Leading with Love: Which U.S. Politicians Most (and Least) Align with Jesus’s Teachings?

Jesus placed love at the center of his ethics - instructing that the greatest commandments are to love God and “love your neighbor as yourself,” with “neighbor” extending to all people. He even taught love for one’s enemies, insisting that genuine love isn’t limited to those who treat us well. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus shows extraordinary compassion to society’s most vulnerable: healing lepers and the blind, feeding the hungry, and socializing with outcasts. He made care for “the least of these” a benchmark of righteousness, teaching that how we treat the poor, sick, and oppressed is tantamount to how we treat him. In fact, caring for those in need was “at the top of the list” of how the early Christian community was expected to live. This ethic of mercy and inclusion - loving all people regardless of status or tribe - is a powerful guide for modern leaders to prioritize the common good and compassionate policies.

In an era where leaders often seek power and prestige, Jesus turned the idea of leadership upside-down. He taught that true greatness comes from humility and service, not domination. “Whoever would be first among you must be servant of all,” Jesus told his disciples (Mark 10:42–44). He warned against the worldly model of leaders “lording it over” others, instead modeling servant-leadership by washing his disciples’ feet and caring for others’ needs. “To be a great leader,” Jesus taught, means “humbling ourselves and learning how to serve others rather than demand to be served”. A leader should uplift and empower people instead of bullying or bossing them around. This servant-leader model, exemplified by Jesus, suggests that modern officials should see holding office as a means to serve the public, not to feed their ego. Policies and daily conduct grounded in humility - listening to others, empathizing, and sacrificing personal gain for the public’s benefit - build trust and “benefit all concerned”.

Jesus championed truth and authenticity, sharply criticizing hypocrisy among the religious leaders of his day. He taught his followers to be men and women of their word (“Let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No,’ no”). In practice, this means leaders must be truthful, transparent, and guided by conscience. Society flourishes under leaders who value honesty and ethical conduct, and people instinctively recognize this. A recent poll found that 86% of Americans want a leader who is honest and promotes ethical leadership - a quality desired overwhelmingly across the political spectrum. This aligns with Jesus’s example, as he consistently spoke truth to power and lived with moral consistency. Integrity builds credibility: a leader’s personal character - their fidelity to promises, avoidance of corruption, and courage to do what’s right - profoundly affects the health of a nation. In short, public officials grounded in Jesus’s standard of truthfulness and righteousness are far more likely to earn citizens’ trust and unite people around common values.

Jesus treated every person with inherent worth, regardless of social status. He broke social barriers by engaging with those who were despised or marginalized in his culture - foreigners, women, children, the poor. For example, he conversed respectfully with a Samaritan woman (shocking his peers), welcomed children that others tried to shoo away, healed Roman centurions’ servants, and defended a woman accused of adultery from an unjust execution. In doing so, Jesus demonstrated that God shows no favoritism and that every human being deserves compassion and justice. He preached that authorities should not “show partiality” but uphold justice for rich and poor alike (as echoed in Leviticus 19:15). This ethos of justice and equality implies that modern leaders must protect the rights of all citizens - not just the privileged - and remedy societal inequities. Policies toward refugees, minorities, or any disadvantaged group, for instance, should be shaped by empathy and fairness, reflecting Jesus’s teaching that “whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.” Leaders aligned with this principle will work to ensure laws and systems uplift those who have been forgotten or oppressed, rather than catering only to the powerful.

In a world rife with conflict, Jesus emerged as a peacemaker. He urged non-violent responses to injustice - famously teaching, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” (Matthew 5:39). When faced with hostility, Jesus chose forgiveness over retaliation, even praying for his executioners. He taught his followers to love enemies and overcome evil not with more evil but with good. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he said, “for they shall be called children of God.” This commitment to peace and reconciliation can guide leaders and citizens in healing divided societies. It means favoring diplomacy over war, dialogue over demonization, and restorative justice over revenge. Jesus also laid out a path for mending broken relationships - involving humility, honest confrontation of wrongs, repentance, and mercy leading to forgiveness. Embracing this approach, leaders would focus on uniting people and resolving conflicts with empathy. In politics, where polarization is high, the willingness to forgive mistakes, find common ground, and seek mutual understanding is a refreshing embodiment of Jesus’s influence.

Jesus devoted much of his ministry to restoring both the body and the soul. The Gospels describe him touching lepers, giving sight to the blind, making the lame walk, and even raising the dead - all acts that re-integrated the excluded back into community life. Yet his healing extended far beyond the physical. He emphasized mercy as a cure for spiritual illness, teaching that forgiveness is more powerful than punishment: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; forgive, and you will be forgiven.” When crowds demanded the execution of the woman caught in adultery, he silenced them with the challenge, “Let anyone without sin be the first to throw a stone.” This moment redefined justice as restoration, not retribution. Jesus’s parables - the Good Samaritan tending a stranger’s wounds, the Prodigal Son welcomed home with compassion - show mercy as an active verb: seeing suffering, moving toward it, and lifting the fallen. For leaders today, this principle calls for policies that heal rather than harden - healthcare that reaches the sick, rehabilitation instead of vengeance in justice systems, and compassionate responses to addiction, poverty, and despair.

At the heart of Jesus’s teaching is a love that costs something - a willingness to put others’ welfare above one’s own comfort, status, or even life. He washed his disciples’ feet, saying, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” He warned that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, urging generosity that expects nothing in return. His encounter with the rich young ruler - “sell what you have and give to the poor” - illustrates that true discipleship means loosening our grip on possessions and privilege for the sake of others. Ultimately, Jesus embodied this ethic on the cross, declaring, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Self-giving love transforms leadership from domination into service; it means protecting the vulnerable even at political or personal cost. In public life, it looks like sacrificial stewardship - forgoing short-term gain to secure long-term justice, peace, and human dignity.

Few have illustrated Jesus’s ethic of love and nonviolence as powerfully as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During the 1950s–60s American Civil Rights Movement, King - a Baptist minister - embraced Jesus’s command to “love your enemies” even under extreme persecution. Confronted with brutal racism, arrests, and attacks, he refused to respond with hatred or violence. Instead, King “strongly and vigorously taught his followers to love their oppressors and to pray for them,” maintaining nonviolent discipline even when protesters were beaten and jailed. This Christ-inspired strategy of militant love helped prick the conscience of a nation and led to historic advances in racial justice. King often preached that “hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” His leadership, rooted in Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, demonstrated that loving one’s enemies is not naive idealism but a potent force for social transformation.

