“I put no stock in religion. By the word religion, I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. What God desires is here [mind] and here [heart], and what you decide to do every day will make you a good man...or not.”
That's a quote from one of my all-time favorite movies, "Kingdom of Heaven," and is one of my all-time favorite quotes from a film. It's a tremendous commentary on how people's relationship with God is often more utilitarian than personal, and how God can become the means by which politics and traditions are enforced, for good or ill.
It's an issue we've seen repeated again and again. Jesus Himself often contended with the Pharisees, a group of rabbi scholars that held so fast to tradition and religion that they forgot God, despite looking straight at Him.
And I can't help but get that vibe from a certain group on the right today.
You've likely seen people repeat the phrase "Christ Is King" online. Some people put it in their bios. They repeat it on their podcasts and YouTube videos. I very much agree. Christ is sovereign over all things: you, me, the Heavenly host, and every spirit in between.
But when I see this phrase repeated in the most common, popular context of online discourse, I feel uneasy. The reason is that this isn't being said to glorify our Lord or put His name on our lips in celebration or worship. Or at the very least, it doesn't feel that way at all. The phrase almost seems to be used to affirm or declare one's politics.
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This was solidified for me when I saw various people during debate demand the person they're debating against to say or post "Christ is King," which feels a lot less like someone saying "exalt your king" and more like someone demanding they prove their political loyalties.
Then this popped up on my X feeds, and I couldn't help but feel that sensation grounding in the pit of my stomach.
It is rare to find a photo of 8 men that features not an ounce of testosterone nor a single functioning synapse, but they did it. pic.twitter.com/o2yIlmywaK
— Emily Zanotti 🦝 (@emzanotti) May 18, 2026
This is an ad for an event to take place in Dallas, Texas, in November. As you can see, "Christ Is King" is featured prominently, but there's nothing Christ-focused about this. The website they direct you to is "newchristianright," a political stance, and also featured is "America After Trump," which is obviously another political nod.
Heading to the website, the first image you're greeted with is a picture of Nick Fuentes. Diving into the website further, you can see how this is hyper-focused on a political viewpoint, not necessarily a Christ-focused one. Sure, there are some things I absolutely agree with politically on the site. Reimigration and pushing back against Islam, but the more you dive in, the more it seems far more concerned with the state of Christendom than anything else.
"Christendom" is a pretty loaded word. On the surface, it's supposed to describe nations and lands that ascribe to Christian guidance and the worship of Christ, but the issue is that those obsessed with raising and maintaining Christendom often do so with little regard to Christ. In fact, if you reject some of their ideals — such as the idea that Jews and "Zionism" are a massive threat to the West — then you'll discover how un-Christian they can be.
Would I rather live in a Christ-focused nation that follows Christian principles? Of course! However, what these people are doing feels less like teaching the love and principles of Jesus and developing a personal relationship with Him that would help lead to enlightenment, and using Jesus more like a cudgel by which to beat a system into alignment, to brute force a culture into existence.
This is Pharisee behavior. This is Islamic behavior.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. A political system in His name isn't a relationship with Christ, and that relationship is ultimately the most important thing you can do. Yes, matching up your politics to fall in line with His will is absolutely something you should do, but Christendom is not the ultimate good, and can be corrupted, as any human organization can.
Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."
It doesn't say "seek first to establish a nation that looks like something Jesus would like, and then everything will fall into place."
