The United States of America has a long and well-documented history of treating non‑White people as less than fully human. This reality is evident in colonizers’ genocide of Native Americans, the enslavement and brutalization of Africans and their descendants, and the persistent marginalization of communities of color. None of this is abstract. It is recorded, lived, and ongoing.

Without dismissing or minimizing the suffering of Indigenous peoples or other communities of color, I want to focus primarily on the treatment of African Americans. Historically, Blackness became the central category through which non‑whiteness was defined. If you were not White, you were treated as Black — socially, legally, and often with great violence. Even today, if we open a dictionary and examine how “white” and “black” have been defined symbolically, we see moral meaning embedded into the language itself. Some will say these are merely figures of speech. But the architects and guardians of whiteness have always taken those metaphors quite literally.

I begin here because it provides context for what we are witnessing in the United States today — this same historical “wickedness” directed with terrifying precision at immigrants of color, many of whom identify as followers of Jesus Christ.

People of conscience have been rightly appalled by the treatment of immigrants of color. Documented and undocumented. Citizens and non‑citizens alike. Over the past year, dozens of people have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Rights have been ignored, trampled, or outright denied. Video footage, eyewitness testimonies, and survivor accounts paint a disturbing picture of systemic cruelty. Victimized immigrants, targeted primarily because of their Brown skin or Latino appearance, are being treated worse than animals. I say that deliberately. In this country, we care for our pets. We feed them, shelter them, bathe them, and provide them medical care. Yet these hunted and detained human beings are denied dignity, care, and basic respect.

The Killing of Renee Good

That same pattern of cruelty brings us to the recent killing of a Minneapolis woman, Renee Nicole Good, by immigration agent Jonathan Ross. For some Americans, this incident has been shocking, a sudden revelation that ICE, in its current state, operates primarily through intimidation, violence, and chaos. Yet for Black Americans, this moment feels grimly familiar. This is not new. This is what state-sanctioned violence has looked like for generations.

Available video footage of Ross shooting at Good three times as she was driving away from agents is deeply troubling. Based on the ICE agent’s own recording, Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, appeared to pose no imminent threat. Various video angles show Ross circling Good’s SUV, shifting the phone he was recording with from his right hand to his left, and eventually positioning himself in front of Good’s vehicle. As Good reverses, turns her steering wheel to the right, and begins to drive away from the ICE agent, Ross pulls his gun and takes a shooting stance, first firing through the windshield. Ross then quickly moves to the driver’s left as the vehicle passes him and fires twice more through the window. Based on the visual evidence, Ross did not appear to be in immediate physical danger when he shot Good, particularly by the second and third rounds, nor did he indicate at the scene that he was injured. Finally, after shooting Good in the head, Ross is allegedly heard on his own recording calling her a “f-cking b-tch” — an expression of contempt for the victim rather than remorse at having ended a life. That slur reveals a spirit of animosity and vindictiveness, not fear.

Despite the footage, President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem have publicly characterized Ross’s actions as justified, a reasonable defense against “an act of domestic terrorism.” While Vance blasted Good as a “deranged leftist,” Trump claimed she “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer.” Yet, after the shooting, Ross is seen walking unencumbered to Good’s vehicle, which crashed into another car on the side of the road. The nation’s leaders don’t acknowledge that videos show Ross placing himself in the vehicle’s path and firing after it was already moving away — actions that critics argue contradict ICE training.

What message does it send when top leadership in the White House and DHS deny what is clearly visible and blame a victim for her own death? When Americans are asked to discount their own eyes? To accept that two plus two equals five?

We must also confront an uncomfortable truth: the muted outrage surrounding Good’s killing may be influenced by the fact that she was the “wrong kind” of White woman. Described as a “devout Christian” by her ex-husband, Good was openly lesbian and married to another woman. So “this lesbian agitator” does not fit the idealized image some Christians and conservatives prefer for a “perfect victim.” For some, that makes indifference — and acceptance of the lies — easier.

A Tipping Point & Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

Police violence against Black Americans has become so normalized that it is practically a rite of passage. Young Black boys are still given “the talk” — the warning that their skin color may cause law enforcement to presume guilt before a word is even spoken. What feels different now is that this kind of violence is being openly justified, even celebrated, from the highest levels of government.

If this does not alarm you, it should. The line of what the American public is being asked to tolerate is moving — rapidly. A woman was lynched — shot and killed because she angered someone armed with federal authority. And the president and vice president excuse it. This is not hyperbole. This is documented reality.