Importantly, Jesus’s teachings have influenced not only Christian leaders like King, but also others from different faiths. Mahatma Gandhi, the Hindu leader of India’s independence movement, was deeply inspired by Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount. Gandhi famously said the Sermon “went straight to my heart”, especially the instruction to turn the other cheek. He integrated this principle into his philosophy of ahimsa (nonviolence) and insisted on treating opponents with compassion, even as he resisted unjust colonial rule. In 1897, after a racist mob in South Africa nearly lynched him for defending minority rights, Gandhi astonished authorities by pleading that his attackers not be punished. Decades later, during India’s freedom struggle, Gandhi’s followers endured beatings from police without fighting back. This courageous, sacrificial approach - drawn from Jesus’s teaching - eventually helped oust a colonial empire and inspired civil rights movements worldwide. Both Gandhi and King proved that Jesus’s radical love in action can disarm oppression and bring about lasting change, shaming the oppressors while ennobling the oppressed. Their legacies continue to testify that political action guided by empathy and forgiveness can heal divides more effectively than violence or vengeance.

While Jesus’s ideals often show up in grassroots activism, they are equally vital in elected office. A shining modern example is Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States (1977–1981). A devout Christian who taught Sunday school well into his 90s, Carter consistently strove to live out his faith values in the political arena. He is widely remembered as a leader of integrity, humility, and compassion - in essence, a servant-leader in the mold of Jesus’s teaching. In fact, tributes from across the political spectrum praise that President Carter “personified the true meaning of leadership through service, through compassion, and through integrity.” During his presidency, he prioritized human rights, peaceful conflict resolution, and honesty in government. Not all of his decisions were popular, but even his critics acknowledged his moral character. After leaving office, Carter didn’t seek wealth or power; instead, he rolled up his sleeves with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for the poor, worked tirelessly to eradicate Guinea worm disease in Africa, and mediated international peace agreements. He and his wife Rosalynn founded the Carter Center to advance democracy and global health. This lifelong commitment to “the least among us” prompted President Joe Biden to call Carter a man of “moral clarity” who “worked to…always advocate for the least among us”. From brokering peace between Egypt and Israel in the Camp David Accords to swinging a hammer on a charity construction site, Carter exemplified Jesus’s servant-leadership ideal at every level. His example shows that a politician guided by Jesus’s values of compassion, peacemaking, and service can indeed make a profound positive impact, earning bipartisan respect in the process.

Use your vote as a voice for the values Jesus exemplified - compassion, honesty, humility, justice, and respect for human dignity. Rather than voting strictly by party loyalty or charisma, prioritize candidates whose character and track record reflect moral principles. Does a candidate care about the poor and “least of these” in society? Do they speak with empathy about all people, not resorting to hate or division? Are they known to be truthful and ethical (even when it’s hard)? These are the kinds of questions that can guide value-based voting. Encouragingly, the public appetite for such qualities is strong: polls show large majorities of voters want compassionate, honest leaders in office. By casting ballots for men and women who consistently demonstrate Christ-like traits like kindness and integrity, voters send a message that we demand a higher standard. As one faith leader put it, “As Christians, we ought to do what we can to elect wise and just leaders.” This may sometimes mean looking beyond partisan labels to support the better person for the job, much like how the early Christians in Acts 6 chose leaders “full of the Spirit and wisdom” to serve the community. Every vote for a principled candidate - and conversely, withholding support from those who traffic in cruelty or corruption - helps steer our nation’s leadership toward Jesus’s ideals.

Modern politics often rewards ego and showmanship, but we can counter that by lifting up “servant leaders” who exhibit humility and a genuine desire to serve others. Keep an eye out for candidates who have a history of volunteerism, public service, or advocacy on behalf of vulnerable groups - those are strong indicators of a servant-leadership mindset. During campaigns, such candidates tend to focus on issues and solutions more than personal attacks, and they listen to constituents rather than acting like rulers. When you find these rare leaders, support them enthusiastically: volunteer for their campaigns, donate if you’re able, and spread the word among your friends and faith communities. Likewise, hold candidates accountable to servant-leader expectations. Ask them how they plan to serve the common good and the “least of these,” not just how they’ll seek power. By amplifying servant-hearted voices, voters can help them rise above the fray. This also sends a signal to all politicians that humility and empathy are what the public values - not bluster or self-interest. In essence, we need to “flip the script” of leadership as Jesus did, rewarding those who seek to uplift others. When officials realize that voters prize compassion over aggression, more of them will be inclined to emulate that style.

Part of electing Christlike leaders is creating a political climate where such leadership can thrive. We can all contribute by rejecting toxic, mud-slinging campaign tactics and instead calling for civil, compassionate discourse. Negative ads and character assassination not only turn off good people from running for office, they also desensitize the public to cruelty. As one advocate from the Compassion in Politics campaign noted, when politics devolves into “baseless allegations and spurious slurs” instead of respectful debate, it undermines the very foundations of democracy. We’ve “had enough” of that ugliness, she argues - and many citizens clearly agree. So be vocal in demanding that candidates stick to issues and treat opponents (and constituents) with basic respect. Reward those who do so, and criticize those who resort to gutter tactics. You can write letters to the editor, speak up on social media, or simply model respectful dialogue in your own conversations. Additionally, support initiatives and coalitions that train or endorse candidates committed to compassion and decency (for example, nonpartisan faith-based voter guides that emphasize social values, or organizations like the Global Compassion Coalition which commissioned research on compassion in leadership). By changing the expectations and tone of our politics, we make it easier for leaders guided by love and principle to succeed - and we make it harder for demagogues who thrive on division to gain ground.

Electing the right people is crucial, but our responsibility doesn’t end at the ballot box. To truly see Jesus’s teachings influence public life, citizens must remain actively engaged in their communities and support their leaders in doing what’s right. This can mean volunteering with local charities, joining community boards, or advocating for policies that reflect biblical values like justice, mercy, and stewardship. When we “embody our faith” and “serve our neighbors” in daily life, as one pastor writes, we create grassroots momentum that pushes leaders toward goodness. For instance, if many community members are working to feed the hungry or mentor at-risk youth, local officials are more likely to prioritize those needs as well. Moreover, engaged citizens can hold leaders accountable – praising them when they act with integrity and questioning them when they don’t. Constructive engagement might include attending town halls, writing to representatives, or peacefully protesting unjust practices. Finally, for people of faith, prayer is a powerful way to be proactive. The Bible urges believers to pray for “all who are in high positions” (1 Timothy 2:1–2), asking God to guide them. We can pray that our leaders be granted the “integrity and wisdom to focus on matters that protect the most vulnerable,” rather than being driven by selfish ambition. Prayer softens our own hearts too, reminding us that hope ultimately rests in God, not any one politician. As author Eugene Cho put it, “hope arrived – not in a politician or system, but in the person of Jesus Christ”, and it’s in following Him that we find true unity. By staying engaged and prayerful, we sustain the spirit of Jesus’s teachings in our civic life and ensure that electing good leaders is not a one-time event but an ongoing movement.

