Wake-up call: This is what happens when Christians are afraid to offend



A new Pew study suggests the steep decline in Christianity is finally “leveling off,” as if that’s a cause for celebration. It’s not. The damage is done. Entire generations have grown up with no real catechesis, no spiritual formation, and no sense of the sacred.

But make no mistake: This isn’t happening because the church refused to modernize. It’s happening because it did.

If the apostles walked into half these churches today, they wouldn’t smile or applaud. They’d flip tables.

For decades, the great institutions of Western Christianity traded clarity for relevance and truth for tone. Sermons stopped warning and started pandering. The word “sin” was quietly retired, considered too sharp for modern ears. In its place came talk of “journeys,” “growth,” and whatever else kept the collection plate full. The church, once feared by tyrants and hated by the powerful, rebranded itself as a wellness center with great art.

The cross became a prop. The sacraments became optional. The faith became a product: Clean, inoffensive, entirely forgettable.

It wasn’t outreach — it was surrender.

Internal sabotage

In Germany, Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke recently stepped down. Not in disgrace but in exhaustion, drained by a church more obsessed with synodal committees and gender equity audits than with souls. In England, Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, now sounds like a man trying to apologize for ever having believed anything at all. His God is not the Lion of Judah, but a poetic abstraction — something you might ponder over tea with the New Atheists, whom he now openly sympathizes with in the New York Times. Under his influence, Anglicanism traded its spine for softness, turned cathedrals into museums, and watched belief crumble under the weight of constant theological retreat.

One is Catholic, the other Protestant. Different branches, same disease: a church more eager to appease the culture than to challenge it.

Let’s call this what it is: Internal sabotage — and it’s everywhere.

The crisis facing Christianity isn’t secularism but cowardice. Many argue that the culture has conquered the church. But I argue instead that the church surrendered. A church that’s afraid to offend cannot save, command allegiance, inspire sacrifice, or offer truth.

It fades, not with a bang, but with a bow — one retreat at a time. First on marriage, then on sin, then on the very uniqueness of Christ. By the time it gets to the resurrection, no one’s listening, and even the preacher isn’t sure he believes it.

Exhibit A

You see this collapse most clearly in the rise of cafeteria Catholicism, the unofficial religion of the spiritually lukewarm, the pick-and-choose faithful. They love the incense and the music, the ashes and the Advent calendars, but deny the church’s authority and rewrite morality to match whatever’s trending on TikTok. They cross themselves at Mass, then applaud abortion at the ballot box. They genuflect before the altar only to kneel again at the altar of “inclusion.”

Jesus, to them, was a nice guy. So was Buddha. And really, who are we to judge?

It’s not faith. Not really. It’s branding. And like all branding, it demands nothing and means even less. These are people who want the comfort of religion without the burden of obedience. A God who affirms, not one who commands. A God who blesses their choices, not reshapes them. A God who whispers sweet nothings instead of thundering truth.

But a gospel that never tests is a gospel that never transforms. And a church that never says “no” is a church no one takes seriously.

For years, church leadership has whispered that hell is probably empty, celibacy is optional, and the Eucharist is just a metaphor if that’s easier for you to stomach.

So it’s no surprise that millions now treat Christianity like a salad bar: A little resurrection, hold the repentance.

No power in conformity

The early Christians weren’t tortured and killed because they tried to fit in — but because they refused to conform to the spirit of the age. They stood for something absolute. Something final. They proclaimed Christ as King in a world that demanded silence, and they paid for it in blood.

That’s what gave them power. That’s what made Rome afraid.

They weren’t trying to be liked. They were trying to be faithful. They didn’t soften their message to gain followers. Instead, they hardened their resolve, and the church exploded across the world because of it. Not in spite of the offense, but because of it. The gospel was a scandal then, and it should still be one now.

Today’s church, by contrast, tiptoes through culture like it’s walking on broken glass. It holds interfaith dialogues with those who openly despise it and lobbies for carbon taxes while souls starve. We have Catholic bishops who march in Pride parades but are nowhere to be found at pro-life vigils. We have Protestant pastors hosting drag nights in church basements while their congregations hemorrhage members. The shepherds worry more about upsetting activists than defending the word of God. They preach about climate change, white privilege, and plastic straws.

But they stay silent on sin, judgment, and repentance. It’s time for both Catholics and Protestants to snap out of it. This isn’t a debate over doctrine. It’s a culture that wants the church destroyed, and too many inside it are holding the door open.

