American Christians Are A Cult, Not Real Christians

American "Christianity" is Broken, Politicized, and Utterly Corrupt. It's 
Time to Admit it, Shatter it, and Rebuild it
It's time for an intervention for both "believers" and unbelievers alike in 
America.
Danny de Gracia
Jul 21, 2025

There is something very wrong with the institution of Christianity in the 
United States of America today.

Like so many other things here, we've managed to monetize and reduce to 
total superficiality and uselessness something sacred and meaningful that 
used to be the Christian faith.

Thanks for reading Danny's Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new 
posts and support my work.

In the Gospel account of Mark 7, Jesus, rebuking religious leaders, warns, 
"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people 
honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they 
worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men ... All too well 
you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition ... 
making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have 
handed down. And many such things you do" (v.7:6-7,9,13).

What does it mean to make the word of God "of no effect"? It means that the 
spiritual salt that flavors the message of God, that imparts resistance 
against corruption, and that ultimately irritates evil into being driven 
out or reforming is completely stripped out, leaving us only platitudes and 
quotable quotes.

The core of true Christianity is Christ. The core of Christ is faith, hope, 
and love. The power that Christ gives us is supernatural to transform the 
world around us and places our focus on higher things that transcend the 
life that we live in this temporary world.

Sincere and true Christianity regards the lives of others as greater and 
more important than our own (Philippians 2:3). Christianity believes God is 
love and love overcomes all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). Christianity 
believes nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37), and this animates us 
to always do our best and to push higher, faster, farther than ever before.
undefined
Christ Leaving the Praetorium, by Gustave Dore´.

Christianity believes in showing grace and unconditional love to others 
(Ephesians 4:32). Christianity believes that Jesus is the first and the 
last, the beginning and the end, and the source of all things (John 1:1). 
Christianity believes that Jesus saved us, when we were unworthy, so that 
we, having been justified, can seek out other unworthy, suffering people 
and bring the same blessing to them (Romans 5:8).

I could go on and on, but let me tell you something, if you call yourself a 
"Christian" and the Holy Spirit dwells within you, you will take God's word 
as absolute and you will love others in a way that is impossible by the 
standards of an unregenerate world.

Living in 2025 as a GenXer is very perplexing to me, because having grown 
up in the 1980s and 1990s, and then having been born again in 2000, I got 
to see the progression of American Christendom and many of its leaders. 
Some of the surviving teachers and preachers that trained my generation 
have a vastly different message in 2025 than they did in my youth. Perhaps 
they failed in that they trained us a little "too" well in things they 
spoke but did not inwardly believe, and maybe now the real personality that 
was under their doctrine has finally come to the surface, but I am here to 
tell you that American Christianity today is defective and needs to be 
tossed out.

My complaint is especially with the rise of charismatic Christianity which 
has really become commercialized Christianity. Today anyone and everyone 
calls themselves a "prophet" (Jeremiah 23:36) without the discipline of 
rigorous study of the Word (2 Timothy 2:15) or screening by proven and 
tested ministers (1 Timothy 5:22). Go on social media today and there is a 
"prophecy" for everything these days, and Christianity has become very 
close to political leadership in a way that projects messianic authority to 
political leaders that is unique and reserved only for Jesus.

Consider also:

The church that Jesus had spiritual power (Acts 1:8) to solve problems by 
faith in God. Today's church seeks solutions by means other than God or in 
lieu of Jesus.

Today's church focuses excessively on funding operations, buying real 
estate, buying things, but does not focus on ministering to individuals. 
They say things like "When you build God's house by donating to purchase 
this parking lot, God will build your house. " Well isn't that convenient.

Today's church has so many prophecies and hears so many things from God. 
But does it make sense that someone who "hears from God" so clearly would 
also be engaged in adultery, embezzlement of funds, and mistreatment of 
staff who are believers just like them? That's not "prophecy" that's 
Simony.

Jesus came to save men's souls. Today's church will teach you:

Don't give others too much, or they'll think you're a chump.

Don't be too kind, you'll "show your cards" to others!

Don't pray too much, you just have to accept life as it comes.

Don't seek justice!

Today's church prioritizes worship and preaching as entertainment rather 
than prayer as intimacy with God and devotion as service to God.

