Photo by Aleksandra B. on Unsplash
Ivani Greppi and I have been writing a series of articles on the rise of African diaspora religions in America today and their influence on American society. The religions discussed in the articles include Santeria, Palo Mayombe, and Haitian Voodoo. All of these religions originate from the Ifá divination system of Yorubaland in West Africa. The focus of this article will be on Santeria as “the gay religion” as argued by Raven Morgaine in his 2021 book Yemaya: Orisha, Goddess, and Queen of the Sea. The same deities (orishas) worshiped in Ifá are also worshiped in Santeria. Yemeya, the major water spirit from the Yoruba religion, is often depicted as a mermaid in Santeria to symbolize her deep connection to the river and the sea. And sadly, the mermaid has become a prominent archetype for the transgender, and thus the drag queen community.
Introduction
According to Ivani Greppi,
Santería, also known as La Regla Lukumí or Regla de Ocha, an Afro-Caribbean spiritual practice from Cuba and practiced all over the world, arrived in the US via Cuban immigrants. Similar to Haitian Voodoo, Brazilian Candomblé, Umbanda, and Quimbanda, Santería is a syncretic belief system between West African Yoruba religion, Roman Catholicism, and Spiritism. Spirit deities known in Spanish as Orichas (Orishas in Yoruban), which are associated with Roman Catholic Saints, are worshiped. Olodumare is the supreme creator god of Santería.1Greppi, Ivanni. 2025. Review of Santeria, Animal Sacrifice, and the Constitution – Part 1. Midwest Christian Outreach Inc. (blog). January 23, 2025
According to Wikipedia,
[Yemaya] is the major water spirit from the Yoruba religion. She is the mother of all Orishas [goddesses]. She is also the mother of humanity. She is an orisha, in this case patron spirit of rivers, particularly the Ogun River in Nigeria, and oceans in Cuban and Brazilian orisa religions. She is often syncretized with either Our Lady of Regla in the Afro-Cuban diaspora or various other Virgin Mary figures of the Catholic Church, a practice that emerged during the era of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.2Wikipedia Contributors. 2021. “Yemọja.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. April 2, 202
While in Berlin, Maryland a few weeks ago, I picked up Morgaine’s book while visiting The Mermaid Museum. According to the book jacket, he is a practitioner of Candomblé, New Orleans Voodoo, Santeria, and witchcraft. He has dedicated his life and work to the service of the great mother goddess, Yemaya, and is the owner of the Familiar Spirits shop in Coventry, Rhode Island, where he creates and sells the spirit altar dolls for which he is renowned. Within his book Morgaine states,
[Santeria] has often been referred to as “the gay religion,”. . . [and] is widely considered to be the most accepting of its LGBTQ members. Because of this acceptance, the visibility of these devotees is not compromised, something that is not true in Palo, where gays cannot be initiated by priests of the religion—allegedly, at least. I personally know gay initiates. Candomblé is another tradition with a large queer following.3Morgaine, Raven. 2021. Yemaya. Weiser Books. Pg. 30-31
While most of Yemaya’s aspects [avatars] are decidedly female, Olokun [one of Yemaya’s avatars] is usually seen as either very masculine or androgynous, whichever he chooses to be. In our new world of non-binary gender roles and heteroflexibility, the relationship between Yemaya and Olokun becomes a beacon for these marginalized members of the community.4Morgaine, Raven. 2021. Yemaya. Weiser Books. Pg. 29
It is true that the gay male culture can be hyper-masculine; but it is also true that it can be intensely feminine. I think this is evident in the soaring popularity of the art of drag. I know more than one drag queen who embodies the spirit of Yemaya, and some who have even performed in her image (tastefully). And every drag queen has dressed as a mermaid at least once. I can’t even guess the number of super-masculine muscle-gays who throw on a harness and fishtail and become the image of Olokun (even if they don’t realize it), and how many hirsute gay men belonging to the Bear community strap on a clamshell bra, red wig, and mermaid tail and go full-on Ariel, belting out the lyrics to “Part of Your World.”5Morgaine, Raven. 2021. Yemaya. Weiser Books. Pg. 34
On July 7, 2023 Morgaine posted a picture of himself dressed up in a mermaid tail on his Instagram page. I have known for a while that mermaids are not the sweet little creatures depicted by Disney, but are most likely demons Satan is using to deceive people. But I am greatly saddened to hear that the mermaid also serves as a prominent archetype for the transgender experience, reflecting themes of body-mind dissonance, transition, and the search for acceptance. Trans and queer individuals have long found resonance with merfolk, seeing their journey as a powerful allegory for their own lives and identity exploration.
