Growing up in a Christian home, I was raised with religious morals and beliefs. These have stuck with me my entire life, as I have had amazing influences surrounding me since birth, including my “Pops,” who leads his own small church in Franklin. I attend church every Sunday, or at least try to with my busy schedule, and I have been going to church camps and events for as long as I can remember. 

This has shaped who I am and how I view the world: with love and acceptance. President Donald Trump and his discriminatory views do not live up to the standards Jesus set for his followers. And as a believer, my views do not align with those of our current president, though some might assume they would.

It is a common stereotype that all people of the Christian faith politically agree with the Republican party, as it holds similar beliefs to what is seemingly in the Bible. These views include discriminating against members of the LGBTQ+ community, followers of other religions or people that have chosen to get an abortion. Some people of my religion may try to use their beliefs to justify having these discriminatory views, which puts a horrible damper over everything a Christian should be.

This stereotype is true down to straight statistics. According to Pew Research Center, of the Republican party, the percentage of adults who believe in God is 73%, compared with only 55% in the Democratic party. Also, the percentage of the Republican party that sees the importance of religious affiliation in one’s life is 61%, compared to just 47% of Democrats. Because I both believe in God and feel very strongly about implementing Him in my daily life, the chance of me identifying as part of the Republican party is statistically higher. But statistics and stereotypes don’t speak for true morals and beliefs. 

It breaks my heart that speaking out about my views and beliefs as a Christian may make some people automatically think I don’t support them or that I support someone who would do everything in his power to take rights away from them. I am simply not like that.

I love and support everyone, just like God does. Because at the end of the day, He gives equal love to everyone, despite who they are, who they love or what choices they have made. So why should I be any different?

I see our world changing and my generation making a change in an evolving modern society. I want to be a part of this. If I am close-minded and do not allow myself to be educated, I am nothing else but part of the problem. 

I am not only a Christian because I was raised in that faith, I am a Christian because I have seen what God does for people and how he works through people. I have seen people turn their entire lives around, just by the grace of God. If someone is spewing out toxic, hateful words and actions because of their religion, I personally will argue that they’re not following their religion as well as they think. They should be doing everything in their power to show God’s love, which comes from loving one another as He loves them.

These morals and values are ones I try and hold with me every day. It is for that reason that I am not a supporter of our current president, and I do not agree with the majority of the views of the Republican party. Because some people may use the Christian religion to justify these views, it is normal to assume that my political beliefs align with these ideals. This is simply not the case in my life, because as God has loved me unconditionally, I will do the same for others, regardless of who they are or what choices they have made. Being Christian does not automatically make someone part of one political party or another. God doesn’t care about political affiliation, He cares about us. I am living not for a politician or an election. I am living for Him.