We must also reckon with the broader pattern: ongoing race‑based cruelty toward people perceived as Hispanic, Black, or otherwise ethnically marginalized; funding cuts to programs that serve vulnerable populations; punitive decisions aimed at states governed by Trump’s political opponents; and a long history of violence and cruelty against Black Americans, Native Americans, and other non-White people. This is America’s original sin — greed, cruelty, and an obsession with so-called white racial superiority.

Instead of breaking free of these chains as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, our current leaders and their supporters are clinging to these original sins — and claiming they will lead us toward a golden age.

Compounding this crisis is the role of Christian leaders who sanctify the cruelty. Some pastors and public Christian figures are peddling white racial grievance and calling it “law and order.” They cloak brutality in the language of justice and faith, spoon-feeding people who are searching for community, clarity, and hope what the Bible calls “doctrines of demons” — in this case, teachings that normalize cruelty and dehumanization. These are not confused shepherds. Many know exactly what they are doing and fall among those who the Apostle Paul describes as “hypocritical liars” (1 Timothy 4). They know which religious buzzwords appeal to Christians and which dog whistles appeal to white supremacists — and they use both, following in the footsteps of this administration.

The Fruits of Lawlessness and Resentment

I believe the election of Donald Trump in 2016 was a spiritual test. It revealed how much corruption and racial resentment still reside in the American heart, particularly among those who profess to be Christians. Trump did not conceal his views on race, women, or power. His record — racist rhetoric, misogyny, financial dishonesty, and moral inconsistency — was public. Even his own statement clarifying that he’s not a Christian, made in 2024, has not shaken the loyalty of many Evangelical supporters who insist that he is.

What we see now is the fruit of our collective choices and dark desires: an administration marked by lawlessness, cruelty, greed, and an obsession with whiteness. “Make America Great Again” has too often functioned as “Make America White Again,” by any means necessary. This is not law and order. It is selective enforcement and sanctioned violence.

Scripture warns us about worldly leaders who exalt themselves and who manipulate and oppress others — and about self-proclaimed Christian leaders who legitimize that power and lead people away from God.

Still, we are here, so repentance remains possible.

Will You Follow the Dragon or the Lamb?

Judgment does not always arrive as fire from heaven. As Jesus warns in Matthew 24:12, when wickedness increases, love grows cold. So it can look like moral numbness — the tolerance of cruelty, the normalization of lies, attacks on empathy, the quiet comfort many feel with racial hierarchy. Today’s movement for Christian nationalism, stripped of euphemism, is white supremacy wrapped in religious language. It is not of God, as it contradicts a fundamental truth of creation — every single one of us carries the Image of God and therefore has equal worth and dignity. As one pastor put it, to love Jesus is to hate white supremacy.

God is not obsessed with race as humans define it. God is not invested in skin color and doesn’t judge righteousness on a melanin scale. Humanity is one race, made in the Image of God, animated by the Breath of God. Any so‑called Christian movement or community that centers race rather than repentance, domination rather than salvation, is a deception.

The question before Jesus’ followers today is simple but urgent: when you hear the rhetoric of this administration — the self-aggrandizing words of the president or the vitriol of Stephen Miller, Trump’s “brain” — do you hear the echoes of Jesus Christ? Do you see the heart of the Lamb, who cares for the vulnerable and encourages His followers to love their neighbor, to love truth, and practice humility? Or do you hear the spirit of the Dragon, the Enemy of God’s people, seeking to exalt itself through deception and the persecution of others made in God’s Image?

If you cannot see that we have entered another dark chapter rather than a golden age in America, then prayer and discernment are desperately needed. Turn away from voices that justify cruelty. Seek God directly. The promise of Scripture is clear: those who seek the Lord sincerely will find Him.

There is still hope. As Christians, we believe in resurrection — that after the darkest day, a new morning will shine forth. But hope does not excuse silence, and faith does not require denial. Things are likely to get worse before they get better. Do not give up hope. Do not grow weary in doing good. Do not abandon prayer. Do not give in to lies. And do not surrender your conscience to the god of this world.

Transparency Note: The author drafted this op-ed based on her personal convictions and observations. She utilized AI as a research and editing partner to refine the structure and verify facts, while ensuring the final message and perspective remain entirely her own.

