Who Gets to Be Called a Christian?

The government is now answering that question — and progressives should be nervous.

In the spring of 2026, the Pentagon sent an email to more than 3,500 employees: "Just a friendly reminder: There will be a Protestant Service (No Catholic Mass) for Good Friday today at the Pentagon Chapel."

Hey, just a reminder to suck it up or go cry at your desk. Is this because the Catholic chaplain is out of town on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar, or are we just being dicks?

Either way, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been hosting monthly Christian worship services at the Pentagon for months, broadcast live on the Department of Defense's internal television network, featuring exclusively evangelical Protestant preachers.

One of them was Pastor Doug Wilson — Hegseth's own mentor, the co-founder of his denomination — a man who has stated plainly that in his vision of a Christian America, Catholic processions, Marian parades, and Corpus Christi devotions would be banned as "public displays of idolatry."

Hegseth stood on that stage and praised him publicly. "Thank you for your leadership, your mentorship, for the things you've started, the truth you've told, the willingness to be bold."

The "truth" he's told is about banning Catholic worship in public spaces.

Roughly a quarter of U.S. service members are Catholic. Catholic chaplains serve on every major military installation in this country. The Pentagon chapel is supposed to be an interfaith space. The Secretary of Defense has made it quietly, bureaucratically clear which Christians count.

Then there's Paula White, Trump's spiritual adviser, at a private White House Easter lunch this April, turning to face the president and telling him: "You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It's a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. Because of His resurrection, you rose up."

The White House uploaded the video and then quietly deleted it — not before everyone had seen it.

The question of who gets to be called a Christian has always been with us. It used to be something we argued about over barbecue. Now it’s part of the public record.

The other day, I was talking with some church ladies about the Gospel of Mary — you know, that ancient, rejected text where Jesus says things like "There is no such thing as sin," and Mary Magdalene is the one who really gets how that could be.

Instead of staying on track, we got off on a theological rabbit trail — how the Bible came to be, why only certain books made it in, and how early Christians were actually far more diverse than we've been led to believe.

"There were just as many kinds of Christians then as there are now," I said, "but only a few are represented in our Bible today."

It makes sense; the Roman Empire needed to prune a vibrant, diverse, and burgeoning movement into a manageable shape. For the faith to function as the new state religion, Christianity needed crisp rules and clear roles.

The sect that provided that won the day.

I asked the room: "If someone made a single state church for all of us today — which one would win? Would it be Episcopal or Pentecostal? Catholic or Mormon? UCC or Jehovah's Witness?"

Someone said, "Well, a lot of those aren't even Christian."

I shut that down. "Let's assume that if they say they're Christian, they're Christian," I said, and quickly moved the conversation on.

We were SUPPOSED to be studying the Gospel of Mary after all, and I wanted to keep things on track.

Now, though, I feel bad for stomping out the embers of that conversation. It could have developed in interesting, and valuable ways.

Who "Makes the Cut?"

The truth is, I've heard plenty of people say certain groups aren't really Christian. Sometimes it's about theology — "they don't believe in the Trinity" or "they use the wrong Bible." Sometimes it's about culture — "that's not a real church." Often, the word "cult" is used for a group the speaker doesn't agree with theologically.

I really hate that.

My pastor, for instance, is United Church of Christ, but she was raised Roman Catholic. It hurts her when she hears people say, "Oh, that's not a real church" when speaking of hers – our church – because it's not Catholic.

However growing up Down South, I know a lot of people consider Catholicism to be half Christian, and half pagan, because of the many integrations of European and North African culture that were added over the centuries to that faith.

I grew up with Mormon and Jehovah's Witness friends; others condemn them but you better believe they revere Jesus.

Unitarian churches were founded as a non-trinitarian Christian community; they follow Jesus' teachings but don't consider him God.

It goes on and on...especially when we look to other continents, Asia, Africa, etc.

Then there's Westboro Baptist Church, Rod of Iron Ministries, the New Apostolic Reformation churches, and all of those I'd like to distance myself from if at all possible — like the distance from here to Mars.

