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Buzz Feed
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Christian Values vs. MAGA Faith: Key Differences
Last month, Jen Hamilton, a nurse with a sizable following on TikTok and Instagram, picked up her Bible and made a video that would quickly go viral. A few days earlier, Hamilton, who lives in a small town in North Carolina, had posted a video asking her followers about resources she could give to people in her life who were beginning to deconstruct their loyalty to the MAGA movement. There were some helpful tips, but Hamilton noticed one reply in particular: 'Whoa,' it said. 'Be careful now. I am happily MAGA and I love Jesus. We are exhausted from liberal nonsense.' Hamilton didn't want to argue. Instead, she grabbed her Bible and attempted to 'hold up the character of Jesus, his actual words, as a mirror' to some of the more ardent supporters of President Donald Trump. 'Basically, I sat down at my kitchen table and began to read from Matthew 25 while overlaying MAGA policies that directly oppose the character and nature of Jesus' teachings,' she told HuffPost. 'I was hungry and you fed me,' she reads in the clip, as a headline about a Trump administration spending bill that proposes slashing federal funding to the SNAP food program by nearly $300 billion pops up. 'I was in prison and you visited me,' she says, as a headline about migrants who entered the country legally and were still deported to El Salvador prisons appears on the screen. potential cuts to Medicaid, flashes by. As Hamilton highlights, Matthew 25 stresses that those who serve people in need ― the hungry, the prisoner, the stranger ― will enter his Kingdom, while those who overlook the downtrodden will receive judgment: 'When you refused to help the least of these, you were refusing to help me,' Jesus tells the latter. 'As a Christian, I don't think you can be both MAGA and Christian,' a top comment on the Instagram video reads. But not everyone was a fan. Hamilton said she's been on the receiving end of some MAGA ire since posting the clip. 'Some even reported me to the Board of Nursing to have my license taken away,' Hamilton told HuffPost. 'As a nurse, I don't know how you don't fight for the rights of the vulnerable communities you care for.' 'I'm a Christ-follower but the video I made wasn't a religious or political statement ― it was a moral one,' she told us, before noting that she believes that there is a big difference between identifying as a Republican and being MAGA. 'The video was about the hypocrisy of people claiming to follow Jesus while supporting a movement that actively harms the specific communities He called us to love,' Hamilton said. Hamilton's critics say that she is misrepresenting Scripture, but she wonders how that can be when she was literally just reading Jesus' words. There's a deep chasm in American Christianity in part because of Trump. The fierce debate over Hamilton's video is a microcosm for what's been happening in American Christianity for at least the last 50 years, said the Rev. Brandan Robertson, a pastor of Sunnyside Reformed Church in New York City, and the author of Queer & Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and our Place at the Table. 'The religious right was formed to use conservative Christianity as a tool to help right wing politicians gain power and enact policies that preserve white, conservative Christian privilege at the expense of everyone else,' Robertson said in an email interview with HuffPost. The MAGA movement, Robertson said, is just the 'full revelation' of what the religious right has dreamt of doing for decades. 'They have been remarkably effective in their strategy to conflate their values with Christian orthodoxy and have convinced a considerable number of American Christians that to be a Christian is to support right-wing policies,' he said. Interestingly, most Americans don't consider President Trump to be particularly religious, with fewer than half in a 2020 Pew survey saying they think he's Christian. Raised Presbyterian, Trump now calls himself a 'non- denominational Christian.' Still, he has dedicated support among white evangelical Christians. In a Pew survey conducted after his first 100 days in office in April, 72% of white evangelical Protestants approve of his job as president. The president has surrounded himself with a coterie of evangelical pastors and faith leaders, including Paula White, a tongue-speaking televangelist who has called the Black Lives Matter movement the 'Antichrist,' and William Wolfe ― a self-described 'Christian nationalist' and executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership who told conservative news site The Daily Signal he considers mass deportations a Christian issue. Robertson doesn't think such Christian faith leaders represent the full breadth of American Christianity today. 'There are also many moderate and progressive Christians in our country,' he said. 'Nearly every mainline Protestant denomination in the U.S. stands against most if not all of the xenophobic policies coming from the religious right.' Notable among the critics is Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington who delivered the homily at the interfaith prayer service following Trump's second presidential inauguration in January. In her sermon, Budde made a direct plea to Trump, asking him to have 'mercy' on those 'scared' about his return to the White House and the effect his policies may have on them, such as LGBTQ+ children and undocumented immigrants. While Protestants may be the most vocal critics of the Trump administration, a number of evangelicals and Catholics have split off from the MAGA movement and spoken about the ' the spiritual danger of Donald Trump.' The latter have been particularly vocal about the Trump administration's anti-immigrant actions. Earlier this month, the first U.S. bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV called for priests, deacons and parish leaders to stand in solidarity with migrants by showing up to immigration court proceedings. 