Although not Christian himself, Sanders has been noted as “the most Christian candidate” in terms of policy because he consistently advocates for the poor, the sick, and the needy. He speaks of a moral obligation to provide healthcare for all, alleviate poverty, and combat economic inequality - reflecting Jesus’s calls to feed the hungry and care for the sick. Sanders often frames income inequality as a moral issue, condemning greed and echoing Jesus’s warnings about serving wealth over people. For example, he has invoked the Golden Rule and even praised Pope Francis’s emphasis on a “moral economy” that serves “the least of these”. Sanders’s agenda - from pushing for universal healthcare and nutrition programs to affordable housing and living wages - centers on uplifting the vulnerable in society, which closely aligns with Jesus’s teaching “whatever you did for one of the least of these… you did for me.” As one commentator observed, Bernie “speaks about government having a moral obligation to help those in need,” embodying “the Christian imperative of helping the poor and the sick and the needy - all fundamental elements of Jesus’ preaching” [theweek.com].

AOC is open about how her Catholic faith’s teachings on social justice inform her politics. She has explicitly cited Matthew 25’s call to care for “the least among us” - the hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, and imprisoned - as a “guiding principle” in her work. In Congress, Ocasio-Cortez has championed policies like expanded food assistance, housing for all, Medicare-for-All, and criminal justice reform with an emphasis on mercy and rehabilitation. Her personal background as a Bronx-born working-class woman attunes her to issues of poverty and dignity. She has decried the treatment of immigrants and refugees, echoing Jesus’s mandate to welcome the stranger, and was outspoken about family separations at the border as contrary to Christian values of compassion. In an essay for America Magazine, she wrote that society “is compelled to care for the hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked, sick and, yes - the imprisoned” [ocasio-cortez.house.gov]. She has pushed for environmental justice and climate action as moral issues affecting the poor. Ocasio-Cortez’s emphasis on forgiveness, inclusion, and caring for the “least of these” in policy - from prison reform to cancelling medical debt - resonates strongly with Jesus’s priorities.

Rev. Warnock, the senior pastor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, explicitly models his politics on the Gospel. He often says “I’m a Matthew 25 Christian”, meaning he judges public policies by whether they feed the hungry, heal the sick, and welcome the stranger. Warnock fought to expand Medicaid in Georgia, citing Jesus’s ministry of healing the sick and noting that Jesus “spent much of his ministry healing… and he never billed them for his services” [warnock.senate.gov]. He views healthcare, voting rights, and living wages as Christian imperatives to uplift the “least of these.” For example, he has argued in the Senate for strengthening the social safety net, pointing out that “Jesus had an agenda… to preach good news to the poor… to set the captives free” [warnock.senate.gov], aligning with policies that aid the poor and reform unjust prison systems. Warnock has also been an advocate for peace and diplomacy, consistent with Jesus’s peacemaking ethos. As a pastor-politician, he frames issues like poverty, systemic racism, and healthcare as moral issues, embodying what he calls “a ministry that is grounded in worldly affairs” - he sees serving in public office as an extension of serving others through faith.

Zohran Mamdani is a young politician who has made fighting poverty and housing insecurity his central mission - very much in line with Jesus’s concern for the poor and the shelterless. A democratic socialist representing Queens, Mamdani has “fought for the working class in and outside the legislature” - notably hunger striking alongside indebted taxi drivers to win $ ~850 million in debt relief for low-income workers [zohranfornyc.com]. He has championed tenants’ rights and pushed for an ambitious social housing program so that everyone can have an affordable home, reflecting Jesus’s desire to clothe and house those in need [commondreams.org]. Mamdani’s mayoral campaign platform in NYC explicitly calls for “dignity” for neighbors and declares “the government’s job is to actually make our lives better”. He proposes free public transit, universal childcare, and city-run grocery stores to lower food costs, directly addressing hunger and poverty at the local level. These initiatives echo the spirit of Jesus feeding the hungry and caring for children. Mamdani also consistently speaks up for immigrants and refugees (being the son of Ugandan and Indian immigrants himself) and has opposed xenophobia, aligning with the biblical call to welcome the stranger. By prioritizing the needs of the poor over the profits of the wealthy - he often talks of taking on billionaire landlords and corporate price-gouging - Mamdani’s agenda strongly aligns with the social justice core of Jesus’s message (to “bring good news to the poor” [ethicssymposium.org]).

Dr. Jill Stein’s policy platform as a Green Party leader epitomizes many of Jesus’s teachings about compassion, economic justice, and peace. Stein has argued that basic necessities - food, water, housing, healthcare - are fundamental human rights, not privileges. Her campaigns called for an “Economic Bill of Rights” guaranteeing that every person can meet their basic needs, which directly reflects Jesus’s instruction to care for the hungry, thirsty, sick, and impoverished. For instance, Stein highlighted the injustice of “millions [being] thrown off food stamps because they can't find work” and advocated full employment programs. She supports expanding affordable housing and rental assistance so that no one is homeless. In healthcare, Stein, a physician, pushed for a single-payer system, considering healing the sick a moral imperative (she often said, “Healthcare is a right, not a privilege”) [ontheissues.org]. She has also been a staunch environmentalist, caring for God’s creation and future generations, which aligns with the stewardship and concern for the vulnerable (the poor are most affected by pollution and climate change). Peacemaking is another pillar of Stein’s values – she opposed unnecessary wars and the arms trade, favoring diplomacy over violence, very much in line with “blessed are the peacemakers”. Overall, Stein’s focus on the poor and “powerless” - advocating for living wages, social welfare, racial justice, and demilitarization - embodies what she once called “economic human rights: food, water, & housing” for all, a vision that resonates with Jesus’s Kingdom values.

As governor, Newsom has implemented some of the most robust social policies in the nation, many of which echo Jesus’s call to care for the needy, heal the sick, and welcome the stranger. Under Newsom’s leadership, California has greatly expanded healthcare access to the poor and undocumented. In 2021, Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law expanding full Medicaid coverage (Medi-Cal) to low-income undocumented adults over age 50 - a policy directly in line with “I was sick and you looked after me… I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Newsom stated this expansion was about bringing California “closer to universal health care coverage” and ensuring immigrants who have labored in our communities “can access critical health care services” [gov.ca.gov]. By 2022, he approved extending Medi-Cal to all income-eligible undocumented residents regardless of age, making California’s coverage for the poor the most inclusive in America. This reflects Jesus’s boundary-breaking inclusivity and healing ministry. Newsom has also invested heavily in combating homelessness - committing billions for housing and mental health services for those on the street. He often frames homelessness as a moral issue, saying we must “care for the least among us” by providing shelter and treatment rather than ignoring those suffering. Additionally, Newsom’s policies like paid family leave expansion, raising the minimum wage, and providing free school meals for all public-school students show concern for families, workers, and children similar to Jesus’s compassion for the multitude. On criminal justice, Newsom imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in California, an act of mercy resonant with Jesus’s mercy towards sinners. While far from perfect, Newsom’s overall governance - prioritizing healthcare, housing, and dignity for society’s marginalized - aligns significantly with the ethos of helping the vulnerable that Jesus exemplified.