I recently watched the 1954 movie adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 novel starring Edmond O’Brien, Michael Redgrave, and Jan Sterling. As expected, I couldn’t help but consider parallels to our current dangerously divisive political climate, especially in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder. I found myself the following day meditating on the theme of manipulating a populace and making them compliant via hate, deception, and fear of pain. It also wasn’t lost on me, as intended by the story, that love was the only true, radical act of defiance that could break Big Brother’s manipulative grip.

There were lots of warnings before Trump was sworn into his second term that the United States was on the precipice of authoritarianism. The administration’s swift, chaotic, and sometimes illegal and undemocratic actions have made those warnings warranted. It is debatable whether we are living with a full-blown authoritarian or totalitarian White House, but its embrace of White Christian Nationalism — a form of fascism — is undeniable.

In the movie, we see a child trained to spy even on her parents and report them for falling out of step with the controlling apparatus — even in their sleep.

It isn’t the incessant surveillance or even the physical and psychological torture inflicted to maintain control that alarms me the most. It’s the strange dance of systemically falsifying information — reality, the truth itself — and feeding twisted narratives to the masses to foment hate. This calculated use of falsehoods about alleged “enemies” to incite fear pushes the populace into the arm’s of Big Brother, portrayed as their only reliable savior.

I have watched “1984” many times, including the likely most well-known version staring John Hurt. However, watching it again under such an intentionally divisive and duplicitous presidency — one that has given allegedly amoral tech bros a literal seat at the table — makes the cinematic adaptation of Orwell’s dystopian vision hit much different.

If you have never watched “1984,” or haven’t in a long while, I encourage you to find a couple hours to set aside to watch the film. The more recent version is quite good, but I find the 1954 version starring Edmond O’Brien better. Of course, you can always just pick up a copy of Orwell’s most influential book.

The initial premise of our October interview was to address the bizarre rapture trend that had emerged the month prior. Dr. Evans had also just dropped a new Revelation study, so the timing couldn’t have felt more appropriate. What’s more, Donald Trump had just put forth his controversial Mideast peace plan — an act that reignited murmurs about the antichrist figure associated with end-times prophecy.

I genuinely enjoy reading the book of Revelation (and other futuristic prophetic texts) and theorizing about the significance of its multilayered symbolism. In high school and during my early years of college, I was a devout reader of the Left Behind series, until racist portrayals of a group of minority survivors in one book killed my enthusiasm. Before that, I was one of those kids always at the local library — sometimes perusing the Young Adult section, but frequently found in the Religion section, sifting through titles like The Late Great Planet Earth. To this day, my interests and fascination with the period leading up to the promised return of Jesus Christ remain strong — though my perspective on certain elements (e.g., the rapture) has evolved.

Evans, president of The Urban Alternative and founder of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, has frequently preached on Revelation and the end times throughout his 50 years in ministry.

And speculation has abounded for years about whether Trump is the dreaded antichrist, a figure described in Scripture as the ultimate adversary of Christianity and empowered by Satan (if one takes all that apocalyptic writing literally).

Since we were discussing Evan’s new Bible study on Revelation, the conversation naturally turned to current events and the end-times speculation that often accompanies chaotic news cycles like this one. So I put broached the subject, albeit in a roundabout way, about Donald Trump being that dreaded figure.

Evans, who has written around 200 books and accomplished many “firsts” within U.S. Evangelical Christianity as a Black man, had much to say about interpreting headlines with discernment.

Watch a clip of our exchange. And to hear Evans’ full thoughts on the book of Revelation, spiritual discernment, and his own year-long restoration process, head over to faithfullymag.com for exclusive access.

For the record, I believe Trump has certainly presented himself as an antichrist. History has many examples of figures who think they are representing God while actually contradicting His principles in their actions and character. Lawlessly abducting people based on racial profiling, spewing hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric, and fighting to keep food aid from the nation’s most vulnerable are just a few actions that run counter to God’s grace.

Local resident Rodrick Johnson, who lives in the building raided by Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) agents, told the Chicago Sun-Times that federal officials broke down his door, put him in zip ties, and kept him detained outside the building for three hours before letting him go.

“I asked [agents] why they were holding me if I was an American citizen, and they said I had to wait until they looked me up,” he explained to the paper. “I asked if they had a warrant, and I asked for a lawyer. They never brought one.”

Pertissue Fisher, who also lives in the building, backed up Johnson’s account and said that agents forcibly removed all residents from their homes regardless of their legal status.

“They just treated us like we were nothing,” she told local news station ABC 7 Chicago. “They, like, piling us all up in the back on the other side, and it wasn’t no room to move nowhere.”

