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I recently wrote an article about whether the American Church can survive another Trump presidency. In full transparency, I was expecting a lot more pushback and animosity from conservatives and conservative Christians.

The reticent response from these groups gives me hope that America is seeing Trump for the con man he is and is no longer willing to defend the undefendable. Surprised by the lack of conservative animosity the article received, I was even more taken aback by the number of readers who took exception to my critique of Vice President Harris.

In particular, I made two statements that didn't sit well with people. They were:

Looking back on it now, those were two small statements I said almost in passing to make a more significant point about the toxicity of Trump on Christianity. Yet, those are the statements that people latched on to and took exception with.

One point worth clarifying is that many people asked, "Why do I believe Harris is horrible?" I don't think Harris is a horrible person, and I don't believe I said anything beyond Harris's policies being similar to Trump's, and "horrible" was read into my words. I also think a Harris white house is an overall win for America and the church compared to a Trump one.

Harris is equally horrible as Trump, primarily on crucial justice issues I deeply care about as a Christian. Here are the four justice areas where Harris and Trump are aligned that I deeply care about as a Progressive Christian:

For over a year, the world has had front rows seats to Israel's increased hostilities toward the people of Palestine. A friend of mine often says, 

As Americans, we have not only stood by and allowed over 40,000 Palestinians to be killed and 2.3 million to be displaced, but we've funded this genocide. The Biden administration has done nothing but warn Israel with hollow threats when, with a single phone call, we could force the violence to end immediately.

The United States currently sends Israel 3.8 BILLION dollars in military aid annually. This amounts to 316.7 million dollars a month. To put this in context, to cover the amount of money America sends to Israel in bombs, guns, and military aid, it costs every American taxpayer 12,000 dollars. As American taxpayers, we are all complicit in funding the worst genocide in the 21st century.

Now, Israel is expanding their violence to Lebanon, where 200,000 Lebanese people were killed in 2 weeks. What's worse is the violence Israel is committing is under the guise of long-term security and peace for the state of Israel. The reality is neither security nor peace will be achieved through such widespread and brutal violence against a majority of Middle Eastern women and children.

The Biden administration has utterly failed in preserving Palestinian and Lebanese lives. It has been unable to check Israel's aggression and genocidal violence. Tragically, Harris has the same 'pro-Israel' strategy as the current administration. Trump has also openly stated he is 'pro-Israel' and supports Israel's right to defend itself. Last I checked, self-defense is very different than genocide. it’s also worth noting that both candidates have received millions of dollars from AIPAC, which all but guarantees they will remain in Israel’s pocket. 

During the Trump administration, military spending increased from $606 billion to $723 billion. The Biden-Harris administration has largely continued the spending and defense priorities put in place by President Trump.

Both administrations agree that China is America's primary military competitor, influencing our military spending. Vice President Harris has publicly committed that America "will always have the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world." She has also pledged to "strengthen - not abdicate - our global leadership." This suggests a Harris presidency’s continued commitment to robust military capabilities and spending.

As a follower of Jesus, I believe he perfectly embodied the nonviolent commitment we've seen through leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. It's hypocritical for a country that tries to claim it is a "Christian nation" to be so overly committed to military force. During Jesus's life, an empire was equally committed to military might, like America; that power was called the Roman Empire.

Living his entire life under Roman occupation, Jesus's advocacy for nonviolence was consistently seen as a threat to the Roman way of peace, which came through violence. The kingdom of God Jesus embodies is a kingdom that brings peace through justice. This is the complete antithesis of empire; with Rome and all other worldly empires, the way to peace is always through violence. When the kingdom of God clashed with the empire, the empire did the only thing it knew to do: commit violence. In the case of Jesus, this meant death on a Roman cross. A supposed sign that the way of empire is greater than the kingdom of God. Yet, here we are in 2024, still striving to embody God's kingdom while learning about Rome in history books.

As an evangelical, I was inundated by propaganda that filled pulpits and pews, reminding me Christians are 'pro-life.' The truth is a more accurate description is Christians are 'anti-abortion' more than they are pro-life.