Today's church will have you refer to the pastor as "Papa" and the first 
lady as "Mama. " They're not your father or mother (Matthew 23:9). They 
often speak of the necessity of having a "cover" in your life, which is to 
be interpreted as you must have a pastor or else Satan will attack you. 
While fellowship with believers - not "church attendance" (Hebrews 10:25) - 
is crucial for any Christian, the "cover" in your life is not your pastor, 
it's Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:12). The "cover" doctrine preached in today's 
church is less about you being blessed and the church getting a reliable 
stream of income. How do we know this? Because if your pastor really was 
your cover, he'd return your calls when you get cancer, he'd pray without 
ceasing for you, and he'd treat you the same way a father treats a son. 
Instead you get "Brother, you gotta let go and let God! " That's such a 
convenient self-handicap, because if his faith or his teaching/prophecy 
fail, he can claim that it "wasn't the will of God" for you to be 
delivered.

American Christianity fetishizes political movements and assumes that 
national events are correlated to political actions rather than God being 
the author and perfector of all things (Hebrews 12:2, Daniel 2:21). As a 
result, they direct their congregations to support political leaders rather 
than seek the wisdom, understanding, and intimacy with God. Christianity 
projects virtues onto political candidates virtues they do not actually 
possess and deceives Christians by making them think they must vote for or 
support movements and individuals in order to receive blessings from God.

Christians today are depressed, desperate, always chasing one scam after 
another but finding no fulfillment in their lives and are worse off than 
they were as unbelievers. They are cruel and unmerciful to other believers, 
unreliable in their character, and do not have any evidence of actually 
being transformed by God's love ... except to volunteer or sing in church. 
They purport to be headed towards a heaven in the afterlife they may not 
actually see.

Shame on all of you "prophets" who are preaching a gospel other than the 
truth and power of the real Jesus Christ. "As it is written: 'God's name is 
blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you'" (Romans 2:24). Today's 
Christians have "a form of godliness but deny the power thereof" (2 Timothy 
3:5).

Let me tell you something, you're not a real "Christian" if your behavior 
and character does not align with Christ. Christ wasn't about "the 
prophecy, " he was about the devotion. Christ wasn't about the money, he 
was about the value he imparted to others. Christ wasn't about what he got 
out of others, he was about the sacrifice he gave on behalf of others.

American Christianity is broken, politicized, and utterly corrupt. It has 
become a court jester to palace intrigue. It has abandoned its first love 
and become a haunt of demons and false prophets and prostitutes. It is 
leading its followers to a heaven that does not exist and into a raging 
fire of judgment. American "Christianity" is Broken, Politicized, and 
Utterly Corrupt. It's Time to Admit it, Shatter it, and Rebuild it
It's time for an intervention for both "believers" and unbelievers alike in 
America.
Danny de Gracia
Jul 21, 2025

There is something very wrong with the institution of Christianity in the 
United States of America today.

Like so many other things here, we've managed to monetize and reduce to 
total superficiality and uselessness something sacred and meaningful that 
used to be the Christian faith.

Thanks for reading Danny's Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new 
posts and support my work.

In the Gospel account of Mark 7, Jesus, rebuking religious leaders, warns, 
"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people 
honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they 
worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men ... All too well 
you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition ... 
making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have 
handed down. And many such things you do" (v.7:6-7,9,13).

What does it mean to make the word of God "of no effect"? It means that the 
spiritual salt that flavors the message of God, that imparts resistance 
against corruption, and that ultimately irritates evil into being driven 
out or reforming is completely stripped out, leaving us only platitudes and 
quotable quotes.

The core of true Christianity is Christ. The core of Christ is faith, hope, 
and love. The power that Christ gives us is supernatural to transform the 
world around us and places our focus on higher things that transcend the 
life that we live in this temporary world.

Sincere and true Christianity regards the lives of others as greater and 
more important than our own (Philippians 2:3). Christianity believes God is 
love and love overcomes all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). Christianity 
believes nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37), and this animates us 
to always do our best and to push higher, faster, farther than ever before.
undefined
Christ Leaving the Praetorium, by Gustave Dore´.

Christianity believes in showing grace and unconditional love to others 
(Ephesians 4:32). Christianity believes that Jesus is the first and the 
last, the beginning and the end, and the source of all things (John 1:1). 
Christianity believes that Jesus saved us, when we were unworthy, so that 
we, having been justified, can seek out other unworthy, suffering people 
and bring the same blessing to them (Romans 5:8).

I could go on and on, but let me tell you something, if you call yourself a 
"Christian" and the Holy Spirit dwells within you, you will take God's word 
as absolute and you will love others in a way that is impossible by the 
standards of an unregenerate world.

