OP-ED: From Faith to Fear — A Personal Inquiry into Religion, Power, and American Democracy

4-18-2026

By Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

Part I: A Question That Started It All

My inquiry began with a simple but profound question:

“When did Christians start killing people in the name of their religion?” — Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

It wasn’t meant to provoke—it was meant to understand.

Because when we look at the teachings of Jesus Christ, what we find is not violence, coercion, or domination. We find love, forgiveness, and radical compassion.

And yet, history tells a different story.

Part II: Before Christianity — Violence and Belief

My next question followed naturally:

“What was the first religion to kill others in the name of their religion?” — Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

The answer is not simple.

There was no single “first.” From ancient civilizations—Mesopotamia, Egypt, early tribal societies—religion and power were intertwined. Kings ruled by divine authority. Wars were justified through the will of gods.

This reframes the issue:

Religion did not create violence—humans used religion to justify it.

Part III: Jesus and Nonviolence

Then I asked directly:

“Did Jesus kill anybody for not converting?” — Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

The answer is clear: No. Not once.

He did not:

• Force belief

• Punish non-followers

• Seek political control

He invited, taught, healed, and forgave—even those who harmed him.

So the deeper question emerges:

If Jesus did not use violence—why did others in his name?

Part IV: The Shift to Power

History shows the turning point.

With leaders like Emperor Constantine, Christianity moved from a persecuted spiritual movement into a state-aligned institution.

With that shift came:

• Authority

• Enforcement

• Control

And with control came the potential for coercion.

Part V: Conversion and Expansion

Christianity became one of the most conversion-driven religions in the world.

This came from:

• The Great Commission

• The belief in salvation through Christ

• Global expansion through empire and colonization

Conversion, over time, sometimes shifted from invitation to expectation—and at times, pressure.

Part VI: The Present — Christian Nationalism

Now we arrive at the present moment.

Here is my lived observation and concern:

“Political leaders are saying they are proudly Christian nationalist. They want a Bible in every classroom and the Ten Commandments posted. They want a Trump Bible in every class along with government documents—a clear combination of church and state. They say they are bringing God back and prayer. Paula White, the spiritual advisor to the president, has brought Evangelical Christianity into the White House. There is nothing wrong with faith and prayer, but they are pushing it as the official religion of the United States.” — Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

This raises urgent constitutional and moral questions:

• Where is the line between faith and governance?

• What happens when one belief system becomes dominant in public institutions?

Part VII: Manufactured Fear Narratives

My concern deepens when examining the narratives being promoted:

“They’re framing what’s going on as a threat to men, a threat to white men, and a threat to Christianity. They say others are taking away American values like patriotism and belief in God. White people are being threatened by outsiders from Mexico and elsewhere, and by what they call an ungodly LGBTQIA+ agenda. They say transgender people are trying to convert and turn all children transgender. It just goes on and on.” — Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

These claims are powerful—but they are not supported by credible evidence.

They function as:

• Fear amplification

• Identity protection narratives

• Political mobilization tools

Part VIII: Expansion of Fear — A Culture War

The scope of concern widens:

“There is a war on Black and brown people, on women, on LGBTQ people—especially transgender people. A war on immigrants, framing them as murderers and rapists. A war in the Middle East framed as Muslims wanting death to America. A manufactured fear against LGBTQ people, immigrants, and non-white, non-Christian people—as if the world is trying to eliminate the white race, which is completely untrue.” — Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

This is not random.

It reflects a broader pattern:

• Define a threat

• Amplify fear

• Consolidate power

Part IX: Law, Reality, and Delay

Even with legal protections in place, there is a lived tension:

“It doesn’t really matter if laws exist when the current administration acts as if they don’t apply. They push limits to see how far they can go. Legal challenges take months or years. Meanwhile, harm is already happening. The courts are overwhelmed with endless lawsuits.” — Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

This reflects a real structural issue:

• Laws can exist on paper

• But enforcement and correction take time

And in that time, people feel vulnerable.

Part X: Democracy Under Strain

The broader conclusion becomes clear:

“American democracy and freedoms are being played out in the courts right now and in the social theater throughout the United States—in the media—pitting one group against another and manufacturing fears.” — Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

This is not a collapse—but it is a stress test.