Cori Bush is a Black Lives Matter activist-turned-Congresswoman who has firsthand experience with poverty and homelessness - and she has made it her mission that others “least of these” are not forgotten in policy. A registered nurse and ordained minister, Bush has spoken openly about having lived out of her car with her children. This fuels her passion to fight for housing, healthcare, and compassion in governance. In 2021, when an eviction crisis loomed for millions of struggling renters, Rep. Bush camped on the U.S. Capitol steps for four days in protest - an unconventional, sacrificial action to demand an extension of the eviction moratorium. Bush said allowing families to be kicked out en masse during a pandemic was “just unconscionable for me”, invoking the moral urgency to shelter the vulnerable. Her protest (joined by others like AOC) succeeded in pressuring a policy change, literally protecting “as many as 11 million people” from homelessness. This echoes Jesus’s willingness to go to great lengths to protect and care for the needy. Bush has since introduced the “Unhoused Bill of Rights” to end homelessness by 2025, aiming to ensure everyone has food, housing, and healthcare - very much what Jesus would advocate. She also works on criminal justice reform, mental health support, and poverty alleviation. In Congress, Bush frequently reminds colleagues that poverty and hunger are usually due to systemic failures, not personal choice - “No child chooses to go hungry…” she chided in one hearing. As a formerly uninsured person, she fights for Medicare-for-All so the sick aren’t left uncared for. Cori Bush’s life and work - “fighting the good fight” to quote Scripture - exemplify loving one’s neighbor in the political arena, aligning strongly with Jesus’s priorities of sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, and defending the oppressed.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee has built a career that uncannily reflects the teachings of Jesus on peace, compassion, and justice. Everything Barbara Lee does is “informed by… social work values” of helping the vulnerable - “campaigning against poverty, advocating for AIDS research, or voting against giving the President the power to declare war” [socialwelfare.berkeley.edu]. She was the lone member of Congress to vote against the 2001 authorization of military force after 9/11, warning against endless war and saying that we must respond with restraint and humanitarian focus. That stance, though unpopular at the time, was an act of peacemaking consistent with Jesus’s blessing of peacemakers and warning that “those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” Lee has consistently pushed for diplomatic solutions and an end to “forever wars”, embodying the call to be a peacemaker. Domestically, she has been a tireless advocate for the poor. Lee experienced hardship herself - as a young single mother, she needed public assistance to feed her kids. Far from breeding resentment, this gave her empathy for those in need. She has fought to protect and expand food stamps, unemployment benefits, and HIV/AIDS funding (notably, she helped secure massive funding for AIDS relief, saving millions of lives in poor countries). Barbara Lee often says budgets are moral documents. She has criticized budgets that “pad the pockets of…wealthy” while cutting programs for the poor as immoral. Indeed, when Rep. Paul Ryan proposed budgets slashing services for the poor to fund tax cuts, Lee joined faith leaders in calling it “stunningly immoral,” noting how “the cuts fall exclusively on the poor” (especially the elderly) [ncronline.org]. Instead, she’s pushed for what the U.S. Catholic bishops term “preferential option for the poor.” In summary, Barbara Lee’s unwavering peace advocacy and her focus on alleviating poverty and disease align deeply with Jesus’s teachings to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Prov 31:8) and to be merciful peacemakers.

John Kasich might seem an unlikely entry - a center-right politician - but he famously broke with his party to expand Medicaid for the poor in Ohio, explicitly citing his Christian faith and Jesus’s teachings. Kasich, an Anglican Christian, often warned fellow conservatives about hard-heartedness toward the needy. “When you die and get to St. Peter,” Kasich told one skeptical legislator, “he’s probably not going to ask you much about what you did to keep government small, but he is going to ask you what you did for the poor. You’d better have a good answer.” [reuters.com]. This remarkable statement directly channels Matthew 25 and the idea that we’ll be judged by how we treat the least among us. By expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, Kasich provided healthcare to hundreds of thousands of low-income Ohioans - essentially healing the sick, as Jesus commanded, even if it meant defying partisan pressures. He framed it as following the Golden Rule and the biblical mandate to care for the stranger, the sick, and the poor, saying he couldn’t in good conscience deny help to vulnerable Ohioans (many of whom were struggling with addiction or illness). Kasich also invested in prison reform programs (e.g. reducing recidivism through education and job training) and mental health services, emphasizing redemption and care over punishment - a very Christian approach. On immigration, Kasich was notably compassionate for a Republican, opposing family separation and saying he viewed immigrants as children of God deserving empathy. He also personally supported policies to combat hunger; as governor he strengthened food banks and said, “We’re all got to help one another. That’s what Jesus taught.” While Kasich’s overall conservatism might diverge from some of Jesus’s radical egalitarianism, his willingness to prioritize mercy and care for the “least of these” over rigid ideology - “I can’t go any harder than that,” he said of the moral argument - earns him a spot on this list as a politician who strove to align with Jesus’s social teachings even within a party that often downplays them.

Ilhan Omar is a Somali-American refugee and one of the first Muslim women in Congress - and while she comes from a different faith tradition, her values and legislative agenda strongly mirror the teachings of Jesus regarding the poor, the outcast, and the pursuit of peace. Omar has been an outspoken voice for refugees and immigrants, frequently reminding America of its obligation to welcome strangers fleeing violence - an echo of “I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Having been a refugee herself, she brings personal compassion to immigration policy, fighting against family separations and harsh asylum restrictions. In terms of poverty, Rep. Omar has proposed bold measures to lift the poor: she’s advocated for universal school meals (so no child goes hungry in school), introduced bills for nationwide rent and eviction protections, and called for cancelling student debt and medical debt to relieve struggling families. She rejects the notion that poverty is due to personal failings, instead faulting unjust structures - a view aligned with Jesus’s criticisms of systems that burden the poor. Omar has also been a voice for global peace and human rights. She opposed excessive military spending and questioned U.S. involvement in conflicts, consistently urging diplomacy and an end to “forever wars.” This stance follows the spirit of “blessed are the peacemakers.” Notably, she co-sponsored a bill to establish a Department of Peacebuilding to proactively reduce violence. On the House Foreign Affairs Committee, she has spoken against war crimes and advocated for the oppressed abroad (Palestinians, Uighurs, etc.), demonstrating solidarity with the persecuted. Despite facing personal attacks and even death threats, Omar often responds with calls for understanding and love, exemplifying Jesus’s teaching to “bless those who curse you.” Her motto of “radical love” in politics - focusing on caring for people over privileging the powerful - encapsulates an approach highly consistent with Jesus’s way. In these ways, Ilhan Omar’s work to feed the hungry, house the homeless, welcome refugees, and seek peace aligns strongly with the heart of Jesus’s message, even as she articulates it in a secular, pluralistic context.