A purified church

If the apostles walked into half these churches today, they wouldn’t smile or applaud. They’d flip tables.

God doesn’t need marketers. He needs martyrs. Not spiritual consultants but disciples. The future of Christianity will not be built by bishops apologizing to the New York Times or pastors retweeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It will be built by those who kneel in silence and believe in public, even when the world calls them fools.

Maybe that’s the real message here: The church isn’t dying but being purified.

Let the saboteurs resign. Let the cowards step down. Let the cafeteria close. What’s left will be smaller, yes — but stronger. Not performative. Not progressive. But holy. Finally, again, holy.

Our churches are sitting ducks. Here's how to fight back.



This week, millions of Americans will celebrate the blood-bought freedoms our forefathers secured for us with fireworks, family, and cookouts.

That declaration, signed by 56 men, was not just a recounting of grievances or an important political declaration. It was a document of war. These men were ready to defend their God-given freedoms with steel and shot. Among the signers of the Declaration of Independence was John Witherspoon, a Presbyterian minister. While he was the only pastor who signed the document, the war for independence that followed was supported by clergy in nearly every colony. They brought the spiritual munitions necessary to justify their congregants' and country’s fight against the British crown.

Many churches celebrate the religious liberty enumerated in the First Amendment, but few champion the Second.

This right of self-governance and self-defense was not a novel theological concept. It was baked into Protestant political thought. And it was out of this Protestant heritage that America was born.

However, this type of preaching and instruction seems muted in our day. As Americans’ Second Amendment rights remain besieged in various states and jurisdictions, many pulpits remain silent about the threats their congregants face.

Even more pressing for many churches, though, is the threat posed by those who wish to do the church harm, often while armed.

Why every church needs a security team

Every church needs a security team.

In an ideal world, the only weapons needed on a Sunday morning would be the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith. Our children could run freely through the sanctuary without a single parent wondering if a madman might walk in. Evil would be rare and dealt with swiftly by just rulers who have been appointed to punish the evildoer. In such a world, peace would be the norm, not the exception.

In a merely less-than-ideal world, where threats exist, we would at least hope the civil magistrate would protect churches as sacred gathering spaces. The state would prioritize security for these vital institutions that shape the moral and social health of the nation. And we’d expect the state to make it easier — not harder — for congregations to defend themselves.

But that’s not the world we live in either.

We live in a world where churches are being actively targeted by would-be killers and where politicians pass laws that make congregants sitting ducks. We live in a world where police departments are understaffed, underpaid, and overtasked. And we live in a world where insurance companies and government bureaucracies penalize churches for taking common-sense steps to protect their people.

Recently, a man attempted to carry out a mass shooting at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan. Thankfully, it was thwarted before tragedy struck. A deacon of the church heroically struck the assailant with his pickup truck, slowing the attacker’s approach. Then, a trained member of the church security team engaged the shooter and fatally shot him before he could enter the sanctuary. But the mere fact that it got that close, yet again, should shake pastors and church leaders out of their slumber.

This is not a one-off case. It is the reality that many churches face in a civilization unraveling.

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And yet when churches take steps to prepare — by forming volunteer security teams, for example — they are often punished by insurers. Many insurance companies raise a church’s premiums by up to 20% if the church has an organized security presence, unless those volunteers undergo professional training that can cost several thousand dollars per person. For small or midsize congregations, this burden is often too high.

Hiring off-duty police officers, meanwhile, can cost $60 to $75 an hour. That may be manageable for a megachurch with a multimillion-dollar budget. But for the average congregation trying to keep the lights on and fund ministry, $30,000 annually for armed security simply isn’t feasible.

It’s not just private institutions or police departments creating barriers. The state is becoming a direct obstacle.

In 2024, Colorado passed Senate Bill 24‑131, which declared churches and other religious buildings to be “sensitive spaces.” Under this law, concealed carry would have been forbidden on church property unless the church explicitly issues a written exemption for each individual. This was ultimately rescinded by the state. But in places like Boulder County, where leftist officials refused to grant the necessary permissions, the exemption requirement remains in place.

In practice, that means churches that want their congregants to carry cannot do so by law.

Colorado is not unique. Similar legislation exists in California, New York, Illinois, and other blue states. The trend is clear: Disarm peaceful citizens and disempower local churches from protecting their congregations.

