The Christian witness that led me to the truth

When conservative Christians are called out for their support of hateful politicians and policies, they often insist that they are acting out of love for their god, not hate for their neighbor. 

And back when I was a conservative Christian, I too would have insisted that I loved my neighbor. And it took me far longer than it should to see that I was working from a definition of "love" that was not on speaking terms with actually loving people. 


I couldn't say that I loved my gay neighbor if I supported policies and politicians that would stop him from marrying the person he loved. 

I couldn't say that I loved my trans neighbor if I was forcing her to use the men's room, where she would be in great danger of being beaten up (or worse) by conservative Christian men. 

I couldn't say I loved my immigrant neighbor if I was forcing him to choose between breaking the law to enter a safe country or die in his home country. 

I couldn't say I loved my female neighbor if I was enabling a system that would force her to have the baby of her rapist or abuser. 

I couldn't say I loved my elderly or disabled neighbor if I voted for the programs that keep them alive to be cut. 

I couldn't say I loved my kindergarten-aged neighbor if I was supporting policies that forced him to learn how to hide from murderers rather than forcing gun owners to demonstrate a basic level of safety and responsibility before being allowed to purchase deadly weapons. 

I couldn't say I loved my poor neighbor if I was supporting policies that kept her poor while letting her rich employer continue to get away with underpaying her. 

I couldn't say I loved my black neighbor if I was okay with "backing the blue" no matter what the police did or how obviously racist some of their actions were. 


Over and over and over, I saw that what conservative Christians loved were abstract ideas - an invisible god, a country defined by imaginary lines in the sand, a vague sense that I should have nice feelings about people in my immediate circle - rather than the actual human beings in the world around me. 

I was dragged kicking and screaming into liberalism by following Jesus. 

And eventually, I realized that if Jesus was any good then the majority of his followers wouldn't be failing so hard on the "love your neighbor" test. 


SO: Thanks, conservative Christians. You made me a liberal atheist. Your "witness" did indeed lead me to the light of truth. I hope you find it someday too.

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