Despite overwhelming support from some evangelical circles, Trump’s words and deeds have often starkly contradicted Jesus’s teachings. Jesus emphasized humility, service, honesty, compassion, sexual morality, peace, and love of neighbor - whereas Trump’s behavior and policies frequently ran opposite. He famously said he’s never asked God for forgiveness, and his life has been marked by pride and self-promotion rather than humility (“Trump is a self-promoter [who] never seems to admit his mistakes,” contrasting with “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled” [planetprinceton.com]). Jesus taught love for enemies and gentleness, yet Trump’s rhetoric has been pugnacious and vengeful - he “uses speeches and social media to attack anyone he perceives as an opponent”, showing none of Jesus’s forgiveness toward his persecutors. Where Jesus championed welcoming the stranger and caring for foreigners (Luke 10’s Good Samaritan, Matthew 25:35), Trump instituted harsh anti-immigrant measures, separated children from parents at the border, and demonized refugees and Muslim immigrants. This “aversion to and labeling of non-U.S.-born people” squarely “are at odds with God’s call for hospitality and compassion”. On economic justice, Jesus warned against greed and said to care for the poor, but Trump boasted of his wealth and passed massive tax cuts for the rich while attempting to cut healthcare and food assistance for the poor. Indeed, “Where Jesus lifts up the poor, Trump exalts the wealthy. Where Jesus welcomes foreigners, Trump builds walls” as one observer noted bluntly. He showed minimal charitable giving relative to his wealth and sought personal gain (even selling a $ Bible with his name on it) - behavior reminiscent of the money-changers Jesus drove out. In personal conduct, Trump’s serial adultery, vulgar treatment of women (the “grab them by the ***” remark), and lack of repentance stand against Jesus’s teachings on fidelity and purity (Trump once even said he’s never needed forgiveness - anathema to Christian doctrine). He frequently lied - over 30,000 false or misleading claims as President - flouting the command “Do not lie”. Rather than “Blessed are the peacemakers,” Trump often stoked division: he publicly belittled and insulted opponents (even inside his own administration), “stirring up conflict in the community,” something Proverbs says God detests. Perhaps most damningly, Trump’s cruelty toward the weak (mocking a disabled reporter, separating migrant families, rolling back protections for the poor) and his appeals to fear and nationalism over compassion put him squarely at odds with the Christlike ideal. A Baptist minister writing to a local paper summed it up: “Trump’s actions and positions conflict with the biblical principles…His policies and statements often lack compassion for those in need”. In 100 ways or more, Donald Trump’s approach has been called the antithesis of the Gospel - valuing power, wealth, and vengeance, whereas Jesus taught humility, generosity, and forgiveness. By the standards of the Sermon on the Mount, Trump’s record - though not without a few sporadic acts of clemency - is overwhelmingly “least aligned” with Jesus’s teachings.

Governor Abbott often speaks of his Catholic faith, yet his treatment of migrants, the poor, and the marginalized has drawn fierce criticism from religious leaders as profoundly un-Christian. Abbott has spearheaded some of the nation’s most hardline anti-immigrant measures. Under his “Operation Lone Star,” Texas installed razor wire coils and floating buoy barriers in the Rio Grande to block migrants - devices so cruel that they caused injuries and at least one drowning. Whistleblowers even alleged Texas officers were ordered to withhold water from exhausted migrants in 100°F+ heat and to push families (including children) back into the dangerous river. Such deliberate harshness toward vulnerable people (who are often fleeing violence) directly contradicts Jesus’s command to welcome the stranger and care for “the least of these.” In fact, Abbott’s tactics have been condemned by Texas’s own Catholic bishops, who said these inhumane barriers violate the biblical mandate to treat migrants with dignity and compassion. One archbishop lambasted the razor wire as “a barbaric, cruel practice” and prayed for mercy on those responsible. While Jesus taught that what we do to the stranger we do to Him, Abbott has treated desperate asylum-seekers not as neighbors to help but as invaders to repel with force. Abbott also organized buses to ship migrants from Texas to northern cities without coordination - a stunt using human beings as political props. This lack of empathy stands in stark contrast to the Good Samaritan, and even other Republicans like Gov. Kasich have implied such callousness is ungodly. Beyond immigration, Abbott resisted Medicaid expansion under the ACA, leaving many poor Texans uninsured (thus failing to “heal the sick”). His policies on the poor have been criticized (he cut additional unemployment benefits early and fought local increases to minimum wage or paid sick leave). Texas under Abbott also slashed funding for programs like meal assistance for poor seniors and refused federal food aid expansions. All of this suggests a philosophy opposite to Jesus’s care for the hungry and sick. Additionally, Abbott’s administration has been merciless in criminal justice (Texas leads in executions, and Abbott has been reluctant to grant clemency). He allowed an execution to proceed even when the inmate’s pastor was not permitted to pray aloud with him - an act many faith leaders found cruel. In sum, Greg Abbott’s pattern - harshness over mercy, exclusion over embrace, and survival-of-the-fittest policies - positions him among those least aligned with the teachings of the compassionate Christ who said “I was a stranger and you did not invite me in…I was sick and you did not look after me” (Matthew 25:43). Texas’s Catholic bishops couldn’t have put it more clearly: Abbott’s anti-migrant agenda is “incompatible with…the biblical mandates to welcome and care for strangers.” [ncronline.org].