This means churches are stuck in a legal and financial bind. On one hand, they are increasingly likely to be targeted by insane individuals seeking death or driven by ideological hatred. On the other hand, they are punished for taking even modest steps toward preparedness.

So what is the church to do?

First, we must stop pretending that spiritual and physical safety are mutually exclusive.

Some well-meaning pastors resist forming security teams or speaking of the importance of self-defense because they believe it’s a distraction from the gospel. But loving your neighbor includes defending your neighbor. Good shepherds guard the flock not only from false teachers but from wolves of every kind.

In fact, it seems that we are in a day when advertising that the church has a security team would be an attraction, not a deterrent, to would-be churchgoers.

Scripture does not pit spiritual vigilance against physical readiness. Nehemiah, when rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, stationed men with swords in one hand and tools in the other. Jesus Himself instructed His disciples to buy a sword (Luke 22:36), not so they could go on the offensive, but so they would be prepared.

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Second, churches must form well-organized volunteer teams. These don’t need to be tactical operators. They need to be faithful, dependable men vetted, trained, and alert. Veterans, off-duty officers, and responsible gun owners are often already sitting in the pews. Pastors or deacons should identify these men, invest in their development, and establish protocols for emergencies.

Third, churches should not be ashamed to advocate for their rights. As our forefathers understood, there is no biblical reason to surrender the ability to protect one’s people. Just as churches fight for religious liberty, we should also contend for self-defense and security. This includes contacting lawmakers, organizing with other local churches, and resisting unconstitutional laws through legal means.

Many churches celebrate the religious liberty enumerated in the First Amendment, but few champion the Second.

Finally, we must honor the men who already serve. Every week, there are faithful men who sit near the exits, who watch the doors, who glance sideways when a stranger walks in with a backpack, and who make quiet mental notes while others sing hymns. These men aren’t paranoid. They’re protective. They are answering the call to keep watch while others worship in peace.

It’s time for every church to acknowledge reality and act with courage. Our congregations should be places of peace, but not because we are blind to danger. Rather, they should be places of peace because good men stand ready at the gates.

We may live in a fallen world, but that doesn’t mean we must be foolish in it. God does not bless the naive. Churches have a unique calling to shepherd the souls of mankind in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But that immaterial calling does not stay immaterial. It manifests itself in the material realm. Good shepherds will not just look after the state of the souls of the congregation but also the health of their bodies.

To ignore the physical threat is to misunderstand the Incarnation itself. Christ did not come to redeem disembodied spirits but whole persons, flesh and blood. His ministry was not merely spiritual but deeply material: feeding the hungry, healing the sick, driving out demons, laying down His physical life for His sheep. Likewise, our churches must reflect His care for the whole person.

We prepare the soul with preaching. We guard the body with vigilance. Both are acts of love.

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The left's new anti-Christian smear backfires — exposing its deepest fear



The left's new favorite boogeyman — so-called "Christian nationalism" — is back in the headlines. But don't be fooled by the narrative. The real story isn't about Christian extremism but an obsession with tarring faithful conservative Christians.

After police arrested Vance Boelter — the man accused of targeting two Minnesota politicians and their spouses, which included murdering state Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband — the media seized on Boelter's associations with charismatic Christianity and his background as a preacher.

If there is anything Americans should be concerned about, it's the leftist ideology that seeks to replace God with government and silence dissent in the name of progress.

Quickly, a narrative was born: Boelter is yet another example of "Christian nationalism" and far-right extremism.

  • Wired: The Minnesota shooting suspect’s background suggests deep ties to Christian nationalism
  • The Forward: Understanding accused Minnesota shooter Vance Boelter’s ties to Christian nationalism
  • Washington Post: Minnesota shooting suspect went from youthful evangelizer to far-right zealot
  • New York Magazine: The spiritual warfare of Vance Boelter
  • MSNBC: Killings in Arizona and Minnesota shine light on the crisis of Christian extremist violence

At the New York Times, evangelical columnist David French wrote about the "problem of the Christian assassin," using Boelter as a cudgel to smear Christians — and take a shot at President Donald Trump.

"And right now — at a time when the Christian message of grace and mercy should shine the brightest — America’s Christian extremists are killing people, threatening and intimidating public servants and other public figures who oppose Trump and trying to drive their political opponents from the public square," French claimed.

