More Nativity Scenes, Please

Leading up to the first march, we used this newsletter to update you all about our march-planning progress. We needed you to believe what we believed – that the seemingly impossible was possible. Now we’re trying a pivot; bringing you the voices, stories and passion of our marchers and volunteers. First up we have Debbie, a teacher, deep-thinker and mother from Kentucky:

The other day my brother sent me a picture of a nativity scene. I bet you’ve seen one like it by now, too: the holy family imprisoned, assaulted, or disappeared. Critics call this disrespectful, divisive, and inappropriately political, but I see hope for the future of a religion that faced declining numbers even before it was weaponized by a corrupt and cruel administration.  

My brother and I grew up in a very conservative (and very quirky) nondenominational Christian church. I married into that church and remained a member until I deconverted several years ago. My brother and I are now atheists, yet it’s undeniable that our identities have been shaped by Christianity. This past year – the injustices and cruelty displayed each day – has caused even larger shifts for both my brother and myself in our personal lives and in our relationships with religion. 

It requires work to disentangle from the effects of growing up in a borderline-cult, so when I signed up for the We Are America March I knew that spending nights in churches, being fed and served by Christians, would be challenging. It certainly was, but in a growth-inspiring way. I had simply never met this type of Christian before. 

My brother has become a member of his progressive neighborhood church. He’s not merely attending: he heads up clothing drives, is involved on the board, speaks at church, and is helping frame a five-year plan for growth. He hopes to reclaim the Christian tradition from those who have poisoned it. He doesn’t believe Christianity’s theology, but he does believe in Christianity.

When my brother calls, excited to share updates about his local church work and how it dovetails with his political activism, he also helps me through my separation. This year I was shocked that my conservative Christian husband couldn’t see how this administration was un-conservative, un-Christian, and inhuman. My work now is to make sure my children understand that there is another type of Christianity than the only one they have known.

So I love sharing with them images of clergy protesting. I tell them, even as a nonbeliever, I am offended at the conspicuous crosses worn by administration officials speaking hate and lies. I understand the horror that Christians must feel when their faith is misused for evil. And though I doubt we’ll see one in central Kentucky, I do keep my eyes out for a nativity scene that illustrates the heart of Christianity: concern for the vulnerable.  

For believers and nonbelievers alike, a centuries-old story can be made newly relevant. A nativity scene that speaks truth to power is not only a rebuke to the fakery of weaponized Christianity; it is a welcome to anyone ready to be surprised and intrigued by a different type of Christianity than the one that has dominated the political discussion – or perhaps their homes – for decades.  

To reach the future that we all want, we have to make and remake our founding stories. Otherwise we surrender them to those who use them maliciously. So here my brother and I are: a couple of atheists calling for more nativity scenes, please.  

👟 Interested in joining Debbie and the rest of the WAAM team this April? March registration is now open. We march April 11th-25th.

♥️ Unable to join but want to support the movement? In order to move our team from Philly to DC safely, we are fundraising $70,000. As we are funded by individual donors -- that means me and you -- any amount can help. All donations are tax-deductible, just use our simple donation system!

Thank you!

Until next week,

The WAAM Comms Team

WAAM team members protesting ICE in Philly.