I was sprinkled a Methodist, confirmed a First Congregational, dunked an evangelical, and spent years in between with the Presbyterians and non-denominational folks. My life-long Christian tradition provided encouragement, comfort, community and opportunities to serve others. For this, I’m grateful.
I have my own relationship with God and my faith is intact. No worries there. But I can no longer align myself with the American version of Christianity. I haven’t been to church since Trump won the electoral college vote last November. I felt like an alien worshipping next to people who promoted Trump as God’s answer for our country. Fast forward 10 months and the divide is even greater.
I am in no way condemning Christians who chose to remain in the American Christian Faith tradition. Nor, am I condemning pastors and others who have dedicated their lives to Christian service. There are churches and individual Christians who do not subscribe to these superior, nationalist beliefs. You do you, keep the faith and keep up the good works. Much good is accomplished.
I will continue to do the same in a community that doesn’t have national evangelical, baptist, and non-denominational leadership (you can google the list) unilaterally supporting a president who the antithesis of the Christ I know and love.
Wrestling with this has caused me to grieve and feel physically ill. I feel ripped-off. So why am I making this a public declaration? Isn’t religion a private thing? I’ll tell you why:
Trump’s administration and the American Christian leadership’s support of Trump have marginalized people who are dear to me. I want my friends who are transgender, gay, lesbian, disabled, Muslim, female, Mexican, veteran, immigrant (documented or not), Jewish, indigenous, African American, and liberal to know that you matter. I cannot belong to a faith community that believes American, white, straight, male, republican, christians are superior to the rest of the world and come “first.”
I’m not asking you to support my view of Trump and American Evangelical Christian leadership. It’s my assessment just as you have yours. Just know that I can no longer align myself with Americhristianity.
My faith is solid but I’ve lost my religion and faith community.
I’m Still Forgiven and Free
Shelly Hoover 
August 18, 2017 at 12:33 pm
Right there with you Shelly!
Escaping Placer County for Monterey County helped somewhat as the saturation of Americhristisnsc is far less here. We have found pockets of folks who gone their focus on Jesus rather than the group mentality of ‘who should we disavow today’. I too was sprinkled a Methodist and dunked in the Tuolomne River as an evangelical. Working with YWAM gave me a greater world perspective of Christianity and that’s the concept that encourages me that Americhristians do not have life as a Christian figured out.
Hope all is well with you! I miss your joyful spirit! Let me know if you ever venture down my way.
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August 18, 2017 at 12:35 pm
‘Gone’ should read ‘hone’
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August 18, 2017 at 12:57 pm
Struggling with the same issues and have lost a few friends along the way. For me it started before Trump (at a church you and I both attended) when I was asked to host youth group at my house. My one clear boundary was that no one was to preach about the sins of homosexuality to this vulnerable group of kids because A) they are vulnerable. The youth pastor changed his mind about me hosting and offered to counsel me instead
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August 18, 2017 at 1:17 pm
Love you mom in Love! You don’t need organized religion to have a faith community. We have faith that Love will conquer all things. If anything, you’ve joined a broader community than you’re presently aware. Those who live with Love as their religion will already be bound to the same community, even if we have never met, as we share the same Love for all life.
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August 18, 2017 at 1:27 pm
Shelly,
Of all your posts this is the one that I can most relate to. I can try to imagine what it is like for you, what it would be like for me, to experience what you are with your ASL, but my ability there is so very limited. When I saw the name of your essay I whispered softly, out loud “Oh!” because I know how important your faith is to you and I was equating your faith with your religion. When I read your essay my eyes started to brim with tears, for positive and negative reasons. The positive is that I admire and respect your thought process and your values that have lead you to this choice. The negative is that I know your religious community has been important to you for years and having to see it in a new way is painful and having to choose to walk away is lonely.
My family attended the Newman Center, in DeKalb, all the years we lived there. My parents had both attended Catholic schools from grade school, through college, where they met. My dad even got his Masters at a Catholic university. My parents chose Newman over the other Catholic church in DeKalb because they liked the message and feel of it. Since Newman was a university church it served a lot of students and it responded to this community, while still adhering to Catholic faith. There was an incredible priest there, Father Bob, who would, figuratively, meet people where they were and figure out how to nurture their faith in a way that was unique.
I was allowed to be an altar girl before the Catholic church approved it. In fact, there was an ordination held at the church, once, and I wasn’t allowed to be an altar girl for it because the Bishop (or some Grand Poobah) would be there and since altar girls weren’t allowed I couldn’t be there. The scandal!
My religious education wasn’t about dogma. It was about values. I knew some of the positions of The Church, but I didn’t know a lot of it.
When I went to college I didn’t find this community and I started learning more about The Church. After years of searching, in my late 20s, I finally had to walk away.
While I’m grateful for the warm Newman community I grew up in and the values I was given, by my parents and that community, I am, sometimes, sad that I haven’t been able to find it again.
Reading your essay I thought about this as a point of reference for how it may have felt for you to go through the process you have. I understand why you chose to right this essay and make this statement.
I hope the faith community, of which you are a part now, is warm, embracing and provides the support that you deserve.
Peace,
Eileen
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August 18, 2017 at 1:51 pm
Truth! I agree
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August 19, 2017 at 12:11 am
I am not mad at ya! Preach on at the Freedom press! God knows your heart! Love you always!
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