As a Jesus-loving Catholic, I’ve been disappointed to observe that many members of the Catholic and broader Christian community unknowingly deviate from many of his teachings.

Growing up with strict Roman Catholic parents who made sure I was immersed in youth ministries, bible camps, church choirs and religious studies, I believe I have some credibility to speak on Christian culture.

Throughout my life, I’ve recognized rising polarization in the community between conservative self-proclaimed “traditional” Christians and new-wave, more liberal members of the church.

In my observations, many of the former exhibit qualities of self-righteousness, judgement and prejudice, which I believe stem from feelings of moral superiority and white supremacy. 

Last summer, before I left for my first year of college, I went to the beach with my best friend Jessica. I wore a bathing suit that was nothing more than completely average and far less than promiscuous. 

My mother, though, begged to differ. That day, I received a text message from her.

“I cannot believe the bathing suit bottoms, really!!!!!! Totally inappropriate. So if you were to run into Jesus at the beach, how would you feel then. Jesus and God see all!!!! Thought you had more self respect than that,” she said.

Admittedly, imagining that Jesus’s second coming would occur at a dreary beach in Rhode Island is hilarious. Putting the ridiculousness aside, this message aligns with frequent and disturbing beliefs among many Christians across denominations.

My mother insinuated that Jesus, a man who befriended the most condemned members of society, including prostitutes, would deem me less than acceptable due to my bathing suit and lack of conservatism. 

A similarly disappointing story was told to me by my friend Ashley, who has short hair, when she described her first and last time attending a Catholic mass. According to her, a patron approached her without hesitation to say that Ashley’s haircut was making her uncomfortable.

“I felt like I didn’t belong there simply because my appearance didn’t conform to gender norms,” she said.

Stories like these demonstrate the pervasive belief that Christianity and God’s acceptance is not for all, but is reserved for a demographic of people who behave in a specific way.

Often, people whose actions convey these messages identify with Christian nationalism: an extremist movement pushing for Christian governmental power and favoritism, according to a March 7, 2024 USA Today article. 

Christian nationalism reinforces social and structural threats to women in regard to their legal rights, sexual expression and ability to deviate from gender roles, according to a Nov. 14, 2023 National Organization for Women article. 

Christian supremacy, a belief in the superiority of Christianity, is commonly compounded with Christian nationalism to justify and encourage racism, according to the book “Christian Supremacy: Reckoning with the Roots of Antisemitism and Racism” by Magda Teter. 

Teter writes that, historically, European Christian supremacists laid the foundations for “justified” slavery through Christian fundamentalism, a movement encouraging the literal interpretation of the biblical text and Christian doctrines, during colonialism. 

Additionally, Christian nationalists frequently use their interpretations of certain bible passages to justify the death penalty for people in LBGTQ+ relationships, according to an Aug. 5, 2022 article from The Conversation.

Bible passages from the Old Testament are frequently taken out of their historical context and mistranslated to promote the agendas of Christian nationalists. 

The verse 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 has been used to justify homophobia, but research suggests that the verse was mistranslated and actually condemned male pedophiles rather than male homosexuals, according to a Dec. 1, 2023 article by The Guardian. 

Christian nationalist movements against subordinated groups often claim that they strive for moral order to justify structural violence, according to a Nov. 3, 2019 article in the Journal of Religion and Violence.

Concerningly, Christian dominionism, a concept that argues against the separation of church and state through a belief that America was founded for Christianity, has gained traction since Donald Trump’s presidency, according to a November 2022 article by The Christian Century. 

“The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church,” Representative Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said, according to the article by The Conversation.

If Christian dominionists gain governmental authority, as has already been observed by Trump’s reestablishment of the White House Faith Office, increased prejudice and violence against minorities can be expected, according to a Feb. 10 Religion News Service article.

Karen Swallow, an author and professor, argues that Christian dominionism, Christian nationalism and facism are all essentially the same because they oppose the beauty of freedom in Christ, according to her July 11, 2023 Religious News Service article.

If those who fall into the “acceptable” group of people in the eyes of Christian nationalists — white, heterosexual and male — don’t align with their extremist viewpoints, they are seen as unacceptable and “un-Christian.”

David Carlin, a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist, claimed that the average Progressive either doesn’t believe in God or barely believes, according to his July 8, 2024 article in The Catholic Thing.

As someone who has tried their hardest to align their actions with the true values of Christianity proclaimed by Jesus —  love, acceptance, inclusion and lack of judgment — I find myself disgusted by the beliefs of these groups.

Much like the Pharisees in the time of Jesus’s condemnation, Christian nationalists are blind to the true values of the faith and remain ignorant in their bigotry.

“There’s no hate like Christian love” is a reality that I pray will change.