Ebony Sweets Watson, who lives across the street from the raided building, told the Chicago Sun-Times that she saw children, some of whom weren’t even wearing clothes, dragged out of the building by ICE agents and then placed into U-Haul vans.

“It was heartbreaking to watch,” she said. “Even if you’re not a mother, seeing kids coming out buck naked and taken from their mothers, it was horrible.”

Watson also said that it appeared the federal agents had ransacked the building during the raid.

“Stuff was everywhere,” she said. “You could see people’s birth certificates, and papers thrown all over. Water was leaking into the hallway. It was wicked crazy.”

Dan Jones, a resident at the building, told the Chicago Sun-Times that he returned from work on Wednesday to find that several of his belongings, including electronics and furniture, were missing from his apartment, and that all of his clothes had been strewn across the floor. He said that he asked the Chicago Police Department for any information about what happened to his belongings in the wake of the ICE raid, but has so far received no response.

“I’m pissed off,” Jones told the paper. “I feel defeated because the authorities aren’t doing anything.”

Darrell Ballard, who witnessed the raid, told ABC 7 Chicago that it felt more like a military operation than law enforcement.

“We’re under siege,” he said. “We’re being invaded by our own military.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that 37 people were arrested during the raid, and it claimed some of them “are believed to be involved in drug trafficking and distribution, weapons crimes, and immigration violators.”

American Immigration Council fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick said in a Thursday social media post that the raid represented “a surreal moment for America” that was a clear violation of residents’ civil liberties.

“Needless to say, if the normal police ever pulled something like this—pulling every single person out of an apartment building and handcuffing them to run warrant checks—they would be sued into oblivion,” he observed. “Yet ICE is going to get away with it entirely.”

Reichlin-Melnick also said that, even if the agents had a valid warrant to enter the apartment complex, it was highly unlikely that warrant would extend to removing every single resident there.

“I am... DEEPLY skeptical that the warrant permitted them to smash down every door and arrest every person in the building,” he wrote. “My gut says they went far beyond the warrant.”

Editor’s note: This article was republished from Common Dreams under a Creative Commons license.

Trump painted Americans in cities led by “the radical left Democrats,” as well as immigrants, as the “enemy within,” while telling our military’s top leaders that they are at “war” with their fellow Americans. He may or may not have also threatened them with demotion for rejecting his remarks.

This may raise questions about military allegiance and responsibility, so we looked up the oath of enlistment, which differs slightly among military branches. But here is the oath for commissioned officers, which these generals and admirals are. It states:

I ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. (Title 5 U.S. Code 3331, an individual, except the President, elected or appointed to an office of honor or profit in the civil service or uniformed services)

Commissioned officers do not explicitly swear “to support the President, the Country, the flag or a particular service, but rather the Constitution which symbolizes all of these things.” However, it is implied that the Commander in Chief ought to be obeyed, as far as he or she upholds the Constitution in military matters.

Needless to say, the military may be fully tested in the coming weeks and months as Trump sends service members to more and more cities, presumably to protect ICE agents apprehending (both legal and undocumented) immigrants from protesters.

The proposal has a few interesting points, such as stipulating that a global “Board of Peace” headed up by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair provide “oversight and supervision” for a local “committee.” This committee would be comprised of “qualified Palestinians and international experts.”

The plan has rightly attracted criticism, particularly over Tony Blair being given such a prominent role in the envisioned rebuilding and restructuring of Gaza despite his record with the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Another point in the proposal calls for an “interfaith dialogue process” to be “established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.”

What could Trump and company possibly have in mind with the failed casino mogul’s intention to take control of Gaza? Well, that bizarre AI-generated video Trump shared back in February featuring “Trump Gaza” — including a giant gold Trump statue — certainly suggests some ideas.

According to CNN, the alleged move is tied to “an executive order Trump issued in March directing the US Interior Department to do away with content that disparages ‘Americans past or living.’”

Faithfully Magazine reported three years ago about the historical significance of the “Scourged Back,” on occasion of the “Emancipation” feature film about the photo’s subject, an escaped slave named Gordon.

Gordon (portrayed by Will Smith in the Apple movie) is also referred to as “Whipped Peter” due to the deeply scarred condition of his back, a testament to the brutality of U.S. slavery.

You can read more about the photo here, and also a statement from the National Parks Conservation Association slamming the alleged removal “as shameful as it is wrong.”