'All of these people are working to shake their fellow believers out of their obsession with Trump and calling them back to Christ,' Robertson said. 'Prophetic, progressive Christians that are devoted to the way of Jesus are standing up and speaking up, and I am hopeful that we can form coalitions that can change the direction of this country for the common good of all people,' he said. Some Christians say they hope other believers begin to put Jesus first again. As Carrie McKean, a writer and the communications director at First Presbyterian Church Midland in West Texas, has written about, there are even pastors who generally like Trump's border policy while still worrying about, and even sheltering, migrants. 'Despite the way MAGA, populism and Christian Nationalism might be dominating this current political moment — and despite the way many within those movements distort and twist Jesus' words to achieve their own ends — it's so important to remember, Jesus was never trying to build a kingdom of this world,' McKean told HuffPost. ″[Jesus] cannot be sorted into one of our contemporary political boxes — he is not merely liberal or conservative,' she said. As a follower of Jesus, McKean said she's praying that more Christians demonstrate a willingness to place even the strongest political convictions beneath the authority of Jesus. 'To do this, we each must cultivate a critical eye toward our own parties,' she said. 'We must stay alert, recognizing that earthly rulers are prone to manipulation, power plays (Matthew 20:25), and ungodly acts of injustice (Ecclesiastes 5:8–9).' Hamilton, the creator of the viral video, agrees. She said she's been most heartened by comments from people who've reached out and said that video caused them to give more thought to the political movements they've stood behind. 'I heard from people who are finding their faith by divorcing it from Christian nationalism and that brings me hope,' she said. 'I'm not trying to turn everyone liberal, I'm just trying to create a moment of pause for people who feel deeply entrenched in MAGA ― to maybe help them reconnect with their own values outside of the noise.' HuffPost.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Counselor sanctioned after refusing intoxication test at child advocacy center
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing administers the state's Board of Nursing and Board of Behavioral Health Professionals as well as other licensing boards. (Main photo by Getty Images; logo courtesy State of Iowa) A Quad-City social worker who was fired after refusing to be tested for intoxication at work has been sanctioned by state regulators. The Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals recently charged social worker Jaime L. Roggenbauer of Bettendorf with knowingly making misleading or untrue statements in the practice of social work, or engaging in unethical conduct harmful to the public, by attempting to practice social work while intoxicated. The board also accused her of interfering with her previous employer's information technology systems. According to the board, Roggenbauer had provided counseling services at a children's advocacy center located in Rock Island, Illinois, since January 2022. She was fired on March 19, 2024, the day her co-workers reported that she appeared chatty, animated and unsteady — a departure from her typical demeanor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The board alleges that Roggenbauer was fired after she refused a chemical test for intoxication. According to the board, she then changed the password to the center's therapy documentation system, which locked other part-time providers out of the center's database. Roggenbauer denied the allegations, but to resolve the case she recently agreed to a settlement that entails her license being placed on probation for two years, during which time she will work with a practice monitor. Court records show that in 2022, Roggenbauer was convicted of first-offense drunken driving. Other Iowans recently sanctioned by the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals include: — Kelly Sachau of Sioux City, who is alleged to have maintained a relationship with a patient from April 2021 to the present. According to the board, the patient received therapy services from Sachau while the two maintained a personal relationship. In October 2022, Sachau ended her relationship with the practice group where she worked and took the patient's therapy records and notes with her to her new practice without the patient's written consent. She was charged with failing to comply with ethics guidelines related to patient boundaries and records. Sachau denied having a dual relationship with the patient and denied improper handling of client records and information. To settle the case, she agreed to pay a $750 civil penalty and have her license placed on probation for two years during which time she will work with a practice monitor and complete training on ethics, clinical documentation and professional boundaries. — Trisha Tonelli of Des Moines, who allegedly disclosed confidential information related to the care of a client. She was charged with failing to comply with ethics guidelines on confidentiality, and was issued a warning that similar conduct in the future could result in further disciplinary action. As part of her settlement agreement with the board, Tonelli agreed to complete six hours of ethics training. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Board of Nursing has cleared hundreds of cases of questionable documentation for nurses