In the view of leftists and media pundits, this heinous act of violence wasn't the result of one individual's sin but the inevitable fruit of "Christian nationalism." If you hear them tell the story, Boelter's views of Christianity gave him license to act. But it's a lie.

Guilt by faith

Let's be honest about what's happening here: The media, leftists, and opponents of President Trump use the label "Christian nationalism" to smear conservative Christians.

In the media, "Christian nationalism" has become an elastic term that is stretched to cover anyone who believes a biblical worldview should influence public life and anyone who wants their communities to be more Christian.

Do you oppose the LGBTQ+ agenda? Christian nationalist. Do you oppose giving children "trans-affirming" drugs? Christian nationalist. Do you believe that life begins at conception? Christian nationalist. Are you a Christian who supports President Trump? Christian nationalist. Do you believe that America was uniquely founded on Judeo-Christian principles? Christian nationalist. Jesus is Lord? Christian nationalist.

The goal of the "Christian nationalist" panic is clear: to discredit and silence Christians for refusing to go along with the leftist agenda.

By connecting isolated violent acts to "Christian nationalism," they make all conservative Christians guilty by association. This is their narrative: Your faith is suspect, your convictions are dangerous, and your faith, if taken seriously, is a threat to democracy — or worse.

Faith, not extremism

The media and leftists who fearmonger about "Christian nationalism" are intentionally omitting basic truths.

Loving your country and wanting it to flourish is not the type of "nationalism" (i.e., fascism) they accuse conservative Christians of advocating for. Believing in biblical truth and voting in alignment with biblical values is not "extremism," and it certainly isn't an attempt to impose a theocracy on everyone else. Christians who speak about Christ publicly — and want their communities to reflect Christian values — aren't calling for a state religion.

Despite their accusations, conservative Christians are not inclined toward violence.

We want moral sanity. We don't want the progressive agenda shoved down our throats. We want to raise our families in healthy, peaceful communities. We want every American to know and experience the goodness of God and the riches of a relationship with Him.

It's not radical, and it's certainly not extreme.

What they really fear

The heinous acts that police accuse Vance Boelter of committing on the morning of June 14 are not Christian. They are pure evil.

No faithful Christian would disagree with that assessment. And yet, the media rushed to connect an isolated act of evil to all conservative Christians in the name of "Christian nationalism" when there is no link at all.

Not only is it dishonest, but it underscores yet another leftist double standard.

When far-left progressives commit violence, the media instructs us not to rush to judgment. When leftist ideologies produce bloodshed, we're told to wait for the full story. But when an alleged conservative or Christian commits violence (two claims about Boelter that remain more tale than truth), the entire conservative Christian movement is put on trial and swiftly condemned.

The distinction between what the media and leftists define as "Christian nationalism" and actual conservative Christianity is important. Not just for the sake of truth — although truth is important — but for the sake of every Christian trying to follow Jesus in a world that increasingly calls evil "good" and good "evil."

If there is anything Americans should be concerned about, it's the leftist ideology that seeks to replace God with government and silence dissent in the name of progress. The real story here isn't that Christianity turns people violent or results in extremism; it's that people with an agenda who hate Christianity use any excuse to try to turn Americans against faithful believers.

The real nationalism the left fears is a nation that still believes in God and Christians who won't be silent. Don't let them win.

How leftists twisted Jesus into a woke protester — then the real Christ showed up



Jesus flipping tables in the Temple is not a permission slip for violent protests.

As pockets of Los Angeles and other major cities descended into chaos this week — violent protests orchestrated by leftist agitators angry that the Trump administration is enforcing immigration laws — a meme about Jesus went viral.

Jesus didn't torch Roman government buildings, loot businesses, attack Roman authorities, or cause destruction for the sake of chaos.

Eventually plastered on the front page of Reddit, the leftist meme depicts Jesus' famous temple tantrum — when he flipped over tables in the Jerusalem Temple courts — and included the sarcastic line with quotes of mockery, "Destruction of property is not a valid form of protest."

— (@)  
 

The meme, which Reddit moderators later deleted, is clever. But it's also incredibly dishonest.

Behind the viral image is a destructive lie: Jesus was a woke political protester who used violence to fight injustice. And if Jesus protested with violence, then violence is a justified form of protest, right?

Wrong.

