Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
8 22 2025
The Danger of Angry Religion
I start this morning not sure how to navigate the extremely volatile and unhinged ideology that surrounds us today. Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin. Our churches and spiritual leaders face some hard lines in this generation. I heard one of our pastors recently speak about the testimony of those who use their anger and unholy rhetoric to advance their political views.
My dad used to say, “The only thing you achieve by throwing dirt is losing ground.” Yet here we are—Democrats and Republicans alike—throwing dirt by the truckloads. We leave the quiet applause of Sunday mornings and then walk out into a stadium of like-minded fanatics, more consumed with who God has allowed to be President or Governor than with the sovereignty of God Himself.
For example:
- A pastor in the Middle East is asking how to shepherd members whose anti-Israel sentiments make them sympathetic to violent action against Israel.
- A pastor in the U.S. has one member calling President Trump the anti-Christ on social media, and another declaring him the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
Do I really need to lay out the damage this does to our witness, to our testimony,
and to Jesus’ call for unity? Yet here we are.
Since 1994, America has grown increasingly divided, angrier, and far less capable of compromise. Isn’t that why we elect representatives in Washington? To reach compromise for the people? Our representatives are not gods, nor are they our Lord. Yes, our beliefs are personal, and it’s good to voice them with passion—but never to the point of losing the good fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
So whose directive are we following? God’s Word—or the world’s words that will always divide us?
We live in a time of political attacks, polarization, hostility, and extreme anger. The divides are everywhere—immigration, LGBTQ, abortion, Israel, transgenderism, Ukraine. Fear silences many from speaking out, afraid of being beaten, canceled, or scarred for life.
The world is angry about everything.
Gallup’s Global Emotions Report confirms it: negative emotions remain at record highs worldwide, and anger is near its all-time peak. I understand—people are tired, broke, overwhelmed, afraid, hot. Even going to church late means struggling to find a seat or a parking spot. Life feels more competitive, more tense, and that tension becomes fertile ground for anger.
Here’s the bottom line: it is impossible to keep politics and religion separate. Jonathan Leeman said it well: “Our politics serve our worship. Our governments serve our gods. Just ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The nations will burn us when we refuse to worship their gods—
money, sex, technology, skin color, or political party.”
So now what?
Make no mistake: “The nations and kings and voters of the earth rage against the Lord and against his Messiah” (Ps. 2; Rev. 13:7–8). Our politics either serve Jesus Christ—or they serve idols
(see also Deut. 32:8; Ps. 82:1–2). There is no neutrality.
What too many churches and believers forget is this: the battles surrounding America and the church are profoundly spiritual. The principalities and powers aren’t just trying to get people to vote a certain way—they want our worship. They convince us that the temporary kingdoms of this world are ultimate, their battles most crucial, their threats most fearful, their promises most desirable.
But history warns us:
- God’s people in the wilderness longed to return to Egypt.
- Judah’s kings trusted in the horses and chariots of surrounding nations.
- The crowds laid palm branches for Jesus, hoping for political rescue from Rome.
- Peter drew his sword in Gethsemane.
From beginning to end, the greatest threat to God’s people has always been co-optation—
placing too much importance on earthly battles instead of the eternal truth.
Oliver O’Donovan wisely said: “Not every wave of political enthusiasm deserves the attention of the church in its liturgy. The worship that the principalities and powers seek is a feverish excitement. The first business of the church is to refuse them that worship.” And often, the most pointed political critique the church can make is simply to talk about something else—something higher, something eternal—the Word of God.
Paul reminds us of the weapons we are called to use:
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:4–5)
So what now?
The louder the idols shout and the more heated politics become, the more crucial it is for the church—and for you—to preach the Bible expositionally, letting God set the agenda, not the world.
Excerpts taken from: Thirteen Principles for Pastoring Through Political Turmoil By Jonathan Leeman
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Sept. 2nd, at 7pm ONLINE for people of all ages. Please send me a note if you would like to attend or know someone who would like to grow their faith. If you have a big screen at home, you can create a time to invite friends or neighbors who would like to join you in a Home Group for 5 weeks. Let’s get creative.
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Bring the rain Mercy Me