Part XI: Language of Escalation

We must also examine leadership rhetoric.

Statements from Donald Trump regarding Iran have emphasized:

• “Total destruction”

• “Complete annihilation”

• “Maximum pressure” and force

• Threats to dismantle national capabilities

This kind of language:

• Escalates conflict

• Dehumanizes entire populations

• Normalizes extreme outcomes

Final Reflection

We return to the beginning.

Jesus did not:

• Kill

• Coerce

• Dominate

He loved.

And yet, his name is now used in movements that can:

• Divide

• Exclude

• Control

So the question is not simply:

What is Christianity?

But:

Who is using it—and for what purpose?

Closing Statement

“We are not just debating politics. We are deciding whether we will lead with fear—or return to something far more radical: love, truth, and humanity.” — Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

🌈 A Prayer for Healing Across Time, Faith, and Humanity

By Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

Divine Source of All Love, God of every name, every people, every path—

We come before You in humility, in truth, and in remembrance.

We pray for healing across time.

We lift up the souls of all who have been harmed, persecuted, or killed in the name of religion—in the name of power—in the name of fear.

We remember those lost during the Inquisition, those accused and executed in the Salem witch trials, and all unnamed souls throughout history who suffered under the weight of belief turned into control.

We honor them. We grieve them. We ask that their spirits be held in Your eternal peace.

God of Truth,

We ask for healing of the wounds caused by religious wars—wars that were never truly Yours, but born from human fear, power, and division.

Heal the misuse of Your name. Heal the distortion of sacred teachings. Heal the pain carried through generations.

Let us see clearly:

That You were never the author of hate, never the voice of violence, never the hand of oppression.

God of Compassion,

We pray for healing in our present time.

Where there is fear—bring understanding. Where there is division—bring unity. Where there is hatred—bring love.

We pray for all people:

• Black and brown communities

• Women and those whose voices have been silenced

• LGBTQIA+ souls and especially transgender individuals

• Immigrants seeking safety, dignity, and belonging

• People of all faiths and those of no faith

Let every person know: They are sacred. They are worthy. They belong.

God of Freedom,

We pray for the protection of democracy. We pray for the strength and endurance of the Constitution. We pray for the safeguarding of all rights that protect human dignity:

• The right to believe—or not believe

• The right to live freely and safely

• The right to love and express identity without fear

• The right to equality under the law

Protect the spirit of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Protect the rights hard-won by generations before us. Protect the future for those yet to come.

God of Peace,

We ask for the end of all cultural and social wars that seek to divide humanity against itself.

End the war against identity. End the war against difference. End the war against one another.

Help us to see through the illusions of fear, the stories that tell us we must choose sides, the narratives that tell us someone must be less for another to be more.

God of Love,

Bring us back to the true teachings of Jesus Christ—teachings of nonviolence, compassion, and service.

Let us walk the path of:

• Understanding over judgment

• Kindness over cruelty

• Truth over fear

Let love be the way-shower.

And now, within each of us—

Awaken courage. Awaken wisdom. Awaken the sacred knowing that we are not separate, but one human family.

May we become the healing. May we become the bridge. May we become the light.

And so it is. Amen. 🌈✨

🌈 Guided Meditation for Healing Across Time & Humanity

By Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

Begin…

Find a comfortable position. Gently close your eyes. Allow your body to soften.

Take a slow, deep breath in…And exhale gently.

Again… inhale…And release.

Let your breath become natural, steady…Effortless.

Centering Into Presence

Bring your awareness into your heart space.

Imagine a soft, radiant light glowing at the center of your chest. A warm, loving light.

This light is your connection to the Divine—to God, Source, Love itself.

With every breath, this light grows stronger…warmer…more expansive.

Healing Across Time

Now, gently allow your awareness to expand beyond this moment.

Imagine a timeline stretching behind you—through years… centuries… millennia.

See the lives… the stories… the countless souls who have come before you.

