I grew up in church—my mother made sure my siblings and I were there every Sunday. We were taught about God’s love, mercy, and the importance of following His Son, Jesus. Emulating Jesus meant treating others as we wished to be treated and loving our neighbors as ourselves. The Sermon on the Mount, and its lessons of kindness, empathy, charity, and forgiveness, shaped our moral compass.
As an adult, I sought a deeper understanding of those teachings and enrolled in seminary, where I earned a divinity degree in Biblical studies. Seminary was enriching—but also unsettling. The more I learned, the more I realized I had absorbed flawed doctrine. In trying to shed bad theology and uncover the true nature of God, I was met not with clarity, but with disappointment.
I became disillusioned with the mainstream Christian church in America. At a time when we are witnessing unprecedented levels of lawlessness, corruption, greed, and intolerance, the church should be the loudest voice for justice. Instead, the church has responded with deafening silence—or worse, complicity.
To be fair, there are some churches and leaders who are courageously speaking out. Pastor Zach Lambert of Restore Austin preaches an inclusive Gospel. Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley of Alfred Street Baptist Church teaches a Gospel rooted in social justice. Dr. Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has led a boycott of Target in protest of its anti-diversity policies, echoing the activism of past civil rights leaders. And who could forget the bravery of Mariann Edgar Budde, who publicly rebuked Donald Trump for his lack of compassion. Yet these leaders are the exception, not the rule.
Most prominent church leaders—the ones with national platforms—have chosen silence. Some support Trump and his policies. Others fear upsetting congregants. Many hide behind claims of being “nonpolitical.” Yet white evangelicals overwhelmingly voted for and supports a man whose policies and rhetoric contradict nearly every teaching of Christ. While they claim to stand for “Christian values,” many uphold a version of Christianity that reinforces white supremacy and punishes the marginalized.
This is not the faith of Christ. Jesus stood with the poor, the oppressed, the outcast. He did not shrink from injustice—He confronted it.
American Christianity has long fallen short of its calling. It was self-proclaimed Christians who justified slavery, committed genocide against Indigenous peoples, and enacted racist laws. Today, many of the same forces target Black and brown Americans, attack LGBTQ+ communities, and strip away the rights and dignity of immigrants, women, and the poor. All while claiming divine authority.
If your faith is threatened by immigrants seeking a better life, by women making personal health decisions, by the teaching of Black history, by pronouns, or by how others live and love—then it’s not your faith you’re protecting. It’s your prejudice.
This is a moment when the church should be a force for justice and love, ensuring that all of God’s children live free from fear and discrimination. Instead, those in power claim persecution as a cover to enact cruel, discriminatory policies.
And this is why more people are leaving the church. They want no part in a religion that has come to symbolize hate rather than hope.
If the mainstream Christian church refuses to step up and speak out, then we, as children made in the image of God, must carry that mantle. We must continue to work and fight for those in marginalized communities. We must fight for a world where everyone—Black, brown, yellow, white, straight, trans, immigrant—is free to live fully and abundantly. That’s the Gospel. That’s the call.
Let us show the world that we are followers of God not by how much we condemn, but by how deeply we love.
As an adult, I sought a deeper understanding of those teachings and enrolled in seminary, where I earned a divinity degree in Biblical studies. Seminary was enriching—but also unsettling. The more I learned, the more I realized I had absorbed flawed doctrine. In trying to shed bad theology and uncover the true nature of God, I was met not with clarity, but with disappointment.
I became disillusioned with the mainstream Christian church in America. At a time when we are witnessing unprecedented levels of lawlessness, corruption, greed, and intolerance, the church should be the loudest voice for justice. Instead, the church has responded with deafening silence—or worse, complicity.
To be fair, there are some churches and leaders who are courageously speaking out. Pastor Zach Lambert of Restore Austin preaches an inclusive Gospel. Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley of Alfred Street Baptist Church teaches a Gospel rooted in social justice. Dr. Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has led a boycott of Target in protest of its anti-diversity policies, echoing the activism of past civil rights leaders. And who could forget the bravery of Mariann Edgar Budde, who publicly rebuked Donald Trump for his lack of compassion. Yet these leaders are the exception, not the rule.
Most prominent church leaders—the ones with national platforms—have chosen silence. Some support Trump and his policies. Others fear upsetting congregants. Many hide behind claims of being “nonpolitical.” Yet white evangelicals overwhelmingly voted for and supports a man whose policies and rhetoric contradict nearly every teaching of Christ. While they claim to stand for “Christian values,” many uphold a version of Christianity that reinforces white supremacy and punishes the marginalized.
This is not the faith of Christ. Jesus stood with the poor, the oppressed, the outcast. He did not shrink from injustice—He confronted it.
American Christianity has long fallen short of its calling. It was self-proclaimed Christians who justified slavery, committed genocide against Indigenous peoples, and enacted racist laws. Today, many of the same forces target Black and brown Americans, attack LGBTQ+ communities, and strip away the rights and dignity of immigrants, women, and the poor. All while claiming divine authority.
If your faith is threatened by immigrants seeking a better life, by women making personal health decisions, by the teaching of Black history, by pronouns, or by how others live and love—then it’s not your faith you’re protecting. It’s your prejudice.
This is a moment when the church should be a force for justice and love, ensuring that all of God’s children live free from fear and discrimination. Instead, those in power claim persecution as a cover to enact cruel, discriminatory policies.
And this is why more people are leaving the church. They want no part in a religion that has come to symbolize hate rather than hope.
If the mainstream Christian church refuses to step up and speak out, then we, as children made in the image of God, must carry that mantle. We must continue to work and fight for those in marginalized communities. We must fight for a world where everyone—Black, brown, yellow, white, straight, trans, immigrant—is free to live fully and abundantly. That’s the Gospel. That’s the call.
Let us show the world that we are followers of God not by how much we condemn, but by how deeply we love.
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