Don’t Rely on Faith When You Can Act Instead

Thoughts and prayers don’t solve anything.

I am agnostic, and I make no bones about my distaste for American Christianity. Generally speaking, American Christians are a terrible example of how to be Christlike, and I don’t really care for the example that they put out into the world.

One of the things that American Christians, particularly conservative Christians, get wrong so often is that they put faith before action. There is a big joke that goes around that whenever something bad happens, there is very little money or action around that thing but a surplus of “thoughts and prayers” from people. School shootings are one of the common examples — rather than make any major changes to gun policy, most conservatives block any tangible action while offering their thoughts and prayers to the victims.

I have bad news for you all: thoughts and prayers accomplish nothing.

So often, these people offer thoughts and prayers instead of actually helping the situation. Rather than help a family who is homeless, they say things like “I’ll keep you in my prayers.” Rather than give money to agencies that will help solve any number of problems, they give to their church. Typically, this only helps the church and maybe some parishioners, but in the case of evangelicals, it generally just helps the pastor buy a new private jet.

Then, to make matters worse, they use their sense of moral superiority to bully and condemn anyone who doesn’t fit their particular brand of pseudo-Christianity. Do you not follow one particular preacher’s views on abortion, guns, and gay marriage? Straight to hell you go! Did you vote for Biden? Eternal hellfire for you! Do you think that Donald Trump is anything short of the chosen messenger of god? Hell!

Obviously the problems with our country are completely related to a lack of god in public discourse and not, for example, deep systemic issues that make the public systems work for the wealthy and powerful. Clearly this country’s “turn away from the Bible” is the result of godless liberals and not the many and varied abuses across just about every Christian sect which are incredibly apparent to anyone with a functioning brain and an internet connection.

Do you know what would make me respect you as a Christian? Action. Instead of condemning those who disagree with you, try loving your neighbor. Instead of encouraging the police to brutalize anyone who isn’t white, try turning the other cheek. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and house the homeless instead of begging your city government to tear down tent cities and destroy their belongings.

Do you know what kind of Christians I do respect? The ones who have food pantries open to anyone. The ones who make free meals for those who have lost their homes and their livelihoods. The ones who open their homes and churches to the poor, the hungry, the immigrants, the queer, and anyone who has been disenfranchised by society.

That’s who Christ was. He was a man who washed the feet of the undesirables, associated with prostitutes and tax collectors, and who drove the money lenders from the temple. He was a brown middle eastern immigrant Jew who fought against an unjust government and believed in radical forgiveness. He broke bread with and washed the feet of his disciples despite knowing that one would betray him, one would deny him, and most would abandon him. He died for the sins of humanity knowing that few would appreciate it at the time.

I may not have been a Christian since I was 12, but I’m pretty sure that if he saw what people had done in his name and the name of his father, he’d be pretty pissed. There is no god-given right to guns because guns didn’t exist in the Bible and there’s the whole “a rich person would sooner reach heaven than a camel pass through the eye of a needle” thing. On the flip side, I think people saying that Jesus would be anti-queer is sort of missing the whole “love thy neighbor,” hang out with prostitutes, died-for-your-sins bit.

Using Jesus to justify your inaction, intolerance, and bigotry goes against who Jesus was according to your own text. Offering your waiter prayers instead of tips is a good way to make everyone hate you. Offering hatred wrapped in “god’s love” is a fantastic way to make everyone see your hypocrisy. None of those things is terribly Christ-like.

Do you know what is Christ-like behavior? Loving thy neighbor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and housing the homeless.

Next time some so-called Christian offers you “thoughts and prayers,” remind them that praying is not a substitute for action. Yes, asking god for help is a way to find strength, but why pray when you can act? Why wait for god to come through with a change when you can make that change yourself? If you have faith that someone will help, why can’t you be that someone?

Someone has to answer all of those prayers; why can’t it be you?

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