Jesus' sacred confrontation

Following his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple courts and, according to the Gospel of Matthew, "drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves (Matthew 21:12-13).

You can imagine the scene. An indignant Jesus, days before his execution, drives out merchants and money-changers. Coins clatter to the ground. Tables flip. Animals scatter. Chaos erupts.

Jesus even fashioned a "whip" as a protest instrument, according to the Gospel of John. In modern vernacular, it appears Jesus engaged in "civil disobedience."

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But Jesus was protesting neither Rome nor secular injustice. Rather, he was purifying the Temple, the house of God, the place where God's presence literally dwelt. He wasn't targeting outsiders (i.e., secular authorities) but insiders (i.e., the Jewish establishment) because they had allowed a sacred space to be misused.

"Jesus' explicit protest is against the misuse of God's house for trade instead of prayer," writes Bible scholar R.T. France in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.

"It is where the trade is being carried out rather than how that is the focus of his displeasure. And that means the protest is directed not so much against the traders themselves but against the priestly establishment who had allowed them to operate with in the sacred area," France explains. "Commercial activity, however justified in itself, should not be carried out where people came to pray, and a temple regime which encouraged this had failed in its responsibility. This was, therefore, apparently a demonstration against the Sadducean establishment."

Importantly, Jesus "was not leading a popular protest movement." Instead, the incident is meant to draw attention to Jesus' messianic identity and divine authority, according to France.

This is why Jesus quotes from two prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah:

  • Isaiah 56:7: When Jesus declares, "My house will be called a house of prayer," he is making clear that he is concerned with proper use of the Temple's sacred space.
  • Jeremiah 7:11: When Jesus accuses the Jewish leaders of turning the Temple courts into a "den of robbers," he is accusing the leaders of hypocrisy: While they use pious words to show apparent reverence for God, their behavior proves they do not have proper respect for God's house.

The Bible is clear: Jesus was not inciting a riot.

On the contrary, Jesus is a prophet who, like the prophets before him, was issuing a prophetic rebuke. It was a moment of divine judgement for Jewish leaders — not a license for modern-day destruction.

Not a riot

With leftist violence back in style, the meme went viral because it serves an insidious purpose: Leftists seeking to justify violence want to weaponize Jesus to sanctify their chaos.

But there is a world of difference between Jesus' righteous anger and the senseless violence of anti-ICE leftist protesters.

Jesus didn't torch Roman government buildings, loot businesses, attack Roman authorities, or cause destruction for the sake of chaos. The Temple courts, after all, technically belonged to Him.

Standing in his Father's house, Jesus was confronting the corruption of the leaders responsible for supervising and protecting God's house. In that regard, Jesus was restoring what Jewish leaders had tarnished — not burning it down. Jesus demonstrated a holy anger, and it served a heavenly purpose.

Flip your tables

Jesus is not a leftist protest mascot. But the meme gets one thing right: We should be like Jesus.

We should love what God loves, and we should hate what God hates. We should honor what God honors, and we should always defend God's truth, opposing all attempts to corrupt it.

To be like Jesus is not to justify violence and excuse chaos. Instead, it requires pursuing God and his righteousness and, ultimately, following Jesus to the cross.

That means, like Jesus, we flip the "tables" of our own lives — the idols, sins, and lies that lead far from God and unto death — and allow God to cleanse and restore us, just as Jesus did to the Temple on his way to the cross.

The invitation is not to violence but to eternal transformation. Follow Him, indeed.

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Reclaiming Pentecost: Fire, spirit, and the forgotten power of God



Pentecost — this is a day that’s gotten some bad press because the people associated with the name have some misguided ideas.

The Christian calendar outlines a series of annual events marking Jesus' time on earth. It starts with Advent, which leads to Christmas, followed by Holy Week, which leads to Easter, followed by Ascension Day and, 10 days later, Pentecost, the day the Lord sent the Holy Spirit, precisely as Jesus had promised (John 14:16-31 and John 16:5-15).

This incredible day is described in Acts 2, surely one of the most dramatic chapters of the Bible. Take a moment and read it right now. Seriously.

Why is it called Pentecost? Because the Greek word pentekoste literally means "50th," and the Holy Spirit came 50 days after Christ's resurrection.

