Jesus’ words, not mine.
Why do so many evangelicals support policies which are exactly the opposite of what Christ preached? Why are they gleefully in support of what amount to crimes against humanity?
These policies are clearly human rights violations. Children are being separated from their parents, kept in terrible conditions, abused and dying. DYING. In concentration camps. Yes. Concentration camps. In the US. Again.
Is this what Jesus would do? Is this what Christianity is?
How did it go so far astray? How did you let that happen?
Calling Christians to Action
So what can we do about this? We non-evangelicals, ex-evangelicals, bystanders, family members, fellow citizens, Americans all?
I’m speaking as someone with a Trump loving evangelical family member. I’ve been watching in horror as she gives her full support to these monstrous policies, Sitting back in her comfy chair to watch the pro-wall, anti-immigrant vitriol spewing from the Fox News or the Christian (!!!) Broadcast Network stations that she so loves to watch. Murmuring approval. One minute she’s cheering on the violence against immigrants, the next minute, heading to a Bible study for fellowship and meditation on joy. Are the refugees experiencing joy? How can you be joyful when you are causing others to suffer? Trump is doing this for YOU. For YOUR vote. for YOUR cheers. YOU are the cause of this. Your prayers have been answered. The Lord is giving you a long enough rope to send yourself to the lake of fire, apparently.
What can we do about this? Well, what does the Bible say?
Matthew 18: 15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
There it is, from the Bible. Words of wisdom.
It’s not enough for those of us who care to call our representatives in Washington (do call, but don’t stop there.) It’s not enough for those of us who didn’t vote for Trump to send a letter to him. He’s not going to listen. He’s pandering to his base, who for some reason are hell-bent on immigrant suffering.
What we need is for the BASE to call off this horrible policy. Which means, we actually need to petition the base. We need to talk to our misguided evangelical friends and family members about this and ask THEM to excorciate this policy. In letters and from the pulpit. We need THEM to talk back to the Christian Broadcast Network (call, write, rebuke) and their leaders who have been leading them so very far away from Matthew 25.
Start by talking to your evangelical family member or friend. Call them on it. Express your concern about the treatment of refugees and immigrants, and your dismay that Christians and the Church, of all institutions, are not rising up in support of them. Keep it civil, but be firm. Lives are at stake. Some tips on how to approach a difficult conversation here. Apparently, the formula is:
Got a minute? Great, I need your help.
I noticed that [problem behavior goes here]. (Pause) I was wondering what’s causing this problem (pause), because it cannot continue. What do you suggest we do?
How to fill in the blank for “problem behavior”? Suggestions welcome! I haven’t been very good at this myself, and I’m posting this article to find better ways of tackling this problem. Here’s one approach:
“I noticed that many evangelical Christians are in support of trump’s anti-immigrant policies, which are causing incredible suffering and are the direct opposite of what Jesus commanded in Matthew 25:31–46. This is sin. (Pause). I was wondering what was causing this problem, because it cannot continue. What do you suggest we do?”
If they listen, you’ve gained a brother/sister and can both move on to action. Writing your representatives together, going out and talking to more evangelicals and getting a fabulous revival up and running. So many great things you can brainstorm to do together. That would be awesome!
On the other hand — what if they don’t listen to you, and don’t start problem solving with you? What then?
Well, their hearts have been hardened by Fox News and CBN. Per Matthew 18:16, this is where you escalate to taking a few more friends and family members together to talk over the problem with them, with even greater documentation.
And if they still don’t listen — it’s time to take it to the Church.
Fun fact, with my evangelical family member, I have gone through these steps. Even up to “take it to the Church.” I made an appointment with her pastor and her to discuss the issue. They were both dismissive of it, so it only reinforced her stand. Your loved one’s Church may vary, so I recommend you go through all these steps.
I am going to try the direct conversation a few more times with a few more configurations — take a few more people to see that pastor — see another pastor from the same church…
But at some point you have to ask, what if we take it to the Church, and the Church itself doesn’t listen?
Matthew 18:17 says, “Let him be to you as a Gentile and a Tax Collector”? What does that mean? Tax collector?
Fun fact. Some attribute the rise of the religious right to bigotry and taxes. Read all about it here. The inciting incident was the threat of losing tax exempt status when holding on to bigotry. It was 1970…
Under the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which forbade racial segregation and discrimination, discriminatory schools were not — by definition — “charitable” educational organizations, and therefore they had no claims to tax-exempt status; similarly, donations to such organizations would no longer qualify as tax-deductible contributions.
The Green v. Connally ruling provided a necessary first step: It captured the attention of evangelical leaders , especially as the IRS began sending questionnaires to church-related “segregation academies,” including Falwell’s own Lynchburg Christian School, inquiring about their racial policies. Falwell was furious. “In some states,” he famously complained, “It’s easier to open a massage parlor than a Christian school.”
But is a segregated school Christian? Really?
Is an anti-immigrant country Christian? Really?
If there’s bigotry at the root of the Church — what’s up with that? Jesus is SUPER CLEAR in Matthew 25 and in the story of the good Samaritan, and in so many other verses. Bigotry has no place in the Church.
Come on, Christians. What do you stand for? What is your faith about?
Bigotry?
Really?
Last Call
Like I said, I’m going to try the one on one, 2–3 on 2–3, pastor & elders conversations a few more times. Going in good faith. You can do this too! Let me know how it goes for you.
But do it quickly, because lives are being destroyed right NOW.
Say, Hey Church, we have a problem! The congregation, for some Christianity-defying reason — seems to be delighted by Trump’s violation of human rights. Indeed, if it wasn’t for evangelicals, Trump wouldn’t have won. He’s an answer to evangelical prayer. Why was this your prayer? Is this what the Church stands for? Is this what America stands for? Why is this happening, and what can we do about it? What are you doing about it?
Also — start calling the Christian media stations. It appears someone has hijacked the Christian Broadcast Network which, for some reason, often preaches the exact opposite of what you would expect. The love of power instead of the power of love. How did it go so far astray? Call them as well. And all those charitable Christian organizations sending letters asking for donations to perpetuate the suffering of immigrants — write back to them and point out that they are in danger of the lake of fire, per Matthew 25. This is serious.
Ideally the Church will invite you in. The preachers will preach. They’ll set up a table in the sanctuary with information about the terrible things being done to refugees and immigrants, and how this is the opposite of what Jesus said about it and representatives to call, and organizations to get involved with that are doing constructive things. They will put up a big poster with pictures of refugees and the text of Matthew 25:31–46 printed out quite clearly to remind them of where Jesus stands on this and how urgent it is to resolve this situation. T-shirts of Matthew 25. Bumper stickers, car magnets. Be a Witness to this issue!
Hey! There’s already a Church out there inviting people to take the Matthew 25 Pledge! Take it now! And invite the rest of your congregation to take the pledge.
Ideally Churchgoers, particularly the ones who voted for these policies and support them, will reconsider their stand. If they harbor hatred against strangers, they’ll repent. They’ll invite Jesus’ love to wash over them and help them love people, even strangers. And heads up! If you think this is just about Republicans and border walls, it’s not. Democrats and progressives have their own stranger-banning issues they need to repent of.
We’ve all fallen short of the glory.
So — let’s fix that. And rejoice!
Try it and let us know how it goes in the comments!
