The studio audience gasped in unison when Jonathan Roomie stood up from the curved couch on a Tuesday morning two weeks before Christmas. His microphone still clipped to his lapel. His expression showing not anger but a profound sadness that somehow cut deeper than rage ever could. The red and green holiday decorations strung across the views set suddenly felt grotesque against what was unfolding.

Four women sat frozen mid-sentence as Jonathan looked directly at Whoopi Goldberg and spoke seven words that would ignite a firestorm about progressive Christianity and moral gatekeeping that would dominate headlines through the entire holiday season. Love does not look like lying to people about eternity.

Then he reached for his microphone clip while Joy Behar’s mouth hung open in genuine shock while Sunny Host’s carefully maintained composure cracked to show something between guilt and defensive anger. While Anna Navaro sat with hands frozen mid gesture as if someone had pressed pause on her usual animated expressiveness.

The studio audience sat in stunned silence. Their morning entertainment suddenly transformed into something uncomfortably real. The production crew exchanged panicked glances, unsure whether to cut to commercial or let the moment play out for maximum viral impact. But nobody watching that December morning understood how an interview that started with laughter about Christmas traditions and coffee mugs decorated with snowflakes had transformed into one of the most damning exposures of progressive Christianity’s hollow compassion ever broadcast to daytime television’s predominantly female audience.

To understand why Jonathan chose to walk away from the view, you have to rewind to the moment when everything still seemed manageable. When Christmas was 2 weeks away and the possibility of keeping things light and festive still existed, the invitation had arrived 6 weeks earlier.

Delivered with enthusiasm that suggested this would be different from the intellectual ambush he had experienced on Good Morning America 3 months prior. Jonathan’s publicist had been cautiously optimistic, her voice carrying hope despite recent history. “The view is a different beast than GMA,” she had said carefully. “It is not news anchors with Oxford degrees trying to intellectually demolish you. It is women having conversations.

They want to talk about The Chosen’s impact on families during the holidays. How the show brings people together at Christmas. It could be warm and personal instead of hostile and academic. But Jonathan had learned to read warning signs in mainstream media invitations with the skill of someone who had been burned repeatedly.

He noticed how the email mentioned they wanted to discuss faith and inclusivity during the holiday season. How they emphasized the show’s diverse panel of strong women from different backgrounds. how they suggested this would be a conversation about love and acceptance rather than theology and doctrine. Every word choice felt calculated to make him lower his guard. Still, he prayed about it for 2 weeks, sought counsel from Dallas Jenkins, who had navigated similar waters, and felt that familiar pull to step into uncomfortable spaces because sometimes that was exactly where God needed voices that would not compromise

truth for the sake of holiday harmony. The Christmas season made it more complicated, easier to justify avoiding confrontation when everyone wanted peace on earth and goodwill toward men. But maybe that was exactly when truth mattered most. When cultural sentimentality tried to replace actual gospel with vague spirituality wrapped in tinsel.

The morning of the taping, December 10th. Jonathan woke at 5:30 in his Manhattan hotel room. The city outside his window was already decorated for Christmas. Lights strung across Fifth Avenue. Department store windows displaying elaborate holiday scenes. Street vendors selling roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate to early morning commuters bundled against the cold.

He knelt on the hotel carpet and prayed with the specificity that came from knowing exactly what challenges lay ahead. Wisdom to answer questions designed to make him choose between truth and compassion as if they were mutually exclusive. Courage to stand firm when accusations of hatred and judgment came wrapped in language about love and inclusion.

grace to see the hosts not as enemies but as women genuinely convinced that softening Christianity’s exclusive claims was the loving thing to do. The ability to speak hard truth without hardness to be unbending about doctrine while remaining tender toward people. The car service arrived at 6:15. Navigating through Manhattan traffic that was already heavy with holiday shoppers and tourists visiting the city for the season.

Jonathan watched through tinted windows as they passed storefront after storefront displaying the commercialized version of Christmas. Santa Clauses and reindeer, snowmen and presents. Everything about the holiday except the actual reason it existed. The birth of Jesus Christ who came to save people from their sins.

Not to make them feel good about themselves, but to rescue them from condemnation they could not escape on their own. The ABC building loomed ahead as they approached the Upper Westside Studios where The View taped every weekday morning. This was not the home of hard news like Good Morning America’s Times Square headquarters.

This was entertainment disguised as conversation, a place where women gathered to discuss hot topics while audiences clapped and cheered and booed based on invisible cues from producers who knew exactly what emotional responses they wanted to manufacture. Security waved the car through to an underground entrance and Jonathan found himself being escorted through corridors