Drag Queen Mermaids
Drag queen mermaids are a popular drag concept; in fact, the iconic Disney villain Ursula from The Little Mermaid was inspired by the drag queen Divine. This theme is also often seen in RuPaul’s Drag Race runways, and sadly, drag queen story hours at your local library. One of the most popular books at drag queen story hours is Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. Drag queen story hours, featuring this book, are also available online. For instance, the Queer Kid Stuff YouTube channel, which has more than thirty thousand followers, featured Julian is a Mermaid on their June 22, 2019 episode, which has almost one hundred and thirty thousand views!
Julian is a Mermaid was awarded the Stonewall Book Award and the Klaus Flugge Prize in 2019.6Wikipedia Contributors. 2021. “Julian is a Mermaid.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. September 13, 2021 It is also considered a teacher’s pick on Amazon.com. Wikipedia summarizes the book this way:
One day, while on the subway with his grandma, Julián sees some of the participants of the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Julián becomes fascinated by them and starts dreaming of becoming a mermaid swimming in the sea.
Back home, while his grandmother is showering, Julián fashions himself a mermaid outfit with a variety of materials he finds at home, including a potted plant and window curtains. After leaving the bath, his grandmother gives what seems a disapproving look and leaves for a while, just to return with a smile on her face and a pearl necklace for Julián.
His grandmother then takes him to the parade, where he gets to walk with all the other mermaids.7Wikipedia Contributors. 2021. “Julian is a Mermaid.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. September 13, 2021
Also, according to Wikipedia,
[Jessica] Love’s initial plan was to have Julián meet with drag queens on their way to a drag ball, inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race, but in an interview with PinkNews, she said she changed the characters to mermaids, as her research uncovered the mythical creature’s significance to transgender people: “There’s something about mermaids. Who knows if that’s because they’re magical creatures who can live between two realities or because they don’t have any genitals.”8Wikipedia Contributors. 2021. “Julian is a Mermaid.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. September 13, 2021
The PinkNews article also states,
The mythical creatures [mermaids] have become symbolic to transgender people and their allies: they are depicted with nothing below their waists but a tail, while the Disney film The Little Mermaid has a main character who wants to change form—echoing the feelings of some trans people. Such is the affinity between the two that the British trans children’s charity, Mermaids, derives its name from the beings.
Conclusion
Santeria, like Voodoo, syncretizes its religion to Catholicism and its saints. Morgaine states, “some Christian beliefs can be seen as associated with Yemaya through sacred figures like the Blessed Mother, the Stella Maris (“Star of the Sea,” a title also associated with Isis), or Our Lady of Regla, the Black Madonna with whom Yemaya is often identified.”9Morgaine, Raven. 2021. Yemaya. Weiser Books. pg. xiii But is this true? Can or should Christians ever embrace Santeria?
