There’s something deeply cynical about politicians who declare “America is a Christian nation” while their own lives tell a different story. JD Vance says Christianity is America’s Creed, yet he’s married to a Hindu and celebrates Hanukkah with his family. I’m not questioning his marriage or his respect for other faiths. I’m questioning the authenticity of his public theology.

As a reformed Christian, I believe America’s founding was deeply shaped by Christian ethics and moral reasoning. That’s a historical reality we can trace through the documents, debates, and institutions our founders created. But there’s a massive difference between acknowledging that influence and weaponizing faith for electoral advantage.

When politicians suddenly discover the language of Christian nationalism at precisely the moment it polls well with their base, we have an obligation to call it what it is: pandering. They’re not defending the faith. They’re using it as a vehicle to power.

The gospel doesn’t need politicians to protect it. It needs believers who live with integrity, who refuse to let our most sacred convictions become just another campaign strategy. When faith becomes nothing more than a demographic to capture, we’ve lost something essential.

I’d rather have a leader who lives their convictions quietly and inconsistently than one who performs them loudly while calculating their next move. At least the first one isn’t treating my faith like a focus group finding.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​