“Why Are You NOT Evangelical?”

Not to long ago I was asked that very question; why are you not evangelical? It was a question framed in a conversation centering around me being an active progressive voice. The person who asked the question was trying to bait me into an argument, while gaslignting me about my stance. Now, I’m just right mix of sarcastic and asshole to be willing to take the bait.

If there’s one thing I learned over time is that those who claim to be “Evangelical Christians” tend to go off the deep end when confronted by reason, truth, and facts – all based on the Collective Narrative. I should have realized that we hit an impasse at the beginning of our conversation. When anyone opens a conversation with such a loaded question it usually means they’re not interested in an honest conversation, they’re just looking for an argument and see if they can change your mind – but I wonder, how many people actually change their minds after a insulting conversation with an Evangelical? But I digress.

So, why am I not Evangelical?

I’ve seen firsthand what Evangelicals claim as love, grace, compassion, understanding, and wanting, and it turned my stomach. I’ve seen how they use people for their advantage, and how they ignored those marginalized by society. I’ve seen how they talk the talk, while at the same time striving to find any reason to not walk the walk. I’ve seen them abuse the abused, ignore the hurting, judge the poor, alienate those striving to find themselves; all the time seeing themselves as better than others. I’ve seen how they have taken a message of sharing into a message of greed. I’ve seen their pious purity playout in such a way as to ignore the sexual abuse among them. I’ve seen how men gather in conference to determine the role of women in the church and ignore their calls to equality. I’ve felt their stinging words when people differ with them, and how they condemn those who question them. I’ve seen how they have politicalized their faith and twisted the teachings of Jesus to fit those political ends. I’ve heard them claim, “We are made new in Christ,” while screwing people over and claiming, “We’re only human, and fallen.” I’ve felt the pain of their “all are welcome” bait and switch.

So, let me ask you, “Why would anyone want to be part of that?”