In addition to her role as the patron saint of rivers,
Yemaya reigns over all magic, and is often called on for help with psychic work, moon magic, fertility spells, healing, finances, and the making of potions.10Morgaine, Raven. 2021. Yemaya. Weiser Books. Pg. 37
She [also] brought the power of procreation into the world, becoming the patroness of pregnant woman and their children, both born and unborn.11Morgaine, Raven. 2021. Yemaya. Weiser Books. Pg. x
Yemaya’s Egyptian counterpart is the goddess Isis,12Morgaine, Raven. 2021. Yemaya. Weiser Books. Pg. xi who is the goddess of the Nile, health and disease, and protector of children. Isis was one of the false gods attacked by the first, sixth, and tenth plagues of Egypt. The first plague turned the Nile to blood (Ex 7:14-25), the sixth plague was boils (Ex 9:8-17), and the tenth was the death of the firstborn males (Ex 11- 13).13“What Was the Meaning and Purpose of the Ten Plagues of Egypt?” n.d. GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/ten-plagues-Egypt.html How can Christians embrace Santeria and Yemaya when God made it clear that the ancient Egyptian religion and Isis were never to be worshipped or equated with Yahweh? Does scripture not say “Salvation is found in no other name but Jesus (Acts 4:12)? Why would any Christian want to embrace Santeria when Yemaya is clearly inferior?Ω
Stephanie Potts and her husband, Jim live in Dayton, Ohio, and have been married for 24 years. She worked with the federal government for 15 years as an intelligence analyst and then entered full-time Christian service in 2015. She first joined Haven Ministries in Denver, Colorado, in 2015 and then transferred to Midwest Christian Outreach, Inc in 2021. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in Political Science and International Relations and received her Master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems from Penn State University. She is currently working towards her master’s degree in Christian Apologetics through Southern Evangelical Seminary. She has special interests in indigenous religions – especially Native American spirituality – and in responding to Catholicism, and the social justice movement. Stephanie’s personal website: rainbowapologetics.com
© 2025, Midwest Christian Outreach, Inc All rights reserved. Excerpts and links may be used if full and clear credit is given with specific direction to the original content.
Thank you for the information! I believe most who see mermaids have no clue. You said, “But is this true? Can or should Christians ever embrace Santeria?” Well, how can they embrace YOGA, or Labyrinths, prayer circles, sitting in silence, and the acceptance of homosexuality, and other the other things they practice?” Answer: are they even born again? You made me think of the 1970’s when “Female Impersonators” were on television when I was a child. It was totally amazing how they looked like women. My mother an unsaved person loved the programs, that is why at 10-12 years old we were watching them. Homosexuality was pushed big time back then; the brainwashing has been going on for quite a long time. There is a list of 1970’s tv programs with lgbtq themes on wiki. All to desensitize us and in the 80’s when my sister was in public school (8th grade-1980)), they taught her to love and want to be a communist. She is still brainwashed with this idea, though she now claims Christianity.
Thanks for reading my article! You hit the nail on the head when you said this is all about desensitizing us. It’s sad how far our society has fallen since the 70s and 80s.
This article offers an insightful look into how Yemaya, a water spirit from Yoruba religion, is embraced by the LGBTQ+ community, especially drag queens, as an archetype reflecting body-mind dissonance and the search for acceptance. The connection between mermaids and trans experiences is well-explained, highlighting how figures like Ursula and books like Julian is a Mermaid resonate with this group. A thought-provoking read!
Thanks for the kind words!
I think it’s great you’re studying Santería. It’s fascinating, they have a mermaid legend, as does nearly every culture. Wikipedia has a whole catalog of them, and Santería’s version is hardly the one most people in Europe or the U.S. know. Disney’s Little Mermaid came straight from Hans Christian Andersen (a Christian, ironically). Personally, I first met mermaids through Andersen, then later through Greek and Roman mythology. Even in the LGBTQ+ community, those are usually the go-to references. I’ve never once heard anyone cite Santería as their mermaid origin story.
Julián Is a Mermaid came out around the same time Disney remade The Little Mermaid with a Black Ariel. The point of both was simply representation. Kids of different backgrounds being able to see themselves in stories, to dream and play make believe. That’s not Santería, that’s just inclusivity. Nothing wrong with that.
If you don’t like that the book features a boy dressing up as a mermaid, that’s your right. Not everyone agrees, not even every Christian. But the “mermaid → Santería/Yemayá → drag/trans identity → demonic deception” argument doesn’t hold water (pun intended). It condemns the symbol not for what it is, but for a supposed origin that isn’t even the dominant one. Most kids today resonate with Disney’s Ariel, not Yemayá. And in case anyone forgot, Ariel doesn’t turn into sea foam in the Disney version (try selling that ending to a 5 year old). 😊
The article itself sets up a false choice: either “pure Christianity” or “full Santería.” Real life isn’t that binary. A child reading Julián Is a Mermaid or a drag queen in a tail is not secretly worshiping Yemayá. Pretending otherwise is a strawman.