Now, with compassion, bring into your awareness those who suffered in the name of religion:

Those lost in the Inquisition…those accused in the Salem witch trials…those harmed in religious wars across the world…those persecuted for who they were, what they believed, or how they lived.

Do not feel overwhelmed—simply witness… with love.

Sending Healing Light

From your heart, allow your radiant light to expand outward.

See it flowing across time…touching each soul gently.

Whisper within:

“You are seen. You are honored. You are free.”

Let this light bring peace…restoration…release.

Healing the Present

Now bring your awareness back to the present world.

See our world as it is today diverse… complex… evolving.

Notice the places where there is fear, division, and conflict.

Without judgment, simply observe.

Now, from your heart, send that same light outward:

To Black and brown communities…To women finding their voice…To LGBTQIA+ souls, especially transgender individuals…To immigrants seeking safety…To people of all faiths—and those of none.

Let your heart say:

“You are sacred. You are worthy. You belong.”

Dissolving Fear

Now, imagine all fear-based narratives—all division, hatred, and misunderstanding—as a dark mist surrounding the world.

See your light… and the light of millions of others…beginning to dissolve that mist.

Not through force—but through love.

Light gently transforming darkness.

Returning to Truth

Now bring your awareness back to your heart.

Feel the presence of unconditional love.

The essence of the teachings of Jesus Christ—not as doctrine, but as living truth:

Love. Compassion. Understanding.

Repeat silently:

“I choose love. I choose truth. I choose peace.”

Anchoring the Vision

Now imagine a world where:

• All people are free

• All identities are honored

• All faiths are respected

• No one is persecuted for who they are

Feel this not as a dream…but as a possibility being created now.

Let it anchor within you.

Closing

Bring your awareness gently back to your breath.

Inhale deeply…and exhale slowly.

Feel your body…your presence…your grounding.

When you are ready…gently open your eyes.

🌈 Affirmation to carry with you:

“I am a vessel of love. I am part of the healing of this world.”

When Heaven Looked Upon the Earth

A Spiritual Story

By: Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

In the beginning of the long sorrow after the cross, Heaven was not silent.

God looked upon the earth, and the earth was still beautiful. The rivers still shimmered in the morning light. Mountains still lifted their heads in praise. Children still laughed. Mothers still sang. Seeds still broke open in the dark and reached for the sun.

And yet, among the beauty, there was a grief rising.

It rose from palaces and battlefields, from churches and courts, from marketplaces and thrones. It rose from the secret desires of the human heart—greed, fear, envy, lust for power, hunger for control, the desire to dominate, the refusal to love.

And God, who had given humanity free will as a sacred gift, watched what people did with it.

Not all. Never all. There were always the humble, the kind, the healers, the truth-tellers, the mothers of mercy, the fathers of courage, the children of light. But there were also those who took what was sacred and made it a weapon.

So one day beyond time, in the courts of eternity, God called the archangels.

Michael came, bearing strength like a mountain. Gabriel came, bearing truth like a clear trumpet. Raphael came, bearing healing like cool water. Uriel came, bearing wisdom like fire that does not consume.

And behind them stood a host of angels, watchers over nations, over children, over oceans, over history itself.

God said, “Let us look again upon humanity.”

And Heaven grew still.

After Jesus

They first looked upon the years after Jesus had walked the earth.

They saw the memory of Him still fresh in trembling hearts. They saw those who remembered His words: Blessed are the merciful. Love your enemies. Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to Me.

They saw the poor gathering in homes, breaking bread, washing one another’s feet, tending widows, praying for those in prison, blessing those who cursed them.

And God smiled.

But then they saw another current rising.

Men began to grasp for authority in His name. They argued over who held truth, who was pure, who was inside, who was outside. They built hierarchies where He had built tables. They forged crowns where He had knelt in dust. They sharpened law where He had poured out mercy.

God said softly, “My Son did not come to make thrones for the proud.”

Gabriel bowed his head. “They remember His death, but many forget His life.”

And God answered, “Tell the first generations this: ‘By this shall all know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.’ If love is absent, they have departed from Him, though they speak His name.”

To the Age of Empire

Then they looked upon the centuries when emperors claimed heaven’s blessing.

