It’s important to look at how public figures represent their beliefs. This list explores ten living people who identify as Christian, yet their words and actions have led many to question their sincerity. This isn’t about attacking Christianity itself, but about examining the impact these individuals have had. This is a follow-up to a previous list, focusing on contemporary figures.
10. Pope Francis, et al.
The Catholic Church has faced decades of accusations regarding predatory priests. Films like Spotlight highlighted the widespread nature of these abuses, particularly within the Boston Archdiocese. Previous popes, Benedict XVI and John Paul II, were aware of the molestations and assaults committed by hundreds of priests globally. John Geoghan, a notorious offender, was finally defrocked by John Paul II in 1998 and later murdered in prison.
Globally, the Church often tried to keep these crimes quiet, seemingly to protect its image and avoid legal issues. This involved moving abusive priests between churches, allowing their crimes to continue. Theodore McCarrick, former Archbishop of Washington, D.C., is a high-profile example, with abuses dating back to the 1990s. Pope Francis defrocked him in 2019. However, Francis also commented that pedophilic priests are “children of God” who should be loved, and their condemnation should be an “act of charity.” This gentle response to such severe crimes has understandably upset many victims and their families.
9. Douglas Vincent Mastriano
Douglas Mastriano, a Pennsylvania state senator, is known for his strong opposition to the Democrat Party. He claims that any Democratic election win, especially Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory, is due to fraud. Mastriano was involved in organizing transport for people to the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill protests, selling over 300 bus tickets. His efforts to overturn the election results were so intense that a fellow state senator, Art Haywood, filed a complaint. Haywood argued Mastriano should be disqualified from office as an insurrectionist under the 14th Amendment.
In 2022, Mastriano ran for governor of Pennsylvania but lost to Democrat Josh Shapiro. His campaign heavily emphasized Christian Nationalism. He presented himself and his supporters as divinely chosen to rid American politics of sin. He also raised funds and spoke at a far-right conference supporting the QANON conspiracy theory, which alleges a secret group of Democrats and liberals is involved in child sex trafficking. At this event, he also supported theories that 9/11 was a government-coordinated false flag operation and that Adolf Hitler faked his death.
8. Lou Engle
Lou Engle is a charismatic Christian preacher who led TheCall, a religious movement from 2000 to 2018. He and his followers traveled to various American landmarks, starting with the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to preach against “liberalism” in the government. He continues to preach about the supposed apostasy of the United States, which he believes is primarily due to the national acceptance of abortion. Some argue that his large gatherings promoting Christian Nationalism contributed to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, where participants chanted “Christ is king” and prayed for the downfall of liberalism.
Engle teaches that conservative Christianity is vital to prevent divine judgment on the U.S. for its government’s stance on abortion and homosexuality. In 2010, he went to Uganda to support its laws criminalizing homosexuality. In March 2017, he organized a three-day event in Washington, D.C., calling for an end to witchcraft and the reversal of Roe v. Wade. He has likened his anti-LGBTQ+ views to the Southern secession before the American Civil War, urging opponents of gay rights to follow the example of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
7. Ann Hart Coulter
Ann Coulter is a conservative American columnist known for her politically charged commentary. She frames issues as a battle between the Right (Christian) and the Left (atheistic or anti-Christian). She supports intelligent design over evolution, calling Darwinism a leftist obsession that “replaces sanctification of life with sanctification of sex and death.”
Coulter believes hate crime laws are unconstitutional and stated in 2021 that women should not be allowed to vote. She famously said, “I’m a Christian first and a mean-spirited, bigoted conservative second, and don’t you ever forget it.” She also argues that the United States is a Christian nation and supports establishing Christianity as its official religion, despite the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom. In 2011, she commented, “waterboarding, not bad, though torture would have been better.” She denies being anti-Semitic, despite a controversial 2015 tweet asking, “How many f—ing Jews do these people think there are in the United States?”
6. Lauren Opal Boebert
Lauren Boebert, a Congresswoman from Colorado, is a staunch advocate of Christian Nationalism. Speaking at a church in 2022, she declared that the church should direct the government, saying, “I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk. That’s not in the Constitution.” While the exact phrase isn’t in the Constitution, the First Amendment prevents the government from establishing any religion.
Boebert opposes same-sex marriage and the Equality Act, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. She claims the Act promotes “the supremacy of gays.” This stance seems contrary to Christian teachings of compassion, such as Jesus feeding 5,000 people without questioning their beliefs or backgrounds. Boebert opposes abortion for all reasons, including rape or when the mother’s life is at risk. She is a strong supporter of QANON conspiracy theories, particularly the 2021 theory that President Trump would reveal documents proving widespread Democratic corruption, leading to Republican control of Congress. This did not happen. She also defended the January 6, 2021, Capitol rioters, and during the event, she tweeted information about Democratic lawmakers’ locations, potentially endangering them.