Would that be right, though? No -- I'd be committing the same sin I was trying to warn against in others, a.k.a. not allowing people to self-identify as Christians, even when I (and just because I) don't approve of their theology. Or their culture. Or their actions.

It's one thing to call out harm. It's another to erase someone's identity because their version of Jesus doesn't match mine. That's not discernment — that's supremacy.

If I condemn it when I see others do it….

You see where I'm going with this, right?

How Wide the Circle Really Is

If we stop and look — really look — we'll see that the global Christian community is vast and wildly diverse.

Christianity today includes:

African Independent / Indigenous Churches e.g., Zion Christian Church, Aladura Churches, Kimbanguist Church (Congo) Blend traditional African spiritual practices with Christian theology; often charismatic and community-led.

Anabaptists e.g., Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites, Brethren Emphasize adult baptism, pacifism, simple living, and community accountability.

Brazilian Spiritist-Christian Syncretists e.g., Christian-influenced Spiritism in Brazil (Allan Kardec followers with Jesus at the center) Combine Christian teachings with reincarnation, mediumship, and karmic ethics.

Catholicism (Roman Rite) The largest Christian body; sacramental, hierarchical, and rooted in apostolic succession through the papacy.

Charismatic Christianity Present across denominations (including Catholicism and Anglicanism); emphasizes Holy Spirit gifts, healing, and spontaneous worship.

Christian Anarchists e.g., Tolstoyan Christians, Catholic Workers, Jesus Radicals Reject state authority in favor of radical nonviolence, communal living, and loyalty to the teachings of Jesus alone.

Christian Science Founded by Mary Baker Eddy; teaches that matter is illusion and healing comes through spiritual understanding of divine mind.

Eastern Catholic Churches e.g., Maronite, Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Melkite Maintain Eastern liturgies and theology while remaining in communion with the Pope.

Eastern Orthodoxy e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox Mystical, sacramental, and rooted in ancient church councils; emphasizes theosis (union with God).

Evangelical Protestants Emphasize personal conversion, biblical authority, and evangelism; influential in global missions and politics.

Independent Catholic Churches e.g., Old Catholics, Liberal Catholics, Independent Sacramental Movements Maintain apostolic succession and sacraments without papal authority.

Japanese Non-Church Christians (Mukyōkai) Founded by Uchimura Kanzō; reject institutional church structures while following Jesus and studying Scripture.

Jehovah's Witnesses Non-Trinitarian; emphasize God's kingdom, eschew holidays and nationalism, and evangelize door to door.

Latter-day Saints (Mormons) Follow additional scripture (Book of Mormon); believe in restored priesthood and continuing revelation.

Mainline Protestants e.g., United Methodist, ELCA Lutherans, Episcopal Church, Presbyterian (PCUSA), UCC Rooted in Reformation-era theology; often progressive, inclusive, and socially engaged.

Messianic Jewish Congregations Jewish-identified followers of Jesus (Yeshua); keep some Jewish customs while affirming him as Messiah.

New Apostolic Reformation Churches e.g., Bethel Church (Redding), IHOP, "7 Mountains" dominionism groups Modern Charismatic networks claiming direct revelation and political mandate.

New Age Syncretic Christians e.g., followers of A Course in Miracles, Christ Consciousness movements, "lightworker" teachings Blend Jesus with teachings from Hinduism, Buddhism, astrology, or energy healing.

Oneness Pentecostals e.g., United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) Non-Trinitarian; baptize only in Jesus' name; emphasize Spirit baptism and holiness.

Oriental Orthodox Churches e.g., Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Syriac Split from the rest of the Christian world after the Council of Chalcedon; preserve ancient liturgies and traditions.

Pentecostals Emphasize baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, and lively, Spirit-filled worship; fastest-growing Christian stream worldwide.