And if we’re going to say any non-Christian symbol is demonic, do we toss Christmas trees? Easter eggs? Christians are divided on how and if to celebrate Halloween. Are those that do not true Christians? Even crosses on altars have been called graven images by some (Dave Hunt, for one). Whose line in the sand are we supposed to follow? Everyone’s got a favorite verse for theirs.
So really—if a drag queen wants to read Julián Is a Mermaid at story hour, it’s not the apocalypse (well according to Dispensationalist s it may be, however there again we all don’t believe the same concerning that either). Don’t like it? Don’t go 😊. It’s a public library, and yes, drag queens pay taxes too.
Meanwhile, the Church has bigger fires to put out. Anyone catch Doug Wilson’s CNN interview? Paula White’s White House gig? Or maybe the steady drumbeat of sexual abuse scandals? Ravi Zacharias, anyone? Compared to all that, drag queens are the least of our problems.
Honestly, I’ll take a drag queen over Doug Wilson or Ravi Zacharias any day.
Hi Tammi.
Thanks for reading my article. Please know that while I have been greatly concerned with the direction that Disney has been taking regarding the LGBTQ+ issue, I am not overly legalistic when it comes to people seeing their movies and TV shows. I try my best not to become a stumbling block to people on either side of the argument (Romans 14:13-23); however, this is not always possible in a 1400-word blog article.
While I love both The Little Mermaid movies, we also need to be vigilant as to how children are being exposed to pagan and trans culture. We must remember what 1 Corinthians 10:20 says: “what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.” How do we know when a spirit is a demon? To know this, we need to read 1 John 4:1-3, and we need to remember that angels celebrate our salvation, while demons obstruct our salvation (Mark 9:25). If we start to teach our children that mermaids and mermen are real, are we running the risk of obstructing their salvation? There are books already out there that are exposing our kids to Yemaya goddess worship. For instance, “Mermaid Dreams: A little girl’s undersea journey with the Ocean Goddess Yemaya” by Janet Lucy.
My view on mermaids and mermen is based upon how the Bible addresses the ancient Philistine god Dagon (1 Samuel 5:2), who was represented as a half-man, half-fish creature. Dagon was Baal’s father, and Baal was the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. At times, appeasing Baal required human sacrifice, usually the firstborn of the one making the sacrifice (Jeremiah 19:5). Isn’t it interesting that Baal, as the son of the merman Dagon, required child sacrifice? Is it just a coincidence that children are so interested in mermaids and mermen?
Before the Hebrews entered the Promised Land, the Lord God warned against worshiping Canaan’s gods (Deuteronomy 6:14-15), but Israel turned to idolatry anyway. We must be careful not to make the same mistake. During the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, at the height of Baal worship in Israel, God directly confronted the paganism through His prophet Elijah. First, God showed that He, not Baal, controlled the rain by sending a drought lasting three-and-one-half years (1 Kings 17:1). Then Elijah called for a showdown on Mt. Carmel to prove once and for all who the true God was. Yahweh prevailed.
If the issue of mermaids and mermen was not important to God, I don’t think scripture would have gone into detail about the names of the Philistine gods and how our God is more powerful than they are. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to “be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Through my ministry, I have met numerous people who got involved with the occult and paganism as children, and were even contacted by spirits as children, because their parents were involved with the occult or did not warn their children about the occult. So many “Christian” parents these days don’t know the Bible and are thus endangering their children. This article was directed to them.
BTW, I agree completely regarding Doug Wilson and Ravi Zacharias.
Thanks for your reply 😊. That said, your article still leans on some logical fallacies. Using historical documents as theological proof is shaky ground. At best they’re context, not doctrine. When we build beliefs off obscure texts, we end up with movements that look more like cults, remember The Prayer of Jabez craze? Or how the book of Acts is used to justify tons of Word Faith doctrines and practices. The same could be said of them, if God wrote it in there it must be important. I would agree it is important but the intent is just as important. If it’s wrong for “heretics” to do it, it’s just as wrong for us.