Living in 2025 as a GenXer is very perplexing to me, because having grown 
up in the 1980s and 1990s, and then having been born again in 2000, I got 
to see the progression of American Christendom and many of its leaders. 
Some of the surviving teachers and preachers that trained my generation 
have a vastly different message in 2025 than they did in my youth. Perhaps 
they failed in that they trained us a little "too" well in things they 
spoke but did not inwardly believe, and maybe now the real personality that 
was under their doctrine has finally come to the surface, but I am here to 
tell you that American Christianity today is defective and needs to be 
tossed out.

My complaint is especially with the rise of charismatic Christianity which 
has really become commercialized Christianity. Today anyone and everyone 
calls themselves a "prophet" (Jeremiah 23:36) without the discipline of 
rigorous study of the Word (2 Timothy 2:15) or screening by proven and 
tested ministers (1 Timothy 5:22). Go on social media today and there is a 
"prophecy" for everything these days, and Christianity has become very 
close to political leadership in a way that projects messianic authority to 
political leaders that is unique and reserved only for Jesus.

Consider also:

The church that Jesus had spiritual power (Acts 1:8) to solve problems by 
faith in God. Today's church seeks solutions by means other than God or in 
lieu of Jesus.

Today's church focuses excessively on funding operations, buying real 
estate, buying things, but does not focus on ministering to individuals. 
They say things like "When you build God's house by donating to purchase 
this parking lot, God will build your house. " Well isn't that convenient.

Today's church has so many prophecies and hears so many things from God. 
But does it make sense that someone who "hears from God" so clearly would 
also be engaged in adultery, embezzlement of funds, and mistreatment of 
staff who are believers just like them? That's not "prophecy" that's 
Simony.

Jesus came to save men's souls. Today's church will teach you:

Don't give others too much, or they'll think you're a chump.

Don't be too kind, you'll "show your cards" to others!

Don't pray too much, you just have to accept life as it comes.

Don't seek justice!

Today's church prioritizes worship and preaching as entertainment rather 
than prayer as intimacy with God and devotion as service to God.

Today's church will have you refer to the pastor as "Papa" and the first 
lady as "Mama. " They're not your father or mother (Matthew 23:9). They 
often speak of the necessity of having a "cover" in your life, which is to 
be interpreted as you must have a pastor or else Satan will attack you. 
While fellowship with believers - not "church attendance" (Hebrews 10:25) - 
is crucial for any Christian, the "cover" in your life is not your pastor, 
it's Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:12). The "cover" doctrine preached in today's 
church is less about you being blessed and the church getting a reliable 
stream of income. How do we know this? Because if your pastor really was 
your cover, he'd return your calls when you get cancer, he'd pray without 
ceasing for you, and he'd treat you the same way a father treats a son. 
Instead you get "Brother, you gotta let go and let God! " That's such a 
convenient self-handicap, because if his faith or his teaching/prophecy 
fail, he can claim that it "wasn't the will of God" for you to be 
delivered.

American Christianity fetishizes political movements and assumes that 
national events are correlated to political actions rather than God being 
the author and perfector of all things (Hebrews 12:2, Daniel 2:21). As a 
result, they direct their congregations to support political leaders rather 
than seek the wisdom, understanding, and intimacy with God. Christianity 
projects virtues onto political candidates virtues they do not actually 
possess and deceives Christians by making them think they must vote for or 
support movements and individuals in order to receive blessings from God.

Christians today are depressed, desperate, always chasing one scam after 
another but finding no fulfillment in their lives and are worse off than 
they were as unbelievers. They are cruel and unmerciful to other believers, 
unreliable in their character, and do not have any evidence of actually 
being transformed by God's love ... except to volunteer or sing in church. 
They purport to be headed towards a heaven in the afterlife they may not 
actually see.

Shame on all of you "prophets" who are preaching a gospel other than the 
truth and power of the real Jesus Christ. "As it is written: 'God's name is 
blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you'" (Romans 2:24). Today's 
Christians have "a form of godliness but deny the power thereof" (2 Timothy 
3:5).

Let me tell you something, you're not a real "Christian" if your behavior 
and character does not align with Christ. Christ wasn't about "the 
prophecy, " he was about the devotion. Christ wasn't about the money, he 
was about the value he imparted to others. Christ wasn't about what he got 
out of others, he was about the sacrifice he gave on behalf of others.

American Christianity is broken, politicized, and utterly corrupt. It has 
become a court jester to palace intrigue. It has abandoned its first love 
and become a haunt of demons and false prophets and prostitutes. It is 
leading its followers to a heaven that does not exist and into a raging 
fire of judgment.