But did you know that Pentecost already existed as a Jewish holiday that was celebrated 50 days after Passover? Called the Festival of Weeks (or Shavuot in Hebrew), it commemorates God giving the Israelites His law at Mount Sinai, which Jewish tradition says took place 50 days after the Passover, or the Israelite deliverance from Egypt.

Much insight can be gained from comparing these two "Pentecosts," so lets compare and contrast.

Exodus 'Pentecost' vs. Acts Pentecost

  • Exodus: Took place 50 days after God’s people were delivered from slavery by the blood of a lamb painted on their vertical and horizontal doorposts (Passover)
  • Acts: Took place 50 days after a far greater deliverance from slavery to sin by the blood of the Lamb painted on the vertical and horizontal beams of the cross
  • Exodus: God descends in fire on Mount Sinai — in effect warning people to keep their distance from His presence
  • Acts: Tongues of fire appear on all believers present as God’s presence draws near and fills them
  • Exodus: Loud thunder and sound of trumpets
  • Acts: Mighty sound of rushing wind
  • Exodus: God gives His law, leading to awareness of sin, condemnation, and death
  • Acts: God pours out His Spirit, leading to assurance of forgiveness and life, empowering people to obey Him
  • Exodus: The people rebel and worship a golden calf, resulting in 3,000 deaths
  • Acts: Peter boldly preaches the gospel, resulting in 3,000 people saved

But it wasn’t the Holy Spirit’s debut performance

The Spirit was active from before time began (see Genesis 1:2 for His first mention). He is who regenerated God’s people before Christ’s time, giving them the desire to obey.

As Barry Cooper writes:

Moses was given the Holy Spirit, and at one point he famously cried out, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” But through the prophet Joel, God promised that the day would come when His Spirit would be given to all believers in a new and more powerful way: “It shall come to pass afterward [He says], that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.”

Peter quoted that same passage in his Pentecost Day sermon (that you just read) as that precise prophecy was fulfilled in real time.

Here is perhaps the most critical distinction between the old covenant saints and new covenant believers: Not all of the old covenant saints were given gifts by the Holy Spirit for ministry — but every new covenant believer is gifted as He comes to dwell within us.

As Cooper notes, “That is the wonder of Pentecost: God coming to dwell more fully in each and every believer, to give them power and gifts for service.”

But what is the purpose of those gifts?

The first believers give us a hint: They immediately began declaring the glory of God in multiple different languages so that all present with them there in Jerusalem could understand.

Peter — the same man who, consumed with fear, had lied about his relationship to Jesus to protect himself just 50 days earlier — boldly proclaimed the gospel to all of Jerusalem, resulting in 3,000 souls joining God’s family.

This is the ultimate meaning of Pentecost. The same Spirit who emboldened Peter that day dwells within us for the purpose of proclaiming the gospel.

Taking Pentecost back

It’s important to understand that the emphasis should not be on the gifts.

I believe this is where many Christians get it wrong, including those who call themselves Pentecostals, because they emphasize speaking in tongues and other such manifestations as somehow being a "second act of grace" that Christians need to experience.

The whole counsel of the Bible teaches that the Spirit indwells us when God saves us, and certain gifts were clearly meant for the apostolic age — to help people verify who was actually representing Christ before the scripture was finalized. (Apostles, by the way, were the historical figures who personally experienced Jesus Christ in the flesh and whom Jesus sent out. There are no apostles today, although there are people claiming to be.)

Let's celebrate Pentecost for the joyful reminder it is: that the very Spirit of God lives in us for the purpose of conforming us to Him in obedience and proclaiming Him fearlessly.

This Sunday, consider the wondrous gift of Him who is sometimes called the "forgotten God."

This article was adapted from an essay originally published on Diane Schrader's Substack, She Speaks Truth.

No apologies: How Christians can stop the liberal takeover without compromise



At a time when the church needs conviction, Fuller Theological Seminary has chosen compromise.

For over a year, Fuller Theological Seminary deliberated its views on sexuality. The school, one of the largest evangelical seminaries in the U.S., has long affirmed the historical Christian, biblical position on sex and marriage: that marriage is a covenantal union between one man and one woman, that sex is reserved for that one-flesh union, and that sex outside marriage is sin.

Rejecting God's design for sex and marriage ultimately is a rejection of God.

But as school leaders deliberated updating their policy, the Associated Press revealed one proposal that would have opened the door to affirming LGBTQ ideology.

