I'd like to share something I don't talk about much these days: my fundamentalist upbringing and how it informs my vote.

When I was 8 years old, my parents got “born-again”. Our lives changed dramatically; my parents became radicalized and politically active, especially in the anti-abortion movement.  And they started falling down the rabbit hole, listening to the preachers, televangelists and radio hosts who stoked hatred and division in our country. 

In the Christian nationalist culture that was my 1980's childhood, we believed that the end of the world was coming soon and that we'd be tortured for our faith. We were taught we must be willing to die for our Lord. At church (we attended the local Assemblies of God), the conspiracy theories were rampant and fear was stoked at every single service.  The DEVIL was lurking around every corner. As a child, I remember a constant sense of impending doom.

Anyone who wasn't an evangelical was dangerous— “of the world”—and under the influence of the demons.  We'd sing songs of war, triumphing over our enemies (devils or other citizens) and talked constantly about taking control of this nation for God. In this culture, they subjugated women, abused children and had a very weird obsession with controlling the sex lives of others.  Sound familiar? 

In 2016 Christian fundamentalists like my parents and their friends gained a wicked champion.  A golden calf to worship and obey. A cheap substitution for a holy prophet. One that Jesus himself would deny, deny, deny.  If you have any doubt how aligning with someone so openly immoral and un-presidential has hurt the cause of Jesus and evangelicalism—and destroyed so many families in the process—check out the Exvangelical reddit sub; it's both enlightening and heartbreaking.

There are no more guardrails to hold him back from his greed and lust for power this time, because almost all Republicans embrace him…though many of his former staff members have spoken openly about his plans to overthrow democracy (and we saw that vividly on Jan. 6). He has put lives of women at risk because he doesn't give a fuck about our concerns, our bodies and our freedom to make our own choices. 

His economic plans are focused on tax cuts for billionaires and can't stop kissing up to dictators. He's a Hitler apologist and well-documented racist, rapist and child sexual predator. Yes, his treatment of women is appalling and his close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein should make any ethical person's blood boil. 

And. YET.

The Christian right now claims him as their leader. How is he not the antithesis of everything Jesus taught and did? How is he not a false idol? How can we be a moral nation if we're led by one of the most immoral people in modern politics?

I don't really believe in god anymore. I'm very much at peace with that, but I still try to keep an open mind. What I'm not at peace with, though, is the hypocrisy of the culture I grew up in.  If I did believe in god, it might be due to the very small, silent minority of Evangelicals who have finally seen through the hatred, lies and arrogance and have decided to vote for Kamala Harris in 2024. Despite the threats they hear at church, they've chosen to follow Jesus this time, not some revolting cult leader. Even though many of them vote in silence (fearing retribution/shunning by other Evangelicals), I believe their voices will be heard. And I'm grateful for that.

Today I cast my vote for Harris & Walz…and other people I feel are more Christ-like - folks who truly care, appearl to our better nature and lift others up. Folks who listen as much as they speak, came from the working class, and have plans that help the vast majority of Americans. In the words of a great man from my home state, “We all do better when we all do better” (Paul Wellstone, RIP).  

Please make a plan to vote; make your voice heard. So much is at stake for ourselves, for our country…and those among us who are most vulnerable.

In a spirit of peace, hope and love, 

JJ