You claim a historical reference proves God wanted us to see mermaids as demonic. Yet in most folklore, mermaids already show up as bad omens. The way people view symbols changes. Hans Christian Andersen, a Christian, used the mermaid myth without batting an eye. What one generation fears, another rewrites. Same with end-times prophecies: every age reinterprets them in its own way.
Taking Santeria’s version of the mermaid story and treating it as if it represents the mainstream is misleading. The New Testament is about transformation. Even the cross itself was once condemned by some Christians as idolatry, and now it’s central to the faith. Christians debate Halloween, Christmas, and Easter the same way, and yet people on both sides manage to remain Christian. Symbols don’t stay static; they get reformed and reused.
The Bible doesn’t tell non-Christians to follow our rules. Demonizing groups just because we dislike their symbolism isn’t biblical, it’s scapegoating. Your piece falls into guilt by association and a strawman argument. Treating references to Philistine gods (or any ancient myth)as if they should shape Christian doctrine is the same method that’s fueled endless cults and denominations.
Yes, Santeria isn’t Christianity. But dragging in unrelated groups like drag performers as though they’re all part of the same story just muddies the waters and weakens the point.
Hi Tammi. Two questions. . .
1.) I don’t recall mentioning any obscure documents. Can you please clarify what you mean here?
2.) Do you consider yourself a progressive Christian? Or do you follow a different faith? This will help me to respond to your concerns more effectively.
I am sorry one last thing. Trans people and Drag Queens + Kings, are two different groups of people. One group dresses like the opposite gender, the other believes they are the opposite gender. Roman law had 3 district genders, Jesus referenced 3 different Genders when he talks about people born Eunuchs (intersex), made so by men (can include willful castration to obtain a position in the Royal Government and those who were castrated as slaves and as children). He elevates all of these circumstances and says time and again, even in Isaiah as a prophecy for the future, they will no longer be excluded from His kingdom. He even says these people are not the majority of people but should be honored. He Himself was a Eunuch for His Kingdom. Just because everyone doesn’t do it, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done or demonized. At least that is what Jesus said. I think Jesus choosing to be a Eunuch is one of the greatest examples of taking a symbol once associated with death and rejection and turning it into a symbol of honor.
Hi again Tammi. You may want to read this article regarding your three-gender argument.
“Does Jesus’ Reference to Eunuchs Affirm Transgender People?”
It’s not that I don’t understand the Eunuchs-and-gender argument. I simply don’t agree. I hold two master’s degrees from Liberty University, worked with MCOI for many years (hi Don 👋), and I know respected Christian scholars who also disagree with these positions. For clarity, I rarely agree with Ken Ham, and citing him doesn’t exactly strengthen your case.
History itself complicates the idea that humanity has always lived in a neat gender binary. Roman law recognized three genders. The Hebrew Torah describes eight sex and gender categories. Many Native American tribes honored two-spirit people. Even Greek, with only one word for eunouchoi, carried multiple layers of meaning.
What troubles me isn’t disagreement, it’s that my points have been sidestepped. Instead of direct engagement, I’ve seen a chain of connections stretched far beyond reason: demons to Old Testament gods, to Dagon, to child sacrifice, to mermaids, to Santería, to LGBTQ+ people, to drag queens, to Disney. That’s less theology and more conspiracy theory.
Here’s the reality. Almost every culture has mermaid myths. Santería’s version is relatively obscure. Modern Western fascination with mermaids comes through Greco-Roman stories of Poseidon + Atlantis, European folklore, Hans Christian Andersen (who turned the mermaid into a Christian allegory of soul transformation), and Disney, which rebranded the tale twice. The most recent version featured a Black Ariel, around the same time Julian Is a Mermaid was published, a children’s book about a Black boy who dreams of being a mermaid in a parade. None of that connects to Santería. It’s simply inclusivity, which last I checked is deeply Biblical.
