set before you life or death… choose life.” (Deut. 30:19) But when people forget this truth, insecurity festers, and the temptation to control others—through manipulation, bullying, and violence—takes hold.
We saw domination played out again when—under cover of night—an immoral federal budget was passed by the House that slashed life-sustaining services for the poor, sick, children, and elderly by $1 trillion over the next decade. Meanwhile, the Pentagon budget, already bloated, ballooned from $850 billion to over $1 trillion. Choosing life is absent. Hence, the secrecy. The Senate version is even more draconian and still there is secrecy from those who intend to sign it.
This “Big Beautiful Bill,” passed by an obsequious Republican-led Congress is not just a fiscal document—but an immoral statement. For, like its architects, it lacks a moral center. And, the secrecy of the passage is the sign that even they know its immorality is blatant.
Flourishing in the Public Square
Fascism cannot thrive in communities where human dignity is affirmed, the vulnerable are protected, and justice and equity are prioritized. To resist fascism—and to flourish—we must simply remember who we are: human beings made in the image of the Divine – all of us -- and love our neighbors.
Flourishing in the public square requires life-affirming relationships rooted in shared power, cooperation, and mutual responsibility. This wisdom—that our well-being is tied to that of our neighbors—is what sustains a just society.
A flourishing society is never built on fear and force, but on justice, compassion, and communal strength. Humanity flourishes when we value justice, loving kindness, and walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8)
We must reject the bully’s ethic of domination and embrace the power of solidarity of vibrant communities of respect and concern.
How Do We Survive Fascism?
We survive by remembering who we are.
We resist by being decent human beings capable of kindness to all but particularly the “least of these.”
We remember what we were taught as children: share and play fair. The vulnerable deserve protection. The hurting deserve care. And, the stranger is our neighbor, possibly even a potential friend.
This is what creates the solid moral center of a flourishing community. Remember that. It is the pearl of wisdom that fascism does not and cannot understand. We are better than this. Let’s show them!