"There are thoughtful Christians and churches that have different interpretations [of allowable sexual activity]," the proposal read. "Therefore, we expect all members of this global, evangelical, and ecumenical seminary student and learner community to live with integrity consistent to the Christian communities to which they belong."

A year after that proposal went public, Fuller Theological Seminary announced that school leaders had decided to reaffirm its traditional, orthodox position.

Good news, right? Well, not so fast.

In a statement, school president David Goatley said the board of trustees had discovered a solution that avoids "ideological polarities." He called it the "Fuller way."

Goatley said:

After several years of consultation, feedback, and dialogue, the Board of Trustees reconfirmed the institution’s commitment to its historic theological understanding of marriage and human sexuality — a union between a man and a woman and sexual intimacy within the context of that union. At the same time, we acknowledge that faithful Christians — through prayerful study, spiritual discernment, and lived experience — have come to affirm other covenantal forms of relationship.

Other covenantal forms of relationship.

In other words, Fuller leaders chose to reaffirm the school's traditional position while extending institutional legitimacy to those who reject the historic Christian position on sexuality and marriage.

Compromise in disguise

Fuller's new position is not grounded in theological or ecumenical generosity. Rather, it's institutional doublespeak.

Fuller wants to affirm biblical truth under its letterhead while virtue-signaling "inclusion" to those who deny the truth. It is a subtle yet dangerous compromise. The new policy views the historic Christian position on sex and marriage as a matter of opinion or community preference — not obedience to God's commands.

The message Fuller sends is clear and alarming.

If Christians can disagree on something as theologically significant as God's design and purpose for marriage, sex, and the human body, then these issues are peripheral, disputable, and secondary to Christianity.

But the Bible does not treat sexual ethics as a negotiable matter. Any assertion otherwise is a lie, one that liberals use as a cudgel to suppress biblical truth.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible affirms that God created humanity with two sexes — man and woman — that marriage is a one-flesh covenant between one man and one woman, and that any sexual activity outside that covenant is sin. To depart from God's vision for human flourishing with regard to sex and marriage is not just a matter of hermeneutical differences — it's rebellion against God.

This isn't just about theology, morality, and ethics, but about anthropology and teleology, too.

For what purpose did God create humans? And how can humanity experience the flourishing that God intends for us?

Rejecting God's design for sex and marriage ultimately is a rejection of God. Just ask the apostle Paul, who identifies disordered sexuality as evidence of humanity's rejection of God (Romans 1).

The stakes are high

In our cultural moment, the liberal LGBTQ lobby is catechizing an entire generation with its liturgy of "inclusion." This agenda, cloaked in compassion, demands affirmation of anti-God ideologies.

That's why Fuller's "third way" — to be neither outright condemning nor outright affirming — ultimately fails the smell test. It's soft equivocation that implies the "acceptance" the LGBTQ lobby demands and ends with full-scale capitulation.

Jesus was full of grace and truth — not half measures. Jesus, in fact, famously proclaimed, "Whoever is not with me is against me" (Luke 11:23).

To be with Jesus, therefore, requires total commitment. Complete allegiance. Undying fidelity.

Fuller, on the other hand, is leading Christians down a different path. The school's position — "we believe this is true, but it's perfectly acceptable if you believe something else" — doesn't catechize "faithful Christians." Rather, it forms relativists empowered to elevate themselves to the position of God. Relativists define good and evil in their own eyes and seize for themselves what they deem to be good. They certainly do not lay down their lives and take up a cross.

The historical Christian, biblical teaching on sex and marriage is not arbitrary, and, according to the apostle Paul, it stands at the heart of the gospel. We cannot, therefore, capitulate to a culture that seeks to erase not only our teachings but, ultimately, God.

No middle ground

If Christians compromise, liberals and progressives win. Not only on matters of sexuality and marriage, but liberals will not stop until they have eroded every historical Christian teaching.

Preventing their godless victory requires a commitment not to compromise on biblical truth. Christians reverse the liberal takeover when we combat liberal lies with our truth — and make no apologies for it.

Either marriage is a God-ordained covenant between one man and one woman, or it is not. Either same-sex relationships — any sexual activity outside the marriage union, for that matter — are a departure from God's design, or they are not. Either scripture and the church's historical teaching are our authority, or they are not.

Now is the time to display the courage and boldness of Christ. To speak truth with clarity is not unkind. It is essential. Anything less is a disservice to the church and the world.

