Evangelical Christians in the United States too often steal the spotlight, particularly when it comes to their political and social views. While many would argue that their beliefs stem from a strong religious conviction, a quick look reveals that this could not be further from the truth.

It is not a secret that American Evangelicals are associated with conservative political views and the Republican Party. However, this political alignment is so pronounced that more often than not it overshadows core Christian values like “love”, “compassion”, and “impartiality”.

The strong political rhetoric from some evangelical leaders appear to be more about advancing a political agenda than about upholding the teachings of Jesus. Their emphasis on political power and influence is so strong that they support divisive rhetoric and policies that clash with Christian principles on caring for the marginalized and loving one’s neighbor.

Another point of contention is the evangelical support not only for the capitalist market but also for a ruthless capitalist society that favors wealth accumulation. It’s not uncommon to hear them hold the poor accountable for their poverty and call them lazy. If anything, all these openly contradict Jesus’ teachings on wealth and poverty. The Bible is clear in its condemnation of the love of money and its call to care for the poor (e.g., Matthew 19:24, 1 Timothy 6:10).

Yet, evangelicals often advocate for economic systems that exacerbate inequality, at odds with the biblical message. The support for policies that favor the wealthy and diminish social safety nets makes one question whether evangelical support for hardcore capitalism aligns with their religious teachings or is driven by ideological preferences.

Evangelicals’ opposition to progressive social justice movements is another area of concern. Many evangelical leaders resist movements advocating for racial and gender equality, despite Christian teachings emphasizing justice, mercy, and equality (e.g., Micah 6:8, Galatians 3:28).

This resistance of Evangelicals is inconsistent with the call for social justice and human rights found in the Bible. The fact that evangelical leaders and followers oppose efforts to address systemic inequalities signals that their positions are not rooted in genuine religious belief but in political and cultural ideologies.

It’s not exactly a rarity to hear evangelicals opposing environmental regulations or climate change initiatives, which contradicts the biblical call to be stewards of the Earth (e.g., Genesis 2:15, Psalm 24:1). The support for policies that harm the environment or reject scientific consensus on climate change demonstrates that their positions are not rooted in Christianity but in an ideology that exploits it

The rejection of evolutionary theory and support for creationism among evangelicals conflict with the value of seeking truth and understanding the natural world as part of God’s creation. The Bible endorses wisdom and knowledge (e.g., Proverbs 1:7, 2 Timothy 2:15), but the insistence on a literal interpretation of creationism undermines the pursuit of scientific understanding.

Finally, evangelical positions on issues like immigration and LGBTQ+ rights conflict with Jesus’ teachings on “love”, “acceptance”, and “non-judgment”. For example, advocating for strict immigration policies is obviously contrary to the biblical call to welcome the stranger (e.g., Matthew 25:35, Leviticus 19:34). Similarly, stances against LGBTQ+ rights are inconsistent with the call to love one’s neighbor, not judge.

Before You Go

The scrutiny of evangelical positions on various issues and the apparent contradictions between their political and social views and the teachings of Jesus leave no room for doubt that evangelicals in the US are aligned with an ideology that aims to use Jesus as the driving force.

Which of these truths do you find most concerning? Let me know in the comments!