I am wondering why we always use theology as Christians when we act on social justice principles? Any Christian movement should be theologically grounded, and yet, at the same time, sometimes people who aren’t Christian act on more Christian principles, doing, as it were, what Jesus would do. For example, extending fellowship to the marginalized and speaking prophetically against oppressors.

I think the risk when we do everything because we have made a theology as to why we are doing it is that this enables us to rationalize almost anything as theologically valid. Let alone when biblical literalism takes over and we start to use the Bible to rationalize horrible, inhuman acts.

I was at a mass protest and the theologians were using all of this theological language to ground their actions. Really, having common decency is enough to march on behalf of Palestinian rights. The only reason we need theology is because of the faulty theology–rooted in power and empire–that makes this seem immoral.

I’m reminded of Ibram X. Kendi’s book Stamped from the Beginning: A History of Racist Ideas in America. People developed racist theology after people were enslaved. It became an excuse. People didn’t think, “The Bible had slaves, and so we should too!” They thought, “We have slaves, and this is nice. How can we keep them?”

Thus liberal theology is necessary as a corrective. But this is also why atheists are sometimes doing God’s work and acting as prophets when they critique Christians.