🚨 Theological Red Flags 🚩🚩🚩🚨

Phrases that trigger my theological "spideysense"

Theological Red Flags

Over the last twenty years (and then some), my faith has shifted and transformed in more ways than I can count. I began to notice, in my early twenties, that the theologies and interpretations I had inherited—and assumed to be The Capital-T Truth—were not the only options, or even the most satisfying.

That realization led to a kind of renovation—a change in perspective and understanding that has shaped who I’ve become, not only as a pastor and writer, but on a deeply personal, human level.

As a byproduct of that process, I’ve learned there are certain theological phrases that immediately raise red flags for me. Most of these used to be in my own vocabulary during a previous season of life and ministry. While they’re often well-intended—and seemingly harmless, if a bit cliché—I now recognize that they can do real harm to those on the receiving end. They heap more guilt, shame, and fear on people who are often already carrying too much.

Here’s a rule of thumb I’ve picked up along the way:
Good theology liberates and heals.
Bad theology oppresses and harms.

Recently, I was in an online conversation where one of those red-flag phrases came up, and it jumpstarted my brain: What are some other phrases that trigger my theological “spideysense”? So here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of Theological Red Flags that popped up for me:

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“The Bible is clear…”

There are over 40,000+ Christian denominations. That wouldn’t be the case if “the Bible was clear” about… well, anything. What seems clear to me isn’t necessarily clear to others, and pretending otherwise shuts down conversation and ignores the complexity of Scripture.

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“The Bible says…”

This one usually precedes a statement that’s quoting a text and interpreting it to mean one specific thing. But here’s the truth: the Bible doesn’t “say” anything on its own. It reads. And we make it say things through our interpretations of the text.

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“You gotta have faith…”

This isn’t on the list because I have an issue with faith as an idea. It’s here because, for many Christians, “having faith” means believing things to be literally true, factual, and historical—even when those things stretch the bounds of credibility and ignore literary genre and cultural context.

In that framework, “faith” often becomes believing things that are hard to believe. And if those things (like a literal six-day creation, or Jonah living in a fish for three days/nights) turn out not to be true, then the whole faith system collapses.

But here’s the good news: faith doesn’t mean believing the unbelievable. It means trust. And trust doesn’t require literalism—it is an invitation to confidence in God.

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“Everything happens for a reason…”

While usually offered with kind intentions—especially in moments of grief or confusion—this phrase tends to make tragedy even more painful. It suggests that suffering is part of some divine plan. But God doesn’t need, cause, or orchestrate human pain.

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“God never gives you more than you can handle…”

This one builds on the last. It paints a picture of God as a micromanager—sending people to the brink of collapse, but not quite breaking them. That’s not just unhelpful; it’s toxic and cruel. I don’t believe God puts suffering on us to test us or “build character.”

For a more expansive and satisfying approach to these questions, I recommend the work of Thomas J. Oord on Open and Relational Theology.

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“Love the sinner, hate the sin…”

Let’s be honest: this phrase is used 100% of the time to justify the exclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s toxic, dehumanizing, and needs to be retired.

Sure, people sin. But let’s be clear: being LGBTQ+ is NOT a sin.

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“Preach the gospel, not politics…”

This statement assumes the gospel is purely spiritual and evacuationist—something that’s about getting to heaven someday, not about how we live in this world now.

But the gospel is inherently political. The word itself was used in the Roman world to describe imperial announcements, like the birth of Caesar or a key Roman victory in battle . For Jesus and his followers to co-opt the word “gospel” was itself a political act. They were saying: There is another kingdom; another way of organizing our common life together.

The gospel is good news for the poor.
It confronts systems of power and injustice.
If it’s not political, it’s not the gospel.

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Those are just a few of my theological red flags. I’m sure there are more.

What about you? Are there phrases or ideas that set off your alarm bells?

Share yours in the comments 👇