Hope and Faith in the Shadows of a Nation Divided

Last updated on: May 15, 2025 at 11:00 am by Julie Nichols

Hope and Faith in the Shadows of a Nation Divided 2025-05-15T11:00:29-05:00 Julie Nichols

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Freedom, Not Fascism

Good Morning, today marks a new beginning for me, to try and move forward during a time when this seems virtually impossible. The reality is, moving out of the country isn’t possible for at least part of my family, which includes me. Staying here in San Antonio, TX, standing for what is right and good, and serving others professionally and ministerially are all I can do. When I say ministerially, I mean educating and supporting others who are victims of religious harm, not converting them to a particular creed. My Christian path has totally changed in this regard now that I have been in the LGBTQ+ parent community for four years. I believe in supporting people for their human dignity, whether they choose to stay or leave religion and faith altogether, because many people have been greatly harmed by the church and Christians. Every path for each person is different; honor and support that.

Ask a Social Worker

Not everyone has the option of leaving their red state to a blue state or leaving the country. Every day, I receive notifications to leave the country from recruiter ads. Mass numbers of Americans have already left the country. My professional, family, and friend roots are too deep here in Texas. If you are in a similar situation, please find a community where you live with like-minded people. Find people who will help you survive and thrive.

Most of the country understands what is happening. If you are vulnerable, you may not want to read the rest of this. We are in the early stages of an American Holocaust. If you question this to be true, ask a person who serves on the front lines of immigration, ask a social worker, and/or ask a public servant or minister who works directly with a vulnerable group, especially with immigrants. I would not ask anyone who doesn’t work directly with vulnerable people daily.

A Person of Faith

How did we reach this point in the former greatest democracy on earth? Five decades of politics that deprive and subjugate the vulnerable while weaponizing the abortion issue, weaponizing sexuality, and lifting up the powerful and wealthy lead us to the erosion of our great nation. This part is an exact duplicate of Nazi Germany. From a theological perspective, powerful and wealthy people, most who identify as Christians, have subjugated minorities, the poor, and the vulnerable for too long, and they have lied to and coerced their base of voters for five decades. They are now attempting to roll back decades of legal protections and vital financial support for the most vulnerable people in our country. I think there are both natural and divine consequences for these heinous long-term actions. I take responsibility for listening to and following some of the wrong people until 2015. Thankfully, I listened to and followed enough good people in my community over the years to help start the awakening process in me during 2016. I still identify as a person of faith who believes in Jesus, but my theological lens is more progressive than ever which means I cannot subscribe to anything that harms but only helps others regardless of their beliefs, race, or status.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Personal freedom paid for by the price of American soldier blood and activists is eroding and being stripped, so please honor the personal decisions of others, even if you don’t agree with them. My grandparents fought fascism; our country didn’t vote for it and wholeheartedly support it like they do now. During the 1930s, many say they didn’t know who they were supporting. I don’t think we have this excuse now with the technological age we live in. If we don’t want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for each person living in our country, then we do not support the foundation of our constitutional democracy. For the religious person, we don’t support the idea that each person is equally created in the image of God, regardless of who they are, if we don’t support equal freedom, opportunities, and life for everyone.

We are living in dark times, but I believe there is God who loves His creation more than we will ever know. I have hope in saving our democracy and our country, but it needs to happen sooner than later, before it is too late.

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