“We’re in God’s Country—the County—today,” said Austin Theriault, the Republican Trump-backed candidate for Maine’s 2nd congressional district in the 2024 election.
From country music star Blake Shelton’s hit “God’s Country” to comments made by people such as Theriault, it’s time for Americans to start taking notice of a movement growing in the United States with substantial political ramifications.
Rural America is rising tall and standing up for God, not giving in to liberal secularism that threatens Christianity.
Christians are present in all regions of the country, just like they are globally. However, people are leaving big cities for smaller areas all over the nation, and this will only continue for the next several years.
The fastest-growing states reveal that Americans, for the most part, have a strong inclination to escape to fly-over country, as seen in the rapid growth of rural states like Idaho and North Dakota, which rank in the top ten.
Theriault’s own Aroostook County, Maine, known for its desolate population, saw a rare population growth, albeit by a smaller margin.
This begs the question: Why are people leaving California, New York, and Illinois and heading to Republican strongholds? Of the top ten fastest-growing states in America, only two are primarily Democratic (Washington and Colorado), with two purple states (Arizona and Nevada).
Although people are leaving due to crime, housing shortages, a failing economy, and expensive living, there is another aspect that should not be ignored. It’s the hope and aspiration to bring back morality centered on family life and Christian ideals.
Who would have ever guessed that the United States would be almost divided as rural Christian voters vs. big-city liberals? That’s the way the country’s demographic landscape is changing, especially in regions outside major cities in the Midwest or southern Bible-belt.
In response to a government with a radical political agenda and hostility towards Christianity, Christians seek a new way of life based on their beliefs and values. Hence, rural America has become God’s Country and won’t be changing anytime soon.
The changing face of rural America extends beyond the South and Midwest, as seen in songs like Jason Aldean’s “Try That in Small Town” and Shelton’s “God’s Country.”
Maybe it’s time to realize liberals won the big cities; how could they not? They dominate public education, including public universities, Hollywood, and most news sources.
But that doesn’t mean Christians and those sharing patriotic ideals have disappeared. They have just decided to embrace communities that share their beliefs, often centered on Christianity and patriotism.
Refute the false narrative that Christian nationalism poses a threat to democracy or that patriotism is inherently racist, all while acknowledging rural America’s alignment with your values and reaffirming America’s dedication to its original principles, which are centered on God, and signify faith and freedom.
The U.S. is experiencing an identity crisis, but people across the land, from rural Maine to rural Nevada, proudly embrace patriotism and call it God’s Country. States like Missouri, with big cities like St. Louis and Kansas City, and Ohio, with Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus, have turned solid red, resulting in significant voting implications. Why? Rural America is flourishing, prospering, and testing city ideals.
The hope and direction this country needs might come from small American towns.