They saw faith joined to power. They saw men drape the cross over swords. They saw rulers claim divine favor while crushing dissent. They saw temples made grand while beggars starved outside.

Michael’s face darkened. “They take the sign of sacrifice and make it a banner of conquest.”

God said, “They have mistaken dominion for devotion.”

To that century, God spoke:

“My kingdom is not of this world.”

And again:

“The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them… but it shall not be so among you.”

Uriel said, “Yet they will say they do this for order.”

God replied, “Order without mercy becomes oppression. Religion without humility becomes idolatry.”

To the Crusaders

Then Heaven looked upon the Crusades.

They saw dust. Iron. Fire. Blood on holy ground. Men shouting the name of God while killing strangers. Children orphaned. Mothers wailing. Cities trembling. Priests blessing armies. Crowds convinced that slaughter could purchase righteousness.

Raphael wept.

Michael gripped his sword but did not draw it.

God stood in silence for a long moment, and the silence itself was terrible.

Then God said, “They cry, ‘God wills it,’ while refusing to ask what I have willed.”

Gabriel asked, “What would You say to them?”

And God answered:

“Put your sword back in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

And again:

“Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Heaven trembled at the contrast between the words and the deeds.

God said, “No one conquers Me by killing in My name. No nation wins holiness through bloodshed. No army has ever marched a soul into love.”

To the Inquisitors

Then they looked upon the Inquisition.

They saw interrogation chambers and whispered accusations. They saw fear dressed as orthodoxy. They saw people tortured for conscience. They saw those entrusted with spiritual care become wardens of terror. They saw truth treated as something so weak it had to be enforced by pain.

Uriel burned with sorrow. “They are afraid of questions.”

God replied, “Truth does not fear examination. Only power fears losing control.”

To the inquisitors, God said:

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

And then:

“Judge not, that you be not judged.”

Raphael asked, “Will they hear You?”

God answered, “Some will not. But others in every age will remember. I always leave witnesses.”

Then God added, “They have made fear into a sacrament. But fear has never been My gospel.”

To Salem

Then Heaven looked upon Salem.

They saw snow, dark wood, anxious faces, girls trembling, women accused, men convinced that suspicion was wisdom. They saw superstition become law. They saw hysteria clothed in righteousness. They saw innocent people led to death while neighbors called it purity.

Gabriel whispered, “They are devouring one another.”

And God said:

“Perfect love casts out fear.”

Then:

“You shall know them by their fruits.”

God looked upon the frightened accusers, the judges, the preachers, the crowds.

“What fruit is this?” God asked. “Does terror taste like holiness? Does cruelty smell like righteousness? Have they learned nothing from My Son, who defended the condemned?”

Michael turned toward the earth. “What would You say to every mob in every age?”

God answered:

“Let the one without sin cast the first stone.”

And at that, many angels bowed their heads, because they had watched humanity cast stones for centuries.

To the Slave Traders and the Enslavers

Then Heaven looked upon ships crossing black waters.

They saw chained bodies in darkness. They saw human beings sold and priced and branded. They saw families ripped apart. They saw men quoting scripture while trafficking flesh. They saw the image of God denied in millions.

Raphael cried out, and his cry became a wind over the sea.

Michael said, “How can they pray over chains?”

God answered, and the answer shook the pillars of Heaven:

“What you have done to the least of these, you have done to Me.”

Then:

“Let My people go.”

And again:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free… for you are all one.”

God looked upon those who built fortunes on brutality and called it order.

“They have baptized theft and named it civilization,” God said. “They have called domination stewardship and cruelty economy. But Heaven records what the earth excuses.”

Gabriel asked, “And what of those who resisted?”

God smiled faintly. “I was with them in the songs, in the hidden prayers, in the trembling hands that broke chains, in the underground paths, in every voice that said no to Pharaoh again.”

To Those Who Killed Indigenous Peoples

Then they looked upon conquest.

They saw lands taken, sacred places desecrated, peoples displaced and slaughtered. They saw missionaries who came with genuine compassion, and beside them conquerors who came with greed and empire. They saw children stripped of language, mothers stripped of home, nations stripped of life.