There is no virtue in ambiguity. Liberals are evangelizing our culture with "Pride." Christians must respond with biblical truth — not the "Fuller way."

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Rainbow rebellion: How Christians can take back what Pride Month stole



Pride Month is here.

For the next 30 days, corporations will rebrand their logos with rainbow colors, politicians will posture toward the LGBTQ lobby, and progressive ideology will be shoved down our throats.

We can't stand sheepishly in the face of anti-God celebrations. Silence isn't neutral, but is itself an action that speaks volumes — it's surrender.

As the most holy secular celebration — a month-long altar call to the gods of sexual identity and self-expression, complete with its own liturgies, saints, and sacraments — Pride Month claims to be a celebration of liberation and truth. But beneath the rainbows and glitter lies a dark reality: Pride Month is a demonstration of our culture's complete rebellion against God.

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This month, Christians have a choice.

We can be quiet, keeping our convictions hidden while silently hoping that no one asks us if we are a fellow Pride parishioner or an "ally." Or we can fight fire with fire, reclaiming the very thing the LGBTQ lobby has monopolized: pride.

Not pride in sin — the kind God hates — but pride in truth.

God's truth speaks

The Bible mostly condemns pride.

Hear the wisdom of Proverbs: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). Or, from the epistle of James, which quotes Proverbs 3:34, "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble" (James 4:6).

This is the kind of pride that exalts the self to the place of God, thereby defying God.

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But scripture also speaks of a different kind of pride, which is rightly ordered. Let's call it "holy boasting."

The apostle Paul, for example, instructs the Corinthians to "boast in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31; cf. Jeremiah 9:24). Paul himself takes pride in his weakness — because it demonstrates the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). In fact, Paul expresses a desire to boast — but only "in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14).

Follow Paul's example

This month, Christians should follow Paul's example. We should boast and take pride in God's truth.

Let us, therefore, boast in God's design: God made us in His image, male and female. He made us with complementary sexual and biological distinctions ordered toward the covenantal union of marriage — not personal fulfillment — so that we can carry out the divine mandate to subdue the earth and multiply. That vocation, ultimately, is for the flourishing of all creation.

Let us boast in God's vision for marriage: He created marriage to be a lifelong, sacred, one-flesh union between one man and one woman. It's neither a social contract nor a lifestyle accessory, but it is meant for the building up of families who can carry out the divine vocation.

Let us boast in our identity: Not in the self-chosen, surgically constructed, self-designed identity of the LGBTQ brigade, but in the identity that God has given us in Christ. We received our "born again" Christian identity from the Creator, our Father in heaven who calls us "sons" and "daughters."

Let us boast in our redemption: Not in the redemption of self-actualization and therapeutic happiness, but in the redemption that comes only from the blood of Jesus Christ, a redemption that invites every sinner to repent, be forgiven, and be made into a new creation through Christ and the Holy Spirit.

This is our witness to the rainbow warriors. We boast not in sin but in our Savior.

Why this matters

Pride Month isn't neutral. It's a month-long catechism in a counterfeit religion that preaches a false gospel. It demands affirmation and allegiance and silences all dissent. It forces our culture to wear its colors, chant its creeds, and celebrate its dogmas.

Worse, it's being forced not only on us, through TV advertising campaigns and glitter parades, but the LGBTQ ideology that Pride Month celebrates is being forced on our children. And while the LGBTQ movement and its takeover of June are finally losing steam, now is not the time for passivity.

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The question for Christians, then, is this: Will you have the courage to live and speak the truth?

How we respond matters. We can't stand sheepishly in the face of anti-God celebrations. Silence isn't neutral, but is itself an action that speaks volumes — it's surrender. Faithfulness, on the other hand, requires courage.

The early church didn't spread Christianity through passivity. Rather, Christians under the thumb of the Roman Empire lived countercultural lives that bore witness to the truth about our holy God.

We must do the same. We must speak the truth — not only with our voices, but with our lives. Our faithfulness is a witness to the beauty of God's truth, and it brings moral clarity where there is confusion.

So as the culture waves its rainbow flags for the next 30 days and celebrates rebellion as "liberation," Christians must stand faithfully on God's truth with boldness and resolve.

This Pride Month, let us take pride in God's truth and boast in Christ. Not because we hate, but because we know the truth — and because we know that God's way is the righteous path that leads to life.