Let Us Stand with Jesus Against Violent Power

A Micro-Conference on Responding to the Crisis of Mainstream Christianity - Convened in the Spirit of Friends

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Feb 22 from 1-4pm EST | Fifteenth Street Friends Meeting, Rutherford Place, New York, NY, USA

Jesus did not found a religion of domination or empire. He launched a movement—a poor people’s campaign rooted in compassion, nonviolence, and resistance to violent power.

Today, mainstream Christianity is facing a profound moral and spiritual crisis. A widening gulf separates the radical ethical vision of Jesus from the complicity of dominant Christian institutions in genocide, militarism, racial violence, and state crime. This crisis is not theoretical—it is unfolding in real time.

This micro-conference gathers Christians and fellow travelers committed to peace, justice, and faithful resistance to examine how we arrived at this moment—and how we organize forward.

Featuring Speakers

• Rev. John Thatamanil
• Amanda Daloisio
• Marah Sarji

What This Gathering Will Explore

• How Jesus’s liberating movement has been distorted, co-opted, or weaponized
• The moral and theological failures of mainstream Christianity
• The rise of Christian Nationalism, Christian Zionism (including CUFI), and MAGA Christianity
• The complicity of churches in empire, violence, and state power
• What it means to reclaim a Christianity rooted in nonviolence and solidarity with the oppressed

Key Questions We Will Ask

• How do we organize faithfully, courageously, and collectively in this moment of moral crisis?
• What does Christianity look like when it resists violent power rather than sanctifying it?
• Who will take responsibility for the soul of Christianity in this generation?
• What would a new national movement grounded in the teachings of Jesus require?

What to Expect

This is a free community event that includes:

• Lunch
• Speakers and facilitated discussion
• Activist workshops
• Small-group action planning
• Large-group sharing and collective discernment

This is not a lecture series or a debate. It is a working gathering focused on moral clarity, faithful organizing, and practical next steps.

Event Details

• Sunday, February 22
• 1:00–4:00 PM
• 15 Rutherford Place, New York City

Who Should Attend

• Christians concerned about Christian Nationalism and religious extremism
• Faith-based organizers, clergy, theologians, and activists
• People wrestling with the future of Christianity
• Anyone seeking a nonviolent, justice-centered faith rooted in the teachings of Jesus

About the Speaker Events Committee

The Speaker Events Committee of 15th Street Monthly Meeting organizes public programs related to social and environmental justice. Our mission is to host lively, accessible gatherings that practice Quaker virtues of simplicity, peace, and dialogue, and that invite thoughtful engagement with the moral challenges of our time.

Why This Matters Now

The question is no longer whether Christianity is in crisis, but whether it will continue to serve violent power—or be reclaimed as a force for liberation, nonviolence, and moral courage.