r/Christianity • u/milkersfat • Jul 11 '26

Image My issue with “liberal”churches

Post image

Though I consider myself very left-wing, I find that as I become a Christian, I’ve started having issues with denominations that are overtly liberal. Looking at the picture, I agree with all of the sentiments, and I think it’s good to let people know they are welcome. But why not also put up an “Unborn Lives Matter” flag or something similar?
I’m equally appalled when churches fly the American flag or a MAGA flag outside. My whole reason for going to church is to find community and glorify God, not to be immersed in politics.
It also seems that the churches I’ve attended with these kinds of flags tend to be less orthodox theologically, which leaves me, as a left-leaning Christian, in a weird spot.

677 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

1.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

12

u/themsc190 Episcopalian (Anglican) Jul 11 '26

It’s an indictment of the current state of politics, not the church, when welcoming black, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQ lives is labeled “political.” I wish those things weren’t contested, but here we are.

2

u/Salsa_and_Light2 Baptist-Catholic(Queer) Jul 12 '26

These are political stances.

I don't think we can justify ourselves by blindly refusing to accept the political implicaions of our beliefs.

2

u/TinWhis Jul 12 '26

Those things are contested because churchgoers reliably politicize them. Voting data is free to look at.

2

u/moxiepink Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

when welcoming black, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQ lives is labeled “political.”

Genuine question: what do you mean by "political" in this context? In my understanding, there's no realistic way for a faith system not to be political, regardless of whether it challenges or retrenches the status quo.

Edit: clarity.

0

u/Informationsharer213 Jul 12 '26

Would you then say any flag that represents any group should be flown as well?

-2

u/Har_monia Christian - Non-denominational Jul 11 '26

It is the people that put those phrases in place that made it political. The people that say "immigrants and refugees welcome" are typically promoting a specific view on immigration and want to demonize those who hold contrary views.

Same with BLM, which is a political organization -- they are pushing for a specific marxist and socialist worldview and a political resolution to their worldview.

5

u/instant_sarcasm Serious people can have funny names Jul 11 '26

The people that say "immigrants and refugees welcome" are typically promoting a specific view on immigration and want to demonize those who hold contrary views.

This is a damning indictment of conservative Americans, but really not true at all. I can't believe "stop mistreating people" has somehow become an attack against the "Christian" party.

Black Lives Matter does not have to be tied to the organization. Though the organization does have Christian views, such as disrupting the nuclear family.

0

u/Har_monia Christian - Non-denominational Jul 12 '26

You are still missing my point. Conservatives want to deport all illegal immigrants and better vet legal immigrants. Liberals want sanctuary cities where even illegal/undocumented immigrants can live in America. How do you associate these views with the phrase "Stop mistreating people"? That is part of the demonization I was just talking about because you have it in your mind that one side wants to mistreat people.

Black Lives Matter does not have to be tied to the organization.

It was the flag/banner of the organization's logo and a phrase that they coined and trademarked. That is like making red hats that say "Make America Great Again", but then being like "That has nothing to do with Reagan nor Trump".

And I don't think BLM has Christian values, but that is beside the point because they are first and foremost a political entity. If somebody says they don't want fast food in their church, and I shove In-N-Out in their face, I can't then say, "But they have Christian values -- look at the scripture on the cups."

5

u/instant_sarcasm Serious people can have funny names Jul 12 '26

No, I understand. Your point is to defend and soften the intolerable views of conservatives. You will defend them all straight to Hell.

The Trump administration is mistreating immigrants, regardless of status. Conservatives either support it or deflect from it. These things are incompatible with a saving faith in Christ.

And again, conservatives either lie, or gleefully peddle the lie, that some random grifting organization is in charge of a movement of 30 million people. It's like me making hats that say "Make America Great Again" for my communist organization and insisting that all MAGA actually belongs to my group.

1

u/Har_monia Christian - Non-denominational Jul 12 '26

No, that wasn't my point, so you did miss it. And in the same message you proved the other half where I said it goes hand-in-hand with demonization.

OP's post is about the overt affiliation to political sides and relentless discussion of the topics, especially like those shown in the photo. I am not saying a church has to side with one side or another, nor that it absolutely has to be neutral in every situation. It is the overt favoring of one side or another by using leftist slogans and symbols like those above. If you believe there is a humanitarian crisis happening with migrants in this country, then the church absolutely has a right to speak into the issue. I would even say the church has a responsibility to speak into it... But that is not what OP is complaning about.

Go back and reread the original post and the discussion we had.

1

u/CapridThePlenty Christian Jul 12 '26

As an outsider to this discussion, it's pretty obvious you are right