Governor DeSantis is another politician whose actions often diametrically oppose Jesus’s teachings on compassion, truthfulness, and humility. DeSantis gained national notoriety for using vulnerable migrants as pawns in a political stunt: in 2022, he orchestrated flights that lured 50 Venezuelan asylum-seekers onto planes (under false promises of jobs and assistance) and dumped them on Martha’s Vineyard without prior notice. This deliberate deception and callous disregard for families (including children) shocked many Christians and non-Christians alike - the migrants were effectively treated as disposable objects for a “gotcha” against liberal areas. Local churches and townsfolk scrambled to care for the bewildered newcomers, exemplifying the Good Samaritan spirit that DeSantis’s actions lacked. President Biden excoriated the move as “simply wrong… reckless and un-American”, saying Republicans were “playing politics with human beings, using them as props” [theguardian.com]. It’s hard to imagine a policy more antithetical to “love thy neighbor”. Jesus taught us to shelter the homeless and feed the hungry, whereas DeSantis’s team reportedly even gave fake brochures to these migrants to trick them. This incident alone places DeSantis firmly in the “least aligned” category. But beyond that, look at his broader record: He has consistently prioritized the powerful over the vulnerable. For instance, DeSantis cut off $300 weekly pandemic unemployment early, arguing it made people “lazy” - showing little empathy for struggling families (while Jesus showed deep empathy for the poor). He has pushed to block expansion of Medicaid in Florida, leaving roughly 800,000 low-income Floridians without health coverage - effectively refusing to “heal the sick” when he had the power to do so. On criminal justice, DeSantis signed a law making it easier to run over protesters with a car (if they’re in the street), hardly a pro-life or peacemaking stance. He aggressively limited voting rights (targeting ex-felons and minority communities), disadvantaging the marginalized rather than empowering them. And while Jesus elevated truth (“Let your yes be yes…”), DeSantis’s administration has been accused of spreading misinformation (e.g. pressuring data scientists to distort COVID figures) and punishing those who speak truth to power - not exactly honest or humble governance. Perhaps most emblematic was DeSantis’s lack of mercy: he rarely issues pardons or clemency, even in dubious convictions, and oversaw a very high rate of executions relative to past FL governors. Overall, Ron DeSantis has governed with a hard heart - exhibiting a punitive, prideful approach instead of the merciful, servant-leader ethos Jesus prescribed. A governor who apparently thinks the ends justify cruel means, and who shows contempt for the plight of strangers and the poor, cannot be said to align with the man who taught “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).

As the longtime Senate GOP leader, McConnell has arguably done more than anyone to block policies aimed at “the least of these,” prioritizing the interests of the rich and powerful - a stance starkly opposed to Jesus’s teachings on caring for the poor. McConnell has proudly called himself a “Guardian of Gridlock” and made a career of obstructing social welfare advances. Uner his leadership, the Senate repeatedly refused to raise the minimum wage (stuck at $7.25 for over a decade), even though “laborers deserve their wages” (Luke 10:7) and raising wages would lift millions out of poverty. McConnell - who is a millionaire many times over - coldly stated that a $15 minimum wage was too high, and he personally voted 17 times against minimum wage increases over the years. When asked why he opposed it despite many struggling workers in Kentucky, he did not express any biblical concern for “the least”. Likewise, McConnell led efforts to slash the social safety net. He was a chief architect of attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act - had he succeeded, millions of poor and sick Americans would have lost health insurance (hardly “healing the sick”). He fought to cut Medicaid, Medicare, and food stamp funding, saying openly that these programs should be trimmed to reduce the deficit. Yet he championed huge tax cuts for corporations and billionaires in 2017, which Jesus would likely view as favoring the wealthy few over the needy many. In fact, Catholic social justice advocates criticized McConnell because “he supported massive tax breaks for the wealthy while…opposed legislation that would give aid to states” to keep teachers, healthcare, and other services running. Under McConnell’s watch, extended unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless were blocked during economic hard times - effectively abandoning those Jesus would call “the least of these brothers and sisters.” He also blocked the expansion of child tax credits and paid leave that would help struggling families. Jesus taught “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” - McConnell’s “treasure” (focus) has consistently been tax breaks for the rich and stacking the courts with pro-corporate judges, not laying up treasure in heaven by caring for the poor. Moreover, Jesus said to welcome children; McConnell’s obstruction of measures like funding for children’s healthcare (CHIP was nearly allowed to lapse in 2017) and school meal expansions suggests a disregard for the little ones. McConnell even boasted about being the “Grim Reaper” for progressive legislation - much of which involved funding for poor families, health coverage, or racial justice. That proud moniker itself (“Grim Reaper”) is antithetical to the Christian spirit of being a life-giving servant. While McConnell is undoubtedly a savvy political operator, by refusing compassion in policy and prioritizing the powerful (wealthy donors, corporations) over the powerless, he has put himself at odds with Jesus’s clear concern for the “least of these.” As one AFL-CIO analysis put it, McConnell’s record is “bad for working people” in nearly every way - in other words, misaligned with the Gospel’s good news for the poor.

Paul Ryan often referenced his Catholic faith, but ironically, his defining project as a legislator - the Ryan Budget - was widely denounced by Christian leaders (including Catholic bishops and nuns) as an affront to Jesus’s teachings. Ryan’s budgets consistently sought to drastically cut anti-poverty programs (food stamps, Medicaid, housing assistance) while boosting defense spending and giving large tax breaks to the wealthiest. As head of the House Budget Committee, Ryan promoted an Ayn Rand-inspired philosophy that glorified the market and disparaged the poor as “takers” - a worldview utterly at odds with Jesus’s love for the poor and warnings against wealth. In 2012, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote letters to Congress rebuking Ryan’s budget plans for failing a basic moral test: the bishops said a just budget cannot take “the disproportionately hurtful cuts” out of programs for the poor. Catholic theologians pointed out that Ryan’s proposals violated the Church’s preferential option for the poor. Even a moderate Catholic magazine editorialized that Ryan’s budget was “stunningly immoral…especially in the way the protections fall exclusively on the wealthy and the cuts fall exclusively on the poor” [ncronline.org]. Indeed, Ryan’s 2012 budget would have literally taken food and healthcare away from millions: it sought to slash SNAP (food stamps) by 17% (in a nation where millions of children go to bed hungry) and to turn Medicaid into a capped block grant (resulting in loss of coverage for many low-income families and disabled persons). Simultaneously it would have given millionaires an average tax cut of over $200,000. Jesus inverts that priority - he’d favor feeding the hungry over feeding the wallets of the rich. A Georgetown University group of Catholic scholars told Ryan his budget failed basic moral criteria, quoting the Bible: “God measures a society by how it treats the poor.” Ryan’s response was to claim that cutting welfare would somehow help the poor by reducing dependency. But this argument rings hollow against James 2:16 (“If one of you says…‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”). Ryan’s ideological hero Ayn Rand was an avowed atheist who called Christian altruism “evil” - a stark contrast to Christ’s message of self-giving love. Ryan tried to reconcile Rand’s views with Catholicism, but in practice, his fiscal priorities betrayed a hardness of heart toward the needy. Beyond budgets, Ryan also pushed to repeal the ACA (which would drop coverage for ~20 million people) and privatize Medicare. Such policies would particularly harm “the least of these” - the poor, sick, and elderly. When confronted by a Jesuit about these choices, Ryan insisted he cared about the poor spiritually, but his record shows a pattern: protecting tax cuts for the rich while shredding the safety net for the poor and elderly. This inverted Robin Hood approach - robbing the poor to give to the rich - stands as the opposite of Jesus’s call to “sell what you have and give to the poor” or his praise of those who provide for the needy. For these reasons, Paul Ryan’s political legacy is widely seen as antithetical to Jesus’s social teachings.