Uriel asked, “How often have humans confused discovery with possession?”

God replied, “From the beginning.”

To those who destroyed Indigenous peoples while speaking of God, Heaven answered:

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

And then:

“Woe to those who join house to house and field to field until there is room for no one else.”

God said, “Land is not made holy by theft. A church built over a grave does not sanctify the grave. To preach salvation while erasing a people is blasphemy against creation itself.”

To Those Who Denied Women Equality

Then Heaven looked upon women across the ages.

They saw women silenced in councils, barred from learning, denied the vote, denied authority, denied safety, denied bodily autonomy, denied equal dignity. They saw scripture bent into shackles. They saw the labor of women consumed and their voices dismissed. They saw men speak of order while fearing equality.

Gabriel said, “They speak of woman as lesser while being born of woman.”

And God said:

“Male and female created He them.”

Then:

“In Christ there is no male and female, for you are all one.”

Raphael added, “They feared women’s power.”

God nodded. “Yes. Many have feared what reflects life, wisdom, intuition, endurance, and truth.”

To every generation that denied women full humanity, God said, “You have mistaken hierarchy for harmony. You have mistaken control for peace. A world that silences women silences part of My own image.”

To Segregationists and Racists

Then Heaven looked upon segregated buses, lynching trees, burned churches, redlined neighborhoods, slurs, hatred, fists, laws written to divide, systems built to diminish.

Michael’s hands trembled with restrained anger.

God said:

“Have you not read that I made of one blood all nations?”

And then:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Gabriel asked, “Why do they fear difference so much?”

God answered, “Because some believe that if another rises, they must fall. They do not understand abundance. They do not understand dignity. They do not understand that another’s humanity does not threaten their own.”

God looked on every ideology of racial superiority and said, “It is a tower of Babel built in the soul. It always collapses.”

To All Who Lash Out in Hatred

Then Heaven looked more broadly—at every tyrant, every abuser, every zealot, every demagogue, every violent fanatic, every soul who chose domination over compassion.

They saw hatred against Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, atheists, mystics, the poor, the disabled, the different, the vulnerable. They saw humans sort one another into categories and call some expendable.

Uriel said, “Their inventions grow, but their hearts lag behind.”

And God replied, “Knowledge without wisdom multiplies harm. Power without love multiplies suffering.”

To all who seek domination, God said:

“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”

And then:

“Whoever wants to be first must be servant of all.”

Michael said, “That is the teaching they resist most.”

God answered, “Yes. Because the ego would rather reign in ashes than kneel in love.”

To the Modern Age

Then Heaven looked upon the present.

They saw screens glowing in dark rooms. They saw lies spread faster than truth. They saw fear packaged as news, rage as entertainment, cruelty as policy, indifference as sophistication. They saw religion used again as shield and sword.

They saw some in the United States wave the Bible while denying its heart. They saw the poor judged, immigrants demonized, Black and brown communities targeted, women controlled, LGBTQ people slandered, transgender people singled out for humiliation and erasure, Muslims cast as threats, non-Christians treated as lesser, democracy strained by grievance, power, and spectacle.

Gabriel spoke carefully: “Many claim they defend Christianity.”

And God asked, “Do they defend Christianity, or do they defend status?”

Heaven was silent.

Then God continued:

“They say they protect faith, yet they nourish contempt. They say they defend righteousness, yet they traffic in cruelty. They say they follow My Son, yet they refuse the stranger, mock the vulnerable, and burden those already carrying crosses.”

To this generation, God said:

“I was hungry and you gave Me no food. I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me.”

Then:

“Whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for Me.”

And again:

“You tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.”

Raphael asked, “What of those who use evangelical language to justify exclusion?”

God answered, “Any faith that requires someone else’s humiliation to feel holy has already lost Me in the process.”

Michael turned toward the nations. “And what of the attacks against those who are different?”

