I was debating whether to write this post, but I’m going to follow my gut and share this commentary because it reflects what is happening in this country. If people are not discerning about what leaders are saying, their words can continue to lead us into dangerous territory.
This is somewhat of a Christian commentary, but it applies to any religion, philosophy, ideology, political affiliation, or other context in which a person feels superior to others and treats those with differing views as less than.
Labels are putting family members and neighbors against each other. Leaders know this and are using it effectively to create chaos and advance their particular agendas.
About a week ago, I was watching a video of a The Gospel Coalition panel discussion, where the theme was “Reflecting on 20 Years of God’s Faithfulness.” The Gospel Coalition was celebrating the 20th anniversary of the organization’s founding. I usually read their articles because they are informative and interesting. I have noticed that the organization has undergone many changes over the last five or six years, and in my opinion, this is because they are getting too involved in politics. The video I watched, and what I’m about to comment on, is proof of that.
The panel consisted of Ligon Duncan, Nancy Guthrie, Collin Hansen, Juan Sanchez, and Mark Vroegop, who moderated the discussion.
I’m not going to describe the entire conversation, but you can watch it here, and they include the transcript if you want to read it.
Ligon Duncan is an American Presbyterian scholar, pastor, and Chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary, whose main campus is in Mississippi. During the discussion about the purpose of creating The Gospel Coalition and why Don Carson and Tim Keller saw the need for it, Ligon Duncan said the following:
“Colin will do a better job of answering this, but from where I was sitting, for the more theological wing of evangelicalism, however you wanted to define evangelicalism, we were in a place where there was there was no organization pulling us together, and Don and Tim wanted people with a high view of Scripture, a high view of God, a high view of grace, a high view of a biblical pastoral ministry that was aware and effective in contemporary culture in reaching all kinds of people with the gospel, especially people that are hardened to the gospel. How do you reach out in blue states? How do you reach out to skeptics, etc, with real truth exposition?”
I added emphasis on “blue states” because that is the part I want to discuss today. There is a lot of discussion about bias nowadays, both conscious and unconscious. I’m not an expert on bias, but I’m starting to see how damaging it can be if we don’t take the time to assess its root causes and how we might go about addressing them.
Being a leader is not an easy task, and it takes time to develop the necessary skills to lead effectively. Communication is key because leaders use it to influence people. When I heard this leader say, “How do you reach out in blue states?” it gave me pause. I wondered why a leader within the conservative Presbyterian denomination thought it was acceptable to say that. To me, it sounded like he meant that there are no Christians in states led by Democratic governors—which is strange, because I’m a Christian living in a “blue state.” Maybe he just needs to step out of his “bubble” and into real life.
I personally dislike the labels “Blue State” and “Red State” because they reflect the “us versus them” narrative affecting politics in this country, and really around the world. It’s wrong, and we need to start changing our behavior. Each state has Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, and many other political identities. They also have Christians (as well as members of other religious groups, denominations, and faiths) who are affiliated with each of these parties.
I want to give Dr. Ligon Duncan some grace and say that his comment was likely unconscious and unintentional. However, unconscious bias is still dangerous because it indicates that a person has not fully assessed their worldview to ensure it is fair and accurate. We are all imperfect humans with biases that we need to assess daily, but if you are a leader, you must think before you speak. Once a thought is verbalized, it is hard to take back. Yes, someone can apologize and do better next time, but the thought has already landed and may be embraced by others. If you doubt that, just listen to how regular people talk about “Blue” and “Red” states. People mimic how political and religious leaders use these labels—it’s divisive and dangerous.
Religious leaders using these labels are not advancing the faith, nor are they improving the church’s standing. They are merely providing evidence of how detached from reality they are, how they are not following true Christian teachings, and how they are undermining their credibility in society.
If I were a Church leader, I would avoid politics and any public engagement meant to demonstrate moral superiority over non-Christians. I have said this before: Church leaders need to focus inward. Instead of trying to change the world, they need to change themselves to ensure they are following Christian teachings. The church has much work to do before trying to change the world. Church leaders and pastors need to ensure their members are being properly discipled and fully understand Christianity. This seems like a full-time task, and I don’t see how they can engage in politics when their members need so much help with the basics. Take care of the basics, and the rest will follow.
I want to highlight two things before concluding this commentary.
First, about a week ago, I read the following about the well-known Christian author Philip Yancey: “Author Philip Yancey Confesses Affair, Withdraws from Ministry.”
Second, many people are aware of OnlyFans and the kind of content created there. I’m not arguing for or against it; people are free to create and monetize content as long as they are not breaking any laws. I think Dr. Ligon Duncan could benefit from reviewing the 2025 reporting on how much states in this country—both Republican- and Democratic-led—are spending on OnlyFans. You can find one of the reports here, or simply search for “OnlyFans 2025 statistics,” but If you do, be aware that some of the content might be offensive.