Progressive Churches / Queer-Inclusive Fellowships Small, decentralized gatherings often rooted in social justice, deconstruction, or inclusive theology; sometimes affiliated with mainline denominations, sometimes independent.

Quakers (Religious Society of Friends) Some branches theologically Christian, others more universalist. Known for silent worship, pacifism, and social reform.

Reformed / Calvinist Protestants e.g., Presbyterians, Dutch Reformed, Christian Reformed Church Emphasize God's sovereignty, predestination, and covenant theology.

Restorationist Churches e.g., Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ Seek to restore "New Testament Christianity"; often non-creedal and congregational.

Seeker Movements / Emergent Churches Decentralized and experimental, often drawing from multiple traditions and focused on deconstruction and spiritual exploration.

Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist Christians Historically non-Trinitarian Christians; today many are interfaith or secular humanist, but some retain a Christian identity. They're all out there — naming Jesus in their own ways.

What a beautiful diversity of belief! It shows how people take the message and make it their own.

Some of these groups — like the New Apostolic Reformation, Christian Nationalists, Westboro Baptist, and the Rod of Iron ministries — I believe are deeply off track. Not just theologically, but ethically. Their rhetoric disavows the very teachings of Jesus they claim to follow.

Worse still, their actions have real-world consequences: sowing division, engendering violence, and harming others in Jesus' name. That's where I draw the line — and speak out.

When the Government Starts Answering the Question For Us

In July 2025, the Trump administration issued a memo giving federal employees more legal cover to express their religious views at work — even to the point of trying to convert others, as long as it's not considered harassment.

That means your supervisor can now hold prayer meetings at the office, leave religious tracts at your workstation, or try to "share the gospel" with you on break. Sure, the rule says office proselytizers have to back off if you ask them to stop. You know how office politics work, though. In some places, in-groups and out-groups will form. Those most closely aligned with the beliefs of the supervisor will be in line for preferential treatment, while others will be pushed to the margins.

I thought that was the thing to worry about.

It turns out I was thinking too small.

By early 2026, those Pentagon worship services were well underway — exclusively evangelical, increasingly pointed. Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a lawsuit in March, alleging the secretaries are "abusing the power of their government positions and taxpayer-funded resources to impose their preferred religion on federal workers." Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services and one of the most conservative Catholic leaders in the country, publicly declared the Iran war unjust under Catholic just war doctrine. Even right-wing Catholics are furious.

None of that seems to be slowing anything down.

Then came Paula White.

As much as that Easter lunch moment turned my stomach — and it did — I keep coming back to my own argument.

Paula White is doing something harmful. She is using the name of Jesus to sanctify a political figure in ways that distort the gospel and give cover to real-world damage. I will say so clearly. Can I say she's not a Christian, though?

No. I cannot. I won't.

Because the moment I start handing out cards — the moment I become the one who decides whose Jesus counts — I've become exactly what I'm warning against. I've picked up the same pen that's writing Catholics out of the Pentagon chapel.

The question "who gets to be called a Christian?" is dangerous precisely because everyone who asks it thinks they're the right one to answer it.

Who Gets to Say?

I'm not interested in deciding who's in and who's out. It's not my job, and I don't want it.

If someone tells me they follow Jesus, I'll believe them — whether they meet in a cathedral or a kitchen, whether they believe in the Trinity or not, whether their theology seems cozy or makes me deeply uncomfortable.

I don't have to agree with someone to honor the fact that they're trying. They may be failing on an operatic level — like the Christian nationalists — and when they do I will call it out.

I don't have to erase their name to make room for mine.

The body of Christ is not a brand, a club, or a marketing strategy. It's a mark on a tree, a trailhead leading into the woods. It's a call to follow the path for a lifetime, not seeing the end but still moving in its most likely direction.

This answer's less tidy, less predictable and plottable than we want it to be, yet it's bigger than we can imagine.

Even Mary Magdalene — the woman whose gospel we were supposed to be reading that day — was once pushed to the margins of the faith. There she is, still. Edited out of texts, called a whore, she's still here with us.

Still speaking.