While Harris is a member of a historically progressive party, her record as a career prosecutor and her policies on criminal justice often conflicted with the mercy and justice that Jesus advocated. Jesus showed mercy to those accused of crimes (e.g. saving the woman caught in adultery from execution) and taught “Blessed are the merciful” and “do not condemn”. By contrast, Harris’s tenure as California’s Attorney General (and before that as San Francisco’s District Attorney) was marked by a “tough on crime” stance that critics say lacked mercy or restorative justice. She oversaw and defended practices that disproportionately hurt the poor and marginalized - the very people Jesus lifted up. For instance, Harris’s office fought to uphold wrongful convictions even when there was strong evidence of innocence or grave misconduct. In one case, her prosecutors failed to turn over exculpatory evidence; a judge ruled they violated defendants’ rights. Rather than seeking justice, Harris’s office appealed to preserve the convictions on a technicality. This approach - prioritizing winning cases over truth - contradicts Jesus’s emphasis on justice and fairness (“in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you”). Harris also resisted criminal justice reforms that would have made the system more compassionate: she opposed a 2010 bill to require her office to investigate police shootings and set standards for body cameras, drawing criticism from reformers and the African-American community who felt she was shielding police from accountability (hardly standing with the “oppressed”). She also laughed off the idea of legalizing marijuana in 2014 then continued to prosecute low-level offenders - policies which contributed to the incarceration of disproportionately Black and brown young men for non-violent offenses, while Jesus decried hypocrites who “tie up heavy burdens” on others. One of the starkest contrasts with Jesus’s mercy was Harris’s championing of a law to jail truant children’s parents. As DA, she backed threatening low-income parents with criminal charges if their kids missed school. This policy was “disproportionately affecting low-income Black people” who often face structural barriers (transportation, unstable housing, etc.) [trtworld.com]. Instead of empathy for struggling families, Harris chose punishment - far from “let the little children come to me”. As AG, Harris appealed a judge’s ruling declaring California’s death penalty unconstitutional, thus working to continue capital punishment rather than end it. Jesus, the victim of a state execution, certainly did not endorse capital punishment; he halted an execution in the Bible and taught forgiveness over “eye for an eye.” Harris’s stance on the death penalty (at least until very recently) conflicted with the Christian pro-life ethic of mercy even for the guilty. Additionally, Harris’s office argued to keep inmates locked up beyond their sentences in order to maintain a cheap prison labor force (a scandal exposed in 2014) - a position shockingly antithetical to justice and mercy. Critics noted that Harris’s actions often “prioritized legal technicalities over justice”, painting a picture of someone more concerned with racking up convictions than biblical justice for the oppressed. While Harris has evolved on some issues (she now advocates some reforms), the bulk of her career reflected pharisaical strictness rather than Christ-like mercy. Her lack of alignment with Jesus’s teachings on compassion for sinners, fair treatment, and lifting up the downtrodden lands her on this “least aligned” list. (Notably, during the 2020 campaign even some Christian progressives questioned her record’s compatibility with Gospel values).

Joe Manchin, despite being a Democrat, has frequently stood in the way of legislation aimed at helping the poor, sick, and oppressed - essentially obstructing efforts to enact the very sorts of aid Jesus commanded us to give “the least of these.” Manchin, a Catholic, often cites “fiscal responsibility,” but his positions have frustrated faith groups who see them as lacking compassion. Most prominently, in 2021–2022 Manchin single-handedly blocked the extension of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion. This credit, expanded under COVID relief, had cut U.S. child poverty nearly in half - a modern loaves-and-fishes miracle for struggling families. Religious leaders from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to the National Association of Evangelicals implored Manchin to preserve the fully refundable CTC, calling it a “powerful anti-poverty tool” and emphasizing that “the most economically vulnerable children” would suffer if it lapsed. Manchin, however, insisted on adding stringent work requirements and income caps that would deliberately exclude the poorest families (those with little earnings) from receiving the credit. In practice, his stance punished children for their parents’ unemployment - a position hard to square with Jesus’s elevation of children’s innate worth (Matthew 19:14) or his directive to care for “the least” without conditions. Christian anti-poverty advocates openly criticized Manchin; a coalition of nuns, pastors, and Catholic social justice groups protested in D.C. (some getting arrested) urging him to reconsider. They pointed out that denying aid to the poorest kids unless their parents work ignores the reality of illness, caregiving, or lack of jobs - and flies in the face of mercy. Manchin also torpedoed the Build Back Better bill, which included funding for childcare, eldercare, healthcare, housing, and climate measures that would especially help the poor and vulnerable. One can argue specifics, but the broad effect of Manchin’s obstruction was to preserve the status quo where the rich stay comfortable and the poor get crumbs - reminiscent of the rich man in Jesus’s parable who feasted while Lazarus begged. In a state like West Virginia, which has many low-income communities, Manchin’s resistance to expanded social programs (e.g. free community college, expanded Medicaid home care) actively harms those Jesus would have us help. Moreover, Manchin has personally profited from the coal industry and has been accused of putting fossil-fuel profits over people’s health (opposing aggressive climate action that experts say is needed to avert harm to future generations and the poor globally). This hints at serving Mammon over serving God’s creation and “the least” who suffer first from pollution and climate change. In sum, by using his pivotal power to block aid to the poor, Sen. Manchin earned rebukes from faith leaders that he was “running afoul of former faith allies” [religionnews.com] - a polite way to say his actions did not reflect the compassion and justice Jesus demands.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is perhaps the antithesis of the Christlike spirit in Congress. While loudly professing Christianity, her conduct and statements flagrantly violate Jesus’s commands to love others, speak truth, and show humility. Greene has built a public persona on conspiracies, hatred, and cruelty - all utterly contrary to Jesus’s way. She has trafficked in antisemitic and Islamophobic conspiracy theories (e.g. “Jewish space lasers” causing wildfires, calling Muslim congresswomen supporters of terrorism). Instead of “love your neighbor,” she sows suspicion and division. Jesus said “Blessed are the peacemakers,” but Greene has called for political violence: before entering Congress she mused about executing Democratic leaders or claimed Pelosi should be killed for treason. She has harassed survivors of school shootings (stalking Parkland survivor David Hogg, calling him a coward) - a shocking lack of empathy for the mourning, whereas Jesus “wept” with those who wept and protected children. Greene infamously suggested that the Catholic Church’s work aiding immigrants was satanic, and bizarrely accused Christian organizations of being controlled by the devil for helping refugees - flipping Jesus’s teaching on its head (He said welcoming strangers = welcoming Him!). In fact, at one point Greene said those adhering to Jesus’s command to care for immigrants are “fools” being led by Satan, which prompted Catholic League President Bill Donohue to denounce her “slander” as “positively obscene” and anti-Christian. As one columnist put it, “Marjorie Taylor Greene’s version of Christianity is a massive betrayal of the teachings of Jesus… It isn’t about loving your neighbor, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor”. Instead, Greene preaches a toxic Christian nationalism that merges cross and flag in a manner Jesus would reject (His kingdom is “not of this world”). She has said, “We should be Christian nationalists,” implying a theocracy that would marginalize non-Christians - utterly against Jesus’s inclusive love (recall the Good Samaritan story, where Jesus makes a Samaritan - outsider - the hero loving his neighbor). On truthfulness, Jesus said “the truth will set you free” and condemned bearing false witness. Greene, by contrast, has propagated countless falsehoods: claiming the 2020 election was stolen, that vaccines are harmful, that mass shootings are false flags - all lies that stoke fear and discord. She even denied basic tragedies (liking posts that called the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax), causing deep pain to victims’ families - a far cry from “mourn with those who mourn.” Greene also displays no humility (boasting about her aggressiveness) and no apparent repentance when proven wrong. She revels in mean-spirited insults (comparing mask mandates to the Holocaust, calling opponents pedophiles or demons). Such malice is exactly what Jesus forbade when he said “Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:22). In short, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s behavior exemplifies what not to do as a follower of Christ. Her public ministry, so to speak, is built on anger, lies, self-righteousness, and persecution of others - completely antithetical to Jesus’s ministry of love, truth, compassion, and self-sacrifice. It’s telling that even many devout Christians repudiate her rhetoric. By any Christian moral measure, she ranks among the least aligned with Jesus’s teachings in today’s politics.

