I’ve been reflecting on the rise of religious “nones,” and I’m convinced that their increasing numbers are not the core issue but rather a symptom of a deeper problem within the religious landscape, especially in Christianity. In my experience, there seems to be a growing disconnect between the teachings of Christ, which emphasize grace and love, and the behavior of some Christian institutions and individuals who appear more focused on power and dominance.

Looking back at the early church and the messages at the heart of the Gospel, I see an incredible emphasis on love, charity, humility, and service. Yet, when I turn my gaze to the present, I too often find a stark contrast. Some religious leaders and communities are wielding their beliefs like weapons, using them to exclude and judge rather than to embrace and heal. This isn’t the Christianity I read about in the New Testament; it’s not the religion that speaks of a God who is love.

As a Christian, it pains me to admit that the faith which once stood as a beacon of hope and refuge for the oppressed has, in some quarters, become associated with the very forces of control and marginalization that it once stood against. I’ve spoken with many who have walked away from the church, and their stories are heartbreakingly similar: they didn’t leave because they stopped believing in God or because they rejected the message of Christ, but because they felt that the church had already rejected them.

The “nones” are often people who yearn for spirituality but cannot reconcile the conditional love and exclusion they encounter with the unconditional love and inclusion that Jesus preached. They are people who question why some religious adherents are more outraged by two men marrying than by a child going hungry in a world of plenty. They are individuals who can’t understand why Sunday sermons so often rail against a cultural “other” rather than rallying us to love our neighbor.

This rising demographic of “nones” doesn’t necessarily reject faith; they reject what they see as a distortion of it. They are a reflection of a church in crisis, a body that has in many ways forgotten its heart. I can’t help but wonder if the church today reflected the radical inclusivity and love Jesus practiced, would we see the same decline?

The increasing number of “nones” challenges us to look critically at our faith communities. Are we embodying the love, grace, and humility that we preach? Are we creating a space where all are truly welcome? If the answer is no, then we must have the courage to ask why and the determination to chart a new course that aligns with the core values of our faith. The future of our religious institutions depends on our ability to not just preach love, but to practice it wholeheartedly and unconditionally.