For example, 73% of white evangelicals believe abortion should be illegal in most or all situations. At the same time, they support the death penalty for people convicted of murder. Interestingly, the most conservative evangelicals believe doctors who perform abortions should be convicted of murder. Based on this rationale, the majority of Protestants are more committed to being pro-death than they are pro-life.

In her book "Dead Man Walking" Sister Helen Prejean explains her conviction on why the state should not be in the business of sanctioned murder;

There is ample research and evidence that shows capital punishment is not a deterrent against murder. In actuality, states with capital punishment generally have higher murder rates than states without the death penalty.

Christians follow and worship an innocent man who was killed by the state. In what world does it make sense that these same followers endorse the same system that wrongly killed their savior?

Donald Trump strongly supports the death penalty, while Harris has been less transparent about her views. She has said personally she is opposed to the death penalty. However, while serving as California's Attorney General, she defended the death penalty in court and said she would "enforce the death penalty as the law dictates." At best, Harris is maybe, sometimes, against the death penalty. I'm against it and want to support a candidate who values human life as much as I do. Someone who understands we are not our worst days or our most horrible choices, and in the 21st century, we can hold criminals accountable without killing them.

One of the ethical thrusts Jesus gave to humanity was an impetus toward compassion, a preference for disarming enemies without humiliating or destroying them, and solidarity with those who are poor and suffering. I don't have a 'pie in the sky' view that with enough social services, regulations, and tax breaks, we can rid America of poverty.

What I do believe, though, is as the wealthiest country to ever exist in the history of homo sapiens, we can create social safety nets. It's entirely realistic to believe anyone who falls into poverty in the 21st century can leverage our collective resources to get back on their feet and create better economic, educational, and health opportunities for their offspring without going into decades-long debt.

The United States is the wealthiest and only developed nation without a universal healthcare system. At the same time, we are the only Western country that does not offer free or subsidized education to all citizens.

As of this writing, America's total credit card debt is $1.14 trillion, while student loan debt is $1.7 trillion. For generations, we've told our children that the best way to flourish economically is through a college education. We now have a system where the mechanism that is supposed to lead to upward mobility is the financial mechanism handicapping generations.

This is where Trump and Harris are the most different but still the same. Trump is adamantly against any broad-scale student loan forgiveness. Harris is for 'targeted' forgiveness and income-based repayment plans. From my perspective, one candidate is content to do nothing, while the other is willing to put a bandaid on an amputated limb. In 2008, America bailed out most prominent financial institutions, but in 2024, the average citizen trying to better themselves through an education can still get little to no help.

Based on my convictions and both candidates' positions, neither Democrats nor Republicans actually value the same compassion and justice that people of faith are called to. As a result, I've started looking at other candidates, such as Cornel West and Jill Stein. When I mention Jill Stein, the pushback I usually hear is that she isn't a candidate who can realistically carry enough votes to beat Trump.

I'm not a fan of this argument because it's based on fear. The end result isn't what brings about the most opportunity and thriving for all Americans; it's rooted in how we keep the boogeyman out of the Oval Office. I don't want to vote based on fear but on a vision I can support and endorse as someone who loves and follows the path of Jesus.

It's been America's insistence on maintaining the status quo that has put us in a situation where Donald Trump can commit fraud, incite insurrection, objectify women, and build a platform on lies and deception, all while convincing Christians he is 'God's man.' As much as I am opposed to another Trump presidency, I'm done letting my politics be dictated by fear. Regardless of a candidate’s party, gender, religion, or economic status, I'm committed to seeking leaders who embody the world Jesus calls his followers to build.

The more people who vote outside of the two-party system and say they're tired of the status quo, the more likely we'll actually see change in the quality of our leaders. By seeking leaders who truly reflect the justice, compassion, and vision of Jesus, we are not just casting votes; we are casting hope into a future where our faith fuels transformation beyond the status quo.

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