5. Robert Gregory Bowers
Robert Bowers murdered eleven people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018. He is currently on death row. Bowers had spent years on far-right websites like “Gab,” posting conspiracy theories that promoted white supremacy and racism against various groups, including Black people and Jews. His Gab account used a biblical passage (John 8:44) to argue that Jews, as “children of the Devil,” should be killed to prevent a so-called “white genocide.” His account also stated, “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.”
It seems Bowers overlooked that Jesus was Jewish. He certainly ignored Jesus’s teaching to “love one another even as I have loved you” when he attacked the synagogue, shouting, “All Jews must die.” Afterward, while being treated for his gunshot wounds, he reportedly expressed satisfaction with his actions and wished he had killed more.
4. Marjorie Taylor Greene
Marjorie Taylor Greene is known for promoting anti-Semitism, white supremacy, and Christian Nationalism. She supports numerous widely discredited conspiracy theories, including QANON, and has even called the 9/11 terrorist attacks a hoax. She has called for the execution of some Democratic lawmakers, including former President Barack Obama.
During the COVID pandemic, she suggested that getting vaccinated was like accepting “the mark of the Beast” from the Book of Revelation, aligning with a far-right theory that government-recommended vaccines are a pledge to Satan. In 2021 and 2023, she called for a “national divorce” separating red states from blue states, which implies secession and potential civil war. One of her most infamous anti-Semitic statements was blaming the 2018 Camp Fire in California on “Jewish space lasers.” Her controversial statements, particularly her calls for violence against lawmakers, led to her removal from all House committee assignments in 2021. In 2022, she opposed student loan debt forgiveness, despite having personally received $183,504 in student loan forgiveness.
3. Joel Scott Osteen
Joel Osteen is a highly visible televangelist, popular for preaching “prosperity theology.” He tells people that donating to his church will lead God to bless them with wealth, such as a better job or lottery winnings. This theology contrasts sharply with Jesus’s teachings in the Gospels, such as “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” Jesus gave this teaching after telling a rich man to sell all he owned, give to the poor, and follow him.
Prosperity theology also goes against teachings like Paul’s in Ephesians: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” This highlights fairness, as if good works alone led to Heaven, the wealthy would have an unfair advantage. Osteen, worth over $50 million, lives in a 17,000-square-foot mansion in Houston. His congregation donates millions, hoping for God’s favor, which Osteen assures them will come. This is far from Jesus’s example, as he owned no home, and God doesn’t require money.
2. Kenneth Max Copeland
Kenneth Copeland engages in similar anti-Christian preaching as Osteen, amassing millions primarily through his television show Believer’s Voice of Victory and his website’s streaming service. His net worth is estimated at around $300 million, and his ranch in Fort Worth, Texas, includes a private airport with at least five airplanes.
Besides preaching prosperity theology and collecting millions in donations, Copeland strongly opposed the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. On March 29 of that year, he recorded a sermon where he claimed to destroy the pandemic by blowing it away with the “breath of God.” He has encouraged his followers to distrust modern medicine and rely on faith for healing. Copeland has been criticized for designating his mansion as a parsonage to avoid taxes and for using donations to buy a $20 million private jet for personal travel. He defended owning a private jet as “biblical,” stating he didn’t want to fly on commercial jets filled with “demons.”
1. Donald John Trump
Throughout his political career, Donald Trump has made numerous overtly racist statements. He has denounced immigrants, particularly from Mexico, as rapists and drug dealers. In a 2016 tweet, he claimed, “the overwhelming amount of violent crime in our cities is committed by blacks and Hispanics.” His many racist remarks and refusals to apologize are well-documented.
As a presidential candidate, Trump quickly gained popularity among far-right, white supremacist hate groups, including the KKK. He leveraged pro-white racism within the far-right voter base for political advantage. Trump successfully politicized Christianity, turning it into a tool for his Republican supporters, who see him as a divinely appointed leader to rid America of illegal immigrants, liberals, and anyone the predominantly white Protestant far-right considers non-Christian. Neo-Nazis often attend his rallies, and during the January 6th Capitol riot, some supporters carried images of Jesus wearing a red MAGA hat. This is all in addition to numerous accusations of sexual misconduct, rape, adultery, and dishonest business practices against him.
The actions and words of these individuals often stand in stark contrast to core Christian teachings of love, humility, truth, and compassion. While they claim to represent Christian values, their conduct has unfortunately led many to view Christianity in a negative light.
What are your thoughts on these public figures? Do you know of others whose actions might misrepresent their stated faith? Leave your comment below!