I think Dr. Duncan should rephrase his question. Instead of asking, “How do you reach out in blue states?” he should ask, “How do you reach out to Christians?” I am 100% certain that the Church needs more help from its leaders than it is currently receiving, based on the two things I highlighted—unless, of course, they believe that Christians are not paying for OnlyFans content, which again demonstrates how detached from reality some Church leaders are.
Thoughts about leadership, history, and more 
Heavy sigh.. yes.. labels have definitely gone beyond being boundaries and turned into walls… I think that we have come to this place because of an intense need to feel connected .. to a smaller group which feels like a family.. but then turns into excessive gate keeping by which one attempts to prove that they are truly worthy.. truly part of the group..
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Great point, Kimberly. That sense of “belonging” can be a problem if forget about sharing life with others. Jesus was criticized for sharing with others and for not staying within the confines of tradition.
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Thanks for sharing your faith and insights in an open, balanced way Edward. I’m not religious and don’t identify with any religion, although I think there is wisdom in many. Churches should stay away from politics, especially since our country was founded on religious freedom and separation of church and state.
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You’re welcome, Brad, and you can say your last part again. How quickly people forget about that.
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I hate labels as well. You’re right that bifurcating the country as “red states” and “blue states” is divisive and dangerous. If we’re ever able to get rid of the Electoral College, I wonder if that would render the terms obsolete. As far as “Christian” labels, I will never forget the memory of being in elementary school and being informed by a classmate that I was going to burn in Hell because I was an Episcopalian preacher’s kid and not a Roman Catholic. I ran home crying to my mother, and as I think back on it now, she did a remarkable job of self-control as she comforted me without condemning the nuns who had put that idea in my classmate’s head. My dad would have rephrased Dr. Duncan’s question as “How do you reach out to Christians to enable them to help those in need.” (I’ll confess that your essay touched a nerve. And rightly so.)
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About the Electoral College, the term will probably become obsolete, but you know people will come up with a new term because, for some, the “us versus them” mindset needs to stay alive. What happened to you in school was terrible, and sadly, the nuns probably had something to do with it, as we have learned from the history of American Indian residential schools. I like your rephrase, definitely better than what I came up with. Thank you, Liz.
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Thank you, Edward, for this revealing and informative article. I don’t know if I have used red/blue state labels before, but believe I have said it in personal conversations, which now that you’ve brought it to my mind, I will refrain from.
Synchronistically, I just watched a YouTube video yesterday about how different people are in Northern California from those in Southern California (politically speaking). So much so that some have called for splitting it in half!
I have never believed preachers had a right to preach politics from the pulpit. I have left such churches.
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You’re so welcome, Sheila. There are similar discussions in Illinois, where some cities want to be part of Indiana. I really blame politicians for that and for their lack of addressing people’s concerns. It doesn’t matter which party wins, the governor needs to hear and address the concerns of all citizens as much as possible. Yes, Jesus didn’t preach politics, so I’m not sure where pastors are getting that from (rhetorically speaking, because I know exactly where they are getting it from).
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This is a very well written piece. I am not a religious person, I am a follower of Jesus Christ and have been for many years. In my opinion politics does not belong in the churches. We are called to minister to others and lead the lost to the Lord, not preach politics in the church. Politics divides, the love of God unites. Thank you for sharing this.
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Amen! What you said is exactly what I’ve learned from the Gospel. Thank you for your comment.
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You are very welcome.
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I love what Beth said…feeling the same. It only takes one experience of seeing the duplicity or half-truths from church “leaders” to throw me off. Organized religion…it’s just not for me…and I think your observation, Edward, “Church leaders need to focus inward” is so spot-on. There’s plenty of soul work, repair work to do to lift folks up without becoming embroiled in blue/red, blah, blah, blah. With you! 💝
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Thank you, Vicki. Indeed, there is plenty of work to do: …lifting up church members from poverty, addressing sexual abuse, marriage crises, drug addiction… Pastors and church leaders should be exhausted at the end of each day.
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Yes! As always, another thoughtful post from you. Thank you, my friend. 💝
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You’re so welcome, my friend. 🫶🏼
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💝😊💝
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Great commentary Edward. I especially liked the main point; “If people are not discerning about what leaders are saying, their words can continue to lead us into dangerous territory.” Mike
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Thank you very much, Mike.
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Al if this supports why I cannot and will not follow any organized religion. The judgement and hypocrisy and guilt are incredible
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I hear you, Beth. I’m a Christian, have been following this for a while, and it’s definitely getting worse. They should realize that and fix the Church before doing anything else.
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I’m always wary of a person that uses the ambiguous phrase “reach out.”
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Me too. There is a lot of “reaching out” going on within church circles, and I’m always wondering what that even means.
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yes reach out and touch somebody’s hand……make this world a better place if you can…..is that what they mean when they say reach out to you and give you a better plan.
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Yes, that part sounds wonderful, and I personally know a lot of Christians are actually doing it. But some church leaders are stuck in the “planning” phase. They need to start focusing on the “doing” and lead by example. “Deeds, not words” is a better plan, if they want to really reach out.
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