15 Times John Pavlovitz Wasn't Afraid To Say What Most Christians Want To
His strong opinions have caused controversy, but he continues to speak his mind.
A progressive pastor and writer, John Pavlovitz is not afraid to speak his mind about topics that he cares strongly about. He mixes his strong Christian values with his political views to show the importance of equality for all. His blog titled “Stuff That Needs To Be Said” reaches millions of readers and, from the Trump presidency to depression and grief, he talks about it all.
Perhaps because of his atypical take on the new president — many Christian leaders have backed the Republican candidate — some of Pavlovitz's writings about Trump have gone viral, receiving wide critical attention. In one notable article, he warned women of men who support Donald Trump, saying that Trump supporters don’t care about women and are openly misogynistic.
He wrote, “If these professed men of God truly acknowledged your inherent value, they would be fiercely defending you right now, instead of Donald Trump.”
He also gained a lot of attention with his article “It’s Time We Stopped Calling Donald Trump A Christian,” where he separated Trump from Christianity and stated that Trump only embraced Christianity to appeal to Evangelical voters. Pavlovitz alleged that Trump isn’t a real Christian — claiming that everything that Trump stands for (greed, bitterness, etc) are the very things that Christian values are against.
Many of Pavlovitz’s posts and tweets have received angry criticism from Trump supporters, but Pavlovitz hasn't backed down from his arguments. Although highly controversial, his stance against Trump remains strong, and he continues to write about the importance of remaining vigilant against a Trump presidency.
If you're interested learning more about his unique perspective, here are 15 moving quotes from his articles and sermons that express just how strongly he feels about topics like Trump, feminism, faith, and the importance of staying resilient during hard times.
If you're searching for the best quotes and memes to share with the people you love (or just want to feel inspired yourself) ... look no further! From the sweetest love quotes, inspirational sayings, and hilarious friendship truths, we've got you covered.
1On pro-life Trump supporters
"You see, it’s not that you’re really pro-life, you’re pro-straight, white, Christian fetuses." —John Pavlovitz
In one of his blog posts, Pavlovitz explains that pro-life supporters are more pro-abortion than pro-life. According to Pavlovitz, if they really valued life as much as they claimed to, they wouldn’t be against immigrant rights, women’s rights, or LGBT rights.
2On resilience
"It’s good to rest, but it’s not an option to retire. There is simply too much work to do and too few people who give a damn. You give a damn—and that makes you perfect for such a time as this. Keep going. Keep fighting. Keep loving. Keep resisting." —John Pavlovitz
Pavlovitz thinks it’s important to not give up during rough times. It is necessary to take a break every once in a while, but never stop working toward what you want. Resilience will allow you to reach your goals and make real changes.
3On bullies
"The bully’s tactic is simple: leverage their power to generate fear in someone who possesses less power; to use their cultural advantage to terrorize another, all the while masking their own near paralyzing insecurity and self-hatred" —John Pavlovitz
Comparing Donald Trump to a bully, John Pavlovitz calls him the Bully Messiah. He states that Trump appeals to fear and intimidation to gain power over minorities and women, groups he perceives as weak. He doesn't speak to people the way a real leader would; rather, he resorts to intimidation.
4On religion and taking responsibility
"Though God is all-powerful, God does not exercise that power to coerce us. We are not mindless robots simply performing the tasks we are pre-programmed to—we are fully responsible for the stuff we do and say and think." —John Pavlovitz
Pavlovitz isn’t afraid to call out people who dismiss their responsibility by saying that religion will take care of everything. He says that free will exists, and we must all work to enact change.
5On Democrats
"Maybe the truth is that equality, diversity, justice, and compassion are indeed now solely “Democratic talking points” because you have gone all-in with someone and something that Jesus would rightly be horrified by." —John Pavlovitz
Pavlovitz revealed that he is registered as an Independent voter; however, many people have assumed he is a Democrat. He says values such as equality, diversity, justice and compassion are associated with the Democratic Party, because right now, the Republican Party with Trump as their leader represents the opposite.
