Why I'm a Christian, Not Culture Warrior

Aren’t You a Little Embarrassed?

If you're like me and identify as a Christian… aren’t you even a little embarrassed by the brand right now?

Be honest. When someone hears the word “Christian,” do they immediately think radical love, undeserved grace, servant-hearted compassion—or do they picture someone screaming on the internet about pronouns, Disney movies, or Mr. Potato Head?

Because let’s not kid ourselves. Somewhere along the line, the public face of modern Christianity stopped looking like Jesus and started looking like a Twitter feed with a persecution complex. A decade ago, most Christians could spot the circus. Westboro Baptist (as pictured above) was the sideshow freak act of Christianity—loud, hateful, and universally condemned. They were figuratively, American Christianity's crazy uncle. But let’s be honest: what used to be the fringe now feels a lot closer to the main stage. And some folks aren’t even flinching anymore.

We traded the towel and basin for hashtags and bullhorns.

And now? We’re known more for what we boycott than who we bless. If you aren't at least a little embarrassed for what our faith has become, you should be.

What Even Is a Culture Warrior?

The term “culture warrior” gets tossed around like communion crackers in a Baptist youth group. But here’s what it really looks like:

• Tearing down a rainbow-themed cereal box while ignoring your neighbor's eviction notice

• Recording a TikTok rebuke outside Target but never visiting a widow or orphan

• Refusing to wear a mask "on principle" while claiming to love your neighbor

• Boycotting a Disney movie harder than you boycott pride or dishonesty

Culture warriors aren’t just passionate—they’re perpetually outraged. Always fighting. Always offended. Always ready to throw down in the name of "defending the faith"… as long as that faith looks suspiciously like their political narratives. For some Christians, outrage isn’t just a bad habit—it’s a full-blown addiction. And their so-called “God-chosen” leader in the White House? He’s the dealer. Always ready with a fresh fix of enemies to hate, culture wars to rage, people to boycott, and just enough pseudo-righteous fire to make it all feel holy. Meanwhile, Jesus—the actual King they claim to follow—isn’t handing out targets. He’s calling us to serve, to forgive, to lay down our lives instead of doubling down on our pride. But let’s be honest… grace doesn’t trend like rage does.

But here's the rub:

Jesus didn’t call us to win a culture war. He called us to carry a cross.

And crosses aren’t weapons—they’re altars.

Jesus Changed Culture—But He Never Went to War With It

Jesus lived in the middle of one of the most unjust, corrupt, and pagan empires in history. Rome wasn’t subtle about its immorality. They paraded it.

But Jesus didn’t boycott Roman goods. He didn’t lead protests against Herod. He didn’t start a hashtag campaign against Caesar.

He healed. He loved. He told inconvenient truth. He lifted the shamed. He flipped tables in His own house—not the government’s.

When culture warriors yell, “Jesus flipped tables!”—they forget He was flipping them at religious hypocrisy, not the people the Church disagreed with. If the culture warriors look deeper, they'll likely see that Jesus would be flipping their tables, not the tables of their culture war targets.

The woman at the well? He didn’t shame her. Zacchaeus the corrupt tax collector? He dined with him. The Roman centurion? He praised his faith.

Jesus didn’t shame sinners—He saved them.He didn’t demand power—He laid His down.He didn’t change the world by dominating it—He changed it by dying for it.

And let’s not forget: the Enemy tempted Jesus with all the kingdoms of the world—all the power, the influence, the political control—and Jesus flat-out refused it (Matthew 4). That wasn’t a footnote. That was a mission statement.

Yet today, many Evangelicals are tripping over themselves to grab the very thing Jesus rejected - political power.

We think we’re defending the Gospel—but too often we’re just dressing up a thirst for control in religious language. And when “owning the pagans” becomes more important than loving them, we’re not preaching the Gospel. We’re parodying it.

Jesus transformed culture by transforming people. With love. With humility. With grace. With salvation.

Not with shame. Not with power. Not with bullying. And definitely not with some twisted version of discipleship that looks more like domination.

And He did it all without rage-posting once.