God answered:

“To the ones who despise Black and brown people, I say: You do not diminish My image in another without wounding it in yourself. To the ones who hate immigrants, I say: You were once strangers too. To the ones who harm women, I say: You dishonor life when you dishonor those through whom life comes. To the ones who persecute LGBTQ people and transgender people, I say: Who taught you to fear what I have lovingly formed? To the ones who target Muslims, Jews, and all non-Christians, I say: Do you imagine your hatred protects Me? I need no protection from diversity. I am the Author of it.”

Gabriel’s voice softened. “And what would You say to those who are wounded by religion?”

God answered with great tenderness:

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened. I was never the fist that struck you. I was never the doctrine that shamed you. I was never the crowd that cast you out. I was the voice that kept saying, even then, You are beloved.”

The Conversation with the Angels

Then the great archangels turned toward the host of angels assigned to humanity.

Michael said to the warrior angels, “Strength is not for domination. Strength is for protection.”

Gabriel said to the messenger angels, “Truth is not a weapon to humiliate. Truth is a lamp to guide.”

Raphael said to the healing angels, “Go where hearts are shattered by religion misused. Go where shame has replaced grace.”

Uriel said to the angels of wisdom, “Whisper in the minds of those trapped in fear. Teach them that certainty without compassion is blindness.”

Then all the angels looked toward God.

And God spoke not with thunder, but with a sorrowful love deeper than oceans:

“For two thousand years, humanity has stood again and again at the same crossroads—love or control, mercy or fear, service or domination. Many have chosen wrongly. Yet still I have not abandoned them.

I sent prophets, and they built prisons. I sent teachers, and they built systems. I sent My Son, and many built empires in His name. Still, I have not abandoned them.

For every conqueror, I have raised a healer. For every inquisitor, I have raised a truth-teller. For every tyrant, I have stirred a liberator. For every age of hatred, I have planted seeds of compassion.”

The angels wept, because they knew it was true.

What God Would Say to Every Century

Then God spoke as though addressing every century at once:

To the first century: "Remember love before doctrine hardens.”

To the age of empire: "Do not trade humility for power.”

To the Crusaders: "No holy land is made holier by blood.”

To the inquisitors: "Fear is not faith.”

To Salem: "Suspicion is not discernment.”

To the enslavers: "No person is property.”

To the conquerors: "You cannot discover what already belongs to others.”

To those who denied women: "Equality is not rebellion against Me.”

To segregationists and racists: "Superiority is a lie against creation.”

To modern demagogues: “Grievance is not gospel.”

To the church now: "If you do not love, you do not know Me.”

And to every generation still alive:

“Choose this day whom you will serve—fear or love.”

What God Wishes for Us to Do

At last, the angels asked the final question.

“Lord,” said Gabriel, “after all of this, after all humanity has done with free will, after all the blood, all the greed, all the lust for power, all the cruelty committed in religion and outside it—what do You wish for them now?”

And God answered:

“I wish for them to stop worshiping power. I wish for them to stop calling cruelty righteousness. I wish for them to stop confusing dominance with strength. I wish for them to repent, not in performance, but in practice. I wish for them to protect the vulnerable. I wish for them to welcome the stranger. I wish for them to tell the truth. I wish for them to free one another. I wish for them to cherish the earth. I wish for them to honor women, children, immigrants, the poor, the excluded, the wounded, the different. I wish for them to see that every human being bears My breath. I wish for them to love.”

Then God’s voice grew quiet, and the quiet reached through Heaven and earth:

“Not love as a slogan. Not love as a banner. Not love that asks nothing. But love that protects. Love that listens. Love that feeds. Love that frees. Love that tells the truth. Love that lays down power in order to lift another up.

Tell them this:

They do not need more hatred baptized in My name. They do not need more fear disguised as faith. They do not need more empires built around My Son.

They need courage. They need mercy. They need one another. They need to become what they keep pretending to believe.”

And all of Heaven stood in silence.

Then the angels went out again over the earth—over churches and mosques, synagogues and temples, deserts and cities, borders and schools, homes and prisons, battlefields and hospital rooms, over every place where humanity still struggled between fear and love.

And the final word from Heaven was this:

“Be merciful. Do justice. Walk humbly. And let love be stronger than your need to win.”