As for a supposed rise of LGBTQ+ people in Santería, that’s impossible to measure. Buying a charm in New Orleans doesn’t make someone a Santería devotee. LGBTQ+ people, like everyone else, span the entire spectrum of belief—Christian, atheist, agnostic, spiritual-but-not-religious. Being queer doesn’t automatically mean bowing to Yemayá any more than being straight makes someone a devotee of Poseidon.
You also collapsed drag queens and trans people into one group and then generalized about them. That’s not only inaccurate, it’s dangerous. Christians would not appreciate that kind of stereotyping either.
Yes, Disney’s Ursula was inspired by Divine, a drag queen. That doesn’t make The Little Mermaid queer propaganda. It simply shows Disney borrowing from queer culture. And that only reinforces my point: the imagery is rooted in Greco-Roman and European traditions, not Afro-Caribbean ones.
The “drag queen story hour” example is equally weak. Public libraries are public spaces. LGBTQ+ people pay taxes just like anyone else. A drag queen reading a children’s book is not indoctrination. Meanwhile, the very real crisis of SA, the actual subjection and ing of women and it’s indoctrination both in churches and public spaces by “Christians” like Doug Wilson, Ravi Zacharias, SBC, and Conservative Evangelicals is largely ignored by the same voices raising alarm about story hour. That imbalance smells a lot like scapegoating.
Which brings us back to the bigger leap: accepting LGBTQ+ people equals embracing Santería, which equals child sacrifice. That isn’t theology, it’s fear-mongering. It’s a false dichotomy designed to corner Christians into thinking they either reject their queer neighbors or else accept demons. But that conclusion rests on assumptions about motives that simply aren’t there.
Then there’s the symbol question. Do symbols carry eternal, fixed meanings, or can they be repurposed? Christians themselves can’t agree. Some see the cross on the altar as holy; others as idolatry. The Confederate flag is heritage to some and hatred to others. So who gets to decide what symbols “really” mean? Scripture doesn’t give us a definitive answer here. My belief is we should settle this with our own before we go out attacking other belief systems.
All of this reminds me of Bob and Gretchen Passantino, who pushed back against the Satanic Panic. They didn’t demonize people’s beliefs or sensationalize their practices. They exposed frauds like Mike Warnke and Bob Larson but handled spiritual warfare with calm, practical wisdom: if you feel attacked, worship God and read Scripture. The point of attack is to drive you from God…so draw nearer to Him. No theatrics, no shouting at demons, no holy water props.
That’s what we need now. A refusal to turn everything unfamiliar into a demonic plot. A willingness to call out bad arguments and resist fear-based narratives.
Most of the time, people aren’t scheming to corrupt Christianity. They’re just trying to live their lives and pursue happiness, which is still protected by the Constitution. Christians can either engage that reality with love and discernment or retreat into scapegoating and conspiracy.
But let’s be clear: mermaids do not equal Santería, demons, or child sacrifice. And LGBTQ+ people are not the villains of some spiritual panic. That narrative is not truth, and it’s not the gospel.
Hi Tammi. I understand what you are saying for the most part and I certainly don’t pretend to know everything. I’m open to other viewpoints. I want to become a more effective witness for Christ. So let me apologize if this article came off as yet more “Satanic Panic.” That was never my intention. I understand completely how that ideology really hindered the Christian witness in the 80s and 90s.
I hope you will show me some grace here and be open to discussion offline. I enjoy learning from others. Perhaps a phone call or FaceTime meeting would be appropriate.
The problem with blog articles is that they need to be short and to the point. And the person reading the article misses the tone of the one writing the article. I always try to be loving in my approach to unbelievers and discernment issues. But it may not come off that way in my writing.
I go to Paganicon every year as well as numerous other pagan and occult events so I’m not afraid of these folks. They are usually very kind, but lost people. My problem isn’t with them, but with the ideology Satan has brainwashed them into believing.
However, from my experience many pagans are highly sexualized and openly proselytize their beliefs about sexuality and gender identity. You may want to read Morgaine’s book to see what I mean.
If you have a more accurate way to portray this problem I’m open to your thoughts.
I can absolutely give grace 😊. But let’s be clear: LGBTQ+ people are allowed to exist and believe what they want. They can get breast implants or gender-affirming care the same way Christians get plastic surgery and have HRT therapy. It’s their body. If I wanted surgery, I should be able to get it whether you approve or not, “natural” or not.