The Rotten Fruit of the Culture War

Let’s talk fruit. Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:16). Paul gave us a clear list of the "fruits of the spirit" in Galatians 5:

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness.

Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.

Now, do those sound like the comments section of a culture warrior? Are they the "brand voice" of the political party that you have anointed as "The Party of God"?

Here’s the fruit we’re known for lately:

• Shaming a cashier for saying “Happy Holidays”

• Mocking immigrants in Jesus’ name

• Freaking out over rainbow-colored candy

• Canceling a syrup bottle while ignoring poverty

• Boycotting a beer ad but staying silent about school shootings

When I challenge "the wrong people" with red-letter scripture on Jesus' call to love everyone, I'm called a progressive, woke, liberal, baby-killing, human trafficking supporting pedophile fake pastor who hates God, America, the troops, the flag, freedom, apple pie and puppies.

Last week someone called me "Satan's Director of Propaganda." For quoting Jesus. That's how both scary and embarrassingly juvenile some Evangelicals have become - all "in God's name." Believers didn't much like when Paul challenged them either, resulting in him being imprisoned, tortured, beaten, stoned and left for dead. So, yes, I feel blessed to only be enduring "sick burns" from an overzealous, red-hatted community.

The reality is this. As Christians, we’re not bearing fruit. We’re throwing it at people.

And it’s rotten.

Bold Doesn’t Have to Mean Belligerent

Don’t hear what I’m not saying. This isn’t a call to silence. It’s a call to sanity.

Boldness isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the most Christlike.

Jesus had boldness—but it was always anchored in love.

He didn’t yell at sinners—He wept over them. He didn’t go viral—He went to the cross.

And maybe—just maybe—our boldest move isn’t calling out the world’s sin, but confronting our own.

It takes real courage to address the sin inside our churches. It takes integrity to challenge the moral failures of the people we’ve propped up as spiritual leaders. It takes humility to repent for how we’ve weaponized the Gospel against the very people Jesus came to save.

Before we throw another stone, maybe we should ask who we’ve become when our first instinct is to distract from our own guilt by spotlighting someone else’s.

Consider Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: they didn’t scream at Babylon. They just stood.

Quiet. Clear. Uncompromised.

We don’t need more Christian influencers. As much as it may give you a testosterone boost, we don't need more "Christian Warriors" either. We need more Christian integrity. More Christian humility. We need more disciples of Jesus, not disciples of Christianity (and yes, there is a chasm of difference between the two.)

The Real War Isn’t Against Culture—It’s For Souls

Paul makes it clear: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood…” (Ephesians 6:12).

The enemy isn’t the liberal. Or the atheist. Or the pop star. Or the drag queen. The enemy is the one who uses our outrage to keep us from loving people like Jesus did.

Culture warriors are loud. But they’re often manipulated. Because Satan doesn’t care what distracts you from Christ—only that you are.

Who's Shaking the Jar of Division?

It’s like the parable of the ants: Put 100 red ants and 100 black ants in a jar and they’ll coexist just fine. But shake the jar—and suddenly they’re at war with each other, convinced the other is the enemy. All while forgetting the real threat is the one shaking the jar.

Let’s be clear: the jar’s been shaken. Hard.

We’ve been baited, provoked, and pitted against one another—by those who profit off our outrage and call it righteousness. This type of behavior needs to be rebuked,  even if the person doing it holds the highest office in the land.

The war isn’t against people. It’s against the forces convincing us people are the enemy.

When we’re known more for attacking the world than reaching it, we’ve missed the mission.

Let Them Call Us Soft—If It Means We Look Like Jesus

I’m not a culture warrior. Not because I don’t care—but because I do.

I care enough to stop shouting and start loving. I care enough to stop winning arguments and start washing feet. I care enough to make sure people hear the Gospel—not just my opinions.

Let them call it weak. Let them call it woke. Jesus called it the Kingdom. Jesus called it being known as His disciple.

Jesus didn’t call us to win a war—He called us to carry a cross. Culture warriors swing swords. Christians wash feet.