6On what he would say to a young Donald Trump
"You are not the person who exists in the glare of the spotlight but the one residing in the deepest hidden recesses of your heart." —John Pavlovitz
As he was watching his own son playing outside, John Pavlovitz thought about what he would say to a young Trump. In addition to reminding him of the importance of values, he would also impart that it’s easy to get caught up in the spotlight of fame, but what really matters is the way you treat others.
7On the media
"We live in an America where Fox News has brainwashed a portion of the adult population, rendering them fully immune to reason and deathly allergic to factual information. Add to that, a toxic cocktail of Nationalism, contempt for Government, and good old-fashioned bigotry, and some folks are simply impossible to engage in any meaningful and productive way." —John Pavlovitz
America currently has an odd relationship with its media outlets. John Pavlovitz speaks to the importance of remaining informed and separating false news from real facts. It's important to remain educated and to recognize empty appeals to Nationalism for what they are: empty.
8On self-care
"Be passionate, but take time to pause and breathe. Fight, but retreat to find your rest. Be engaged, but be present to those in front of you. Stay woke dear friends, but do get some sleep." —John Pavlovitz
Self-care is extremely important during times of distress. Pavlovitz understands that being constantly bombarded by bad news in the media is tiring, and he encourages people to take a break, but to not give up.
9On grief
"This is quite possibly the worst thing about Grief: its utter rudeness, its complete disregard for your present bliss. It doesn’t care what goodness you are experiencing or how perfect the moment is. It shows up unannounced in the middle of your celebration and victory to remind you that you are still in the red; that no matter what great things you do or feel or receive, that loss remains and will remain." —John Pavlovitz
John Pavlovitz talks about the process of mourning and how grief never fully leaves. He reminds us that in the midst of the great joy we feel in life, grief and sadness are also real.
10On feminism
"I grieved over the nation we could be working toward and the lessons my daughter could be learning, while being reminded that women have been pushing back and pulling us forward for a long time now—and they haven’t needed permission or blessing. Maybe that is the real lesson." —John Pavlovitz
Acknowledging the fact that Trump’s victory over Clinton set us back in progressing as a country, Pavlovitz expresses gratitude toward women for continuing to fight for what they believe in. Women's resilience in the face of oppression is something that can inspire us all.
11On empathy
"You’re so exhausted by the feeling and the breaking and the bleeding, and you’re asking yourself if you should just stop giving a damn. You shouldn’t." —John Pavlovitz
According to Pavlovitz, it’s easy to become hardened and calloused by all the negative news that we are surrounded by. But it’s important to remain empathetic and to stand firm by your values, because caring about things is what sustains us in the long run.
12On immigrants
"It’s a problem because the core of this Jesus’ teaching was the command to love your neighbor as yourself, and that designation of neighbor had nothing to do with geography but with shared Humanity." —John Pavlovitz
The life of someone from another country should not matter less than the lives of Americans. We’re all human after all, Pavlovitz reminds us.
13On immigrants' rights
"Yes all life is equally valuable wherever it arrives or resides, and yes, a child 5,000 miles away is as inherently beautiful and worthy of protection as my own—and your own." —John Pavlovitz
Pavlovitz says that every life is meaningful. It doesn’t matter where the person is geographically located or whether or not they are legal citizens. We should be empathetic to everyone because of our shared humanity. Not being "American" isn't a good excuse to not care about someone's wellbeing.
14On Trump’s religion
"Even in the early days of the Presidential campaign it was a ludicrous idea: that Donald Trump was now a Christian; that he’d miraculously “found Jesus” right at the time he needed to pull in millions of Evangelical voters." —John Pavlovitz
Pavlovitz says that Trump is greedy, self-centered and bitter. He urges people to not acknowledge Trump as a Christian because he stands for the very things that Christianity's values are against.
15On loss
As you get older, it’s easy to become preoccupied with all the things you’re losing: time, mobility, options, friends, hair." —John Pavlovitz
Everything in life is eventually lost, says Pavlovitz. But when you lose things, you often gain bigger things in turn. Pavlovitz reminds us that the ups and downs of life are all natural.