Like Greene, Lauren Boebert wraps herself in a veneer of Christian piety while routinely violating core Christian ethics in word and deed. A first-term congresswoman known for incendiary remarks, Boebert unapologetically mixes guns, aggression, and religion in a manner that runs afoul of Jesus’s teachings on peace, humility, and love. She once joked that Jesus Christ needed more guns, quipping at a Christian event that “Jesus didn’t have enough AR-15s to keep his government from killing him” [businessinsider.com]. This comment drew gasps - it not only flouts the Gospel narrative (where Jesus willingly went to the cross and rebuked violence - “Put away your sword”), but it crassly suggests Jesus should have led an armed insurrection. It fundamentally misunderstands Christ’s message of redemptive suffering and nonviolence. Clergy and lay Christians alike criticized Boebert’s AR-15 joke as blasphemous and contrary to the spirit of the Prince of Peace. Boebert has also said “I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk”, declaring that the church (her brand of right-wing church, presumably) should direct the government. This directly contradicts Jesus’s own teaching “My Kingdom is not of this world” and his refusal of political power. It also ignores the First Amendment’s protections for religious pluralism, which historically Baptists and others supported to ensure faith could thrive free of state control. Boebert’s vision erodes the compassionate, voluntary nature of true faith and veers into coercive Christendom - which often tramples minority rights and individual conscience (neither of which Jesus would endorse harming). In her personal behavior, Boebert has shown hypocrisy and unchristian conduct. She preaches family values but was recently in headlines for obscene public behavior (caught on camera vaping, groping with a date, and disturbing others in a theater - behavior she lied about until video emerged). While personal sins can be forgiven, Boebert’s pattern of pious posturing combined with moral lapses and deceit (initially denying her actions) resembles the Pharisees whom Jesus called “whitewashed tombs.” She has repeatedly spread lies - from election conspiracy theories to defamatory suggestions that a Muslim congresswoman might be a terrorist (“joking” that Ilhan Omar was a suicide bomber). Bearing false witness and slander are clear violations of the 9th Commandment and Jesus’s standard of truth (“Let your ‘Yes’ be yes”). She has mocked the poor by suggesting if they needed food they should simply work harder, ignoring structural injustice and sounding more like Job’s friends than Jesus. Boebert is also militantly pro-gun, even in the face of mass shootings; she posed with her young children holding assault rifles in a Christmas photo. Jesus wept over Jerusalem’s violence and said “all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Boebert’s gun glorification, without serious regard for victims of violence, is another point of divergence. Furthermore, Boebert publicly prayed imprecatory Psalms for President Biden - “May his days be few” - effectively praying for the death/removal of a leader she opposes. This is the opposite of Paul’s instruction to pray positively for leaders and of Jesus’s command to “pray for those who persecute you”, not pray for their harm. In summary, Lauren Boebert’s fusion of religious rhetoric with cruelty, dishonesty, and anti-Christlike aggression places her firmly among those politicians least aligned with Jesus’s life and lessons. Her own constituents and Christian neighbors have called her out, with one local pastor saying her statements make it “harder to preach the Gospel” because people see the hypocrisy. That is a damning indictment of how far removed her approach is from that of Jesus of Nazareth.

Dishonorable Mention: While the above nine suffice, it’s worth briefly mentioning George Santos as an embodiment of un-Christlike behavior in politics. Santos’s scandalous tenure has been defined by compulsive lying, fraud, and self-interest, which clash with everything Jesus stood for (Jesus declared himself “the Truth” and taught integrity). Santos fabricated just about every aspect of his identity - from his education and work history to even falsely claiming Jewish heritage and that his grandparents survived the Holocaust. Such brazen deception for personal gain violates the command “Do not bear false witness”. It also exploited others’ empathy (e.g. he lied about his mother dying on 9/11 and about running a pet charity - even allegedly swindling a disabled veteran’s charity for his dying dog, one of the most heartlessly anti-Good Samaritan acts imaginable). Jesus had special scorn for hypocrites and frauds who pretend to be something they’re not, especially when they exploit the vulnerable. Santos’s financial corruption (misusing campaign funds for personal luxury, etc.) shows greed triumphing over service - whereas Jesus said “You cannot serve both God and money.” While Santos is not a significant ideological leader, his personal misconduct sets a modern benchmark for dishonesty and lack of repentance in office. He has shown no meaningful remorse, continuing to lie even when confronted. This obstinate deceit and lack of accountability place him in stark opposition to the values of truth, humility, and repentance central to Jesus’s message (recall Jesus’s love for Zacchaeus after he repented and made amends - Santos by contrast doubles down on falsehoods). For these reasons, Santos deserves (dis)honorable mention as a politician acting in egregious bad faith.