(Photo by) The Maryland Board of Nursing said it has cleared almost all of the 259 nurses and nursing applicants who may have obtained a Maryland license using fraudulent documents from a scheme revealed in Florida more than two years ago. The board said that it found 'no cause to take disciplinary action' against 205 of the Maryland cases linked to 'Operation Nightingale,' a multistate investigation by federal official in 2023 of a Florida-based wire fraud scheme that provided bogus documentation of nursing credentials. The board did revoke the 'privilege to practice in Maryland' for three nurses and voted to issue charges against seven others, who were referred to the Office of the Attorney General for prosecution. Three nurses voluntarily surrendered their licenses, another 12 applicants withdrew their applications for a registered nurse license in Maryland and the board voted to dispose of another three without taking action. Those numbers were included in the board's response to an Office of Legislative Audits report released last week that was a followup to a 2024 inquiry into several boards and commissions that oversee health care facilities or practitioners. Among the findings of the report, which covered the period from September 2019 to July 2023, was that the agencies often failed to investigate complaints against licensees in a timely manner — a problem the auditors said could be due to staffing shortages during that period. The report said that the 20 boards and commissions it studied had a total of 4,916 open cases as of February 2024, but that 3,051 of those had been open more than two years. The Board of Nursing, the largest by far of all the boards, had 2,411 cases that had been open more than two years, it said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The auditors also reported in February 2024 that the nursing board could not provide documentation that it had investigated any of the 259 nurses whose names came up as part of Operation Nightingale — a claim the board disputed at the time, and again last week. The board now says it is missing documentation for just 26 of those 259. While that is a significant improvement, the OLA report adds on to other audits that raise concerns in oversight and documentation of Board of Nursing and the Department of Health over several years. The Operation Nightingale investigation became public in a January 2023 post from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. It said its investigation, along with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office, uncovered three Florida nursing schools tied to 'bogus' nursing degree diplomas and transcripts that were sold to 'aspiring' Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN) to qualify for the national nursing board exam. 'Upon successful completion of the board exam, the nursing applicants became eligible to obtain licensure in various states,' the HHS statement said. 'Once licensed, the individuals were then able to obtain employment in the health care field. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas and transcripts. These schools are now closed.' Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe said at the time that the wire fraud scheme 'erodes public trust in our health care system.' 'Not only is this a public safety concern, it also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually complete the demanding clinical and course work required to obtain their professional licenses and employment,' Lapointe said in the 2023 statement. The Maryland Board of Nursing was notified of 287 nurses or nursing applicants who may have received licensure with false credentials, with the expectation that the Maryland board would look into those cases. By February 2024, the board said it had reviewed most of those cases, even though the OLA said it lacked documentation at the time for that claim. At that time, 131 of those nurses had been working within the Maryland health system, the OLA said. The Board of Nursing agreed that the audit's findings were factual and has since located much of the missing documentation regarding those 259 nursing licenses — though documentation for 26 cases are still missing. 'Board of Nursing has located a substantial amount of the records documenting the work conducted to screen and process the 259 individuals who may have obtained licensure in Maryland using fraudulent credentials,' the board responded in the April audit report. The board believes that it will resolve the outstanding 26 cases by July. The Board of Nursing has a list of the actions it has taken related to nursing licenses involved in Operation Nightingale. ola_boardofnursing
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill mandating child abuse education for health providers rejected by New Hampshire House