What should never happen is people losing jobs, homes, or healthcare,or being abused simply for living authentically. Unless someone is actively harming others, they have the right to exist in peace. I may not always agree or like it, but they still have that right.
The problem is, articles like the one you shared help create an environment where these abuses are not only happening but are being justified “in Jesus’ name.” Christians are flirting with Theocracy. Instead of addressing the real rot inside the Church, we make scapegoats of groups who are not a threat to anyone’s salvation but their own. We are not the Holy Spirit.
I’ve been up close with people’s lives for years. Four years driving Uber in Chicago—5,000 passengers in my car. At the same time, serving as a hospice chaplain. I see the damage done. Christians are just as lost as pagans, but increasingly, they’re also less kind. Empathy has somehow become a sin now 😊 (if that isn’t scripture twisting, I don’t know what is).
And the fruit? It’s rotten. Scripture is clear: bad fruit means false teaching and false prophecy. Jesus said some who claim to know Him will be rejected—not for bad doctrine but because they didn’t feed the hungry, visit prisoners, or care for the vulnerable (Matthew 25). James 1–2 hammers it home: faith without works is dead, and favoritism toward the rich is condemned. Be honest: are Christians known for actually doing the Word, or for twisting scripture to excuse themselves?
Meanwhile, our pulpits are nearly silent about adultery, abuse, greed, and exploitation. But oh, the gays—they’re the “greatest threat.” Yet nowhere in scripture are people excused for having “the right doctrine.” James reminds us: demons have good theology. What God requires is good fruit, and the Church’s harvest is rotten because our theology is corrupted.
Look at the evidence: SBC scandals, ACNA (where I worked and was fired after reporting predators), Focus on the Family, and others. These institutions have fostered toxic, heretical teachings about women, children, marriage, and sex. They preach “out-breed the Muslims,” dismiss celibacy, and idolize fertility. And while LGBTQ+ people are blamed for society’s ills, statistically it’s heterosexual married men—and the doctrines they uphold—doing the most damage. The world sees this hypocrisy. Romans 2:24 is happening right now: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
And why no bold headlines condemning our leaders? Paula White dabbling in witchcraft while advising the White House? Franklin Graham’s corruption? Doug Wilson teaching that women are mere vessels who can be beaten? Purity culture breeding abuse? Ravi Zacharias, a predator whose defenders still debate whether his books are “useful”? Bad fruit, bad doctrine. These are the issues the Church should be united in confronting.
Instead, we’re distracted by culture wars that Christ and Paul never prioritized. Paul dealt with rampant heterosexual sin in the Church, not “out of control homosexuality.” Jesus didn’t either. That silence speaks volumes: it wasn’t the major problem then—and it isn’t now.
The real problems are in our own house. When we finally clean up our yard, then we’ll have the right to talk about anyone else’s.
I’m open to continuing this offline. Feel free to email me. 😊
Greetings Tammi,
It has been a few years since we connected. I have been a little surprised at your responses and had to go back and reread Stephanie’s post. As I did so I wondered if you were responding to a different post or article on a different website by accident. She clearly states that she is writing about religions that “originate from the Ifá divination system of Yorubaland in West Africa” and that “The focus of this article will be on Santeria as “the gay religion” as argued by Raven Morgaine in his 2021 book Yemaya: Orisha, Goddess, and Queen of the Sea.” Ivani Greppi, who Stephanie quotes from, is a former Umbanda Priestess, which is also rooted in Ifá, and speaks from that perspective. Stephanie quotes from Wikipedia and a fairly long quote from Raven Morgaine’s book. Stephanie points out the ways the Ifá religions syncretize with the cultures in which they find themselves. So, the idea of “the gay religion” comes from Raven Morgaine.
There is nothing in her article that states or implies that LGBTQ+ people shouldn’t be allowed to exist and believe what they want. While it is true that some “Christians are flirting with Theocracy” there is nothing in the MCOI material or teachings, including Steph’s article, which advocates for a theocracy.