Voices4Democracy

06/02/2026

Governor Mike Braun, Lt Gov. Micah Beckwith and a band of Republican legislators are all promoting policies and legislation consistent with the Seven Mountains Mandate.

The question is whether voters will use their vote to support or reject the attempt to replace democracy with Christian Nationalism.

Gov. Mike Braun, Lt Governor Micah Beckwith, along with numerous state House and Senate members, all favor Christian Nationalism and its Seven Mountains Mandate.

05/25/2026

They deserve to be remembered.
Thoughts for this Memorial Day

by Brian Jonasen, retired Air Force Colonel.

Retired AF Colonel Brian Jonasen reflects on Memorial Day. He honors service men who have died, along with those who have died as a result of ICE actions.

05/20/2026

A letter to the editor published this week in Hamilton County’s Current newspaper is sparking an important conversation about immigration, ICE, and what fairness looks like in our communities.
In her letter, Sharon Boller, executive director of From Strangers to Neighbors and co-founder of Voices4Democracy, reflects on what she learned while working directly with refugees and immigrant families in Indiana.
The letter argues that many residents are not objecting to border security itself.
They are objecting to:
•families living in fear
•legal residents being wrongly detained
•overcrowded detention conditions
•shifting definitions of legal status
•tactics many believe are excessive or inhumane

The conversation around immigration is often loud, simplified, and politicized.

But behind every policy debate are real people, real families, and real communities.

Hamilton County deserves thoughtful conversations grounded in facts, humanity, and accountability.

Swipe through to read key excerpts from the published letter.
And if you have something to say about issues impacting your community:

Write the letter.
•Use your voice.
•Participate locally.

Democracy depends on it.

Read the Full article on our Substack:

https://open.substack.com/pub/voices4democracyindiana/p/a-letter-to-the-editor?r=cocw&utm_medium=ios

05/12/2026

This is the third post in our series exploring white Christian nationalism.

Rev. David Greene, a local Indianapolis pastor, reflects on the striking silence surrounding one of Jesus’ clearest teachings: Matthew 25.

While white Christian nationalism frequently invokes “biblical values,” “Christian America,” and “religious freedom,” Rev. Greene asks why one passage is so often missing from the conversation:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
— Matthew 25:35

Matthew 25 is not abstract theology.
It is Jesus plainly describing what faithfulness looks like:
• Feed the hungry • Welcome the stranger • Care for the sick • Visit the imprisoned • Clothe the naked

And perhaps most importantly:
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” — Matthew 25:40

Rev. Greene writes that for many Black Christians, this conversation is not theoretical. The Black church has long experienced Christianity used both as a tool of liberation and as a justification for oppression. He argues that white Christian nationalism merges faith with political power, nationalism, hierarchy, and cultural control, while the Gospel repeatedly calls Christians toward compassion, service, and justice.

“Jesus did not say: ‘I was a citizen and you protected my borders.’
He said: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’”

The post asks a difficult but necessary question:

Why are some so vocal about scripture related to control and exclusion… yet so quiet about the chapter where Jesus explicitly describes how nations will be judged?

We’d also like to hear from you.
Share your answers and experiences.

https://substack.com//note/c-257886877?r=19b834&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

05/12/2026

“In this moment of rising white Christian nationalism across America and here in Indiana, we hear constant appeals to “biblical values,” “Christian America,” and “religious freedom.” Certain verses are repeatedly used to justify harsh public policy, exclusion, nationalism, and fear.

Yet one of the clearest teachings of Jesus is strangely absent from the conversation:

“ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matthew 25:35 NIV).”



https://open.substack.com/pub/voices4democracyindiana/p/the-silence-of-christian-nationalism?r=28e7a9&utm_medium=ios

05/08/2026

Mother’s Day is upon us this weekend. The day originated after a woman named Anna Jarvis campaigned for it as a way to honor her own mother. The U.S. made it an official holiday in 1914. Hallmark loved this and commercialized it to become what it is today.

Its prominence in our culture makes it a good time to call attention to what’s being manufactured by white Christian nationalists: a very narrow definition of womanhood and women’s intended purposes.
1) to be a helpmate to a man (e.g. a wife)
2) to be a mother.

Two competing visions of women’s roles in America

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

VOICES 4 DEMOCRACY — NEW SUBSTACK SERIES

Today we’re launching a short series on Christian nationalism in Indiana—specifically White Christian nationalism.

This work is rooted in months of research, with sources included so you can explore further and draw your own conclusions.

This first piece sets the stage.
The next articles will go deeper into the beliefs, policies, and local impact shaping our communities.

⸻

Most Hoosiers don’t walk around calling themselves Christian nationalists.
Most Americans don’t either.

But when asked a simple set of survey questions, the answers tell a different story.

Researchers use five statements to understand where people fall—from adherent to rejector.

And the data shows something important:

These beliefs are not abstract
They are shaping policy
They are influencing laws—nationally and here in Indiana

⸻

There’s also a critical distinction:

Christian nationalism
vs.
white Christian nationalism

The latter fuses religion with race, power, and policy in ways that often show up not in language—but in outcomes:
• Immigration policy
• Voting access
• Education
• Civil rights protections

⸻

This isn’t happening somewhere else.

It’s visible in:
• National leadership
• Federal policy direction
• Indiana’s Statehouse

⸻

This series is about helping Hoosiers:
✔️ Recognize the patterns
✔️ Understand the impact
✔️ Connect national movements to local decisions

⸻

🗳️ So what’s the takeaway?

There is no single person coming to fix this.

Change has always come from people showing up—together.

Your role matters.

At a minimum:
Vote
Encourage others to vote
Stay informed

⸻

📖 Read the full article on Substack

Hoosiers need to understand how the spread of white Christian nationalism impacts our communities, our laws, and our future.