House Bill 493 would've required physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants treating patients age 18 or younger to complete child abuse and neglect education. (Getty Images) The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted, 193-177, Thursday to kill a bipartisan proposal aimed at strengthening child abuse and neglect training among medical providers. Rep. Carol McGuire, an Epsom Republican, called the bill 'a very well-meaning bill that is totally impossible to implement' and 'unnecessary.' House Bill 493, sponsored by Concord Democrat Rep. Gabby Grossman, would've required physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants treating patients age 18 or younger to complete child abuse and neglect education. That education would've had to be at least one hour, and be accredited and recognized by the New Hampshire chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics as addressing the necessary subject matter. The bill was amended since it was first introduced. McGuire took issue with the fact that the bill has the Board of Medicine mandating the training for nurse practitioners, who are governed by the Board of Nursing. She also noted that the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing can both already require this training themselves, and she said she's heard from the employers of doctors and nurse practitioners who say they already often require their employees to do this type of training. She pointed out that a version of the training has already been made available for free online — by HB 493's sponsors — that providers can decide to do on their own. Still, supporters wanted the training mandated and didn't want to wait on the boards or employers of providers. 'This bill is the result of findings that include that there are New Hampshire children that have been abused or neglected but have been missed or not reported by New Hampshire health providers with tragic outcomes,' one of the bill's supporters, Derry Republican Rep. Jodi Nelson, said. 'And that voluntary training in identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect has been made available to New Hampshire health care providers but very few have enrolled.' Nelson said she'd heard stories of infants arriving at the hospital with atypical bruises and debilitating disabilities that weren't reported to the authorities at the Division for Children, Youth, and Families. She said the issue 'isn't New Hampshire specific; it's a problem throughout the U.S.' This isn't the first time lawmakers have tried to enact this rule. In 2024, House Bill 1590, a similar piece of legislation, was introduced in the House but failed to become law. It referred the bill to interim study, and as a result, lawmakers brought forth HB 493 in 2025, an altered version of the previous attempt.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I-Team: Connecticut nursing school closure impacting nurses in western Massachusetts
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (WWLP) – A nursing school with multiple locations in Connecticut shut down suddenly two years ago. Now, some graduates of Stone Academy are being told they cannot work in Massachusetts. Two women from western Massachusetts are going through this. They spoke anonymously to the 22News I-Team about their current situation. They are both working as nurses, but they have to commute to Connecticut every day because they are unable to get a job closer to home in Massachusetts. State education board weighing minimum coursework requirements Stone Academy closed its three locations in East Hartford, Waterbury and West Haven abruptly in February of 2023. According to the Connecticut Office of Higher Education, Stone Academy had unqualified instructors, 'invalid' clinical experience opportunities and didn't adequately record student attendance. The school also reportedly had low pass rates. Practical nursing programs are required to have a pass rate of 80% on the National Council Licensure Examination known as the NCLEX. Instead, pass rates at Stone Academy ranged from 43% to 70%, according to Connecticut's Office of Higher Education. The two women who spoke to the 22News I-Team say they disagree with the state's assessment, and they both passed the NCLEX on their first try. 'The school was accredited. We took the national state boards and we passed. There is no reason we should not be able to work in the state we live in.' 'I work in a surgical center. I am in the OR. It's just me and a surgeon. If I wasn't qualified, I wouldn't be able to be the only other person in there with him.' A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health told the 22News I-Team that the Board of Nursing did an extensive review of all Stone Academy applicants to make sure they are eligible for licensure under state regulations. In a statement to 22News, the Department of Public Health said, 'The Board of Nursing implements a rigorous evaluation process of all nursing applications which includes review of educational criteria.' The Department of Public Health says the Nursing Board is now assessing whether the education received at Stone Academy was adequate, and if graduates need to complete another program that meets the Board's regulatory standards. Both women say they want the Massachusetts Board of Nursing to reconsider their evaluation of Stone Academy graduates so they can work closer to home. 'I'm restricted to where I can work. I can only stay local because I have children. If I could work close to home, I could work anywhere. But I'm very stuck in one place.' 'I want them to look at the students and realize they are not the school. It may have had problems, but we took our education into our own hands and made sure we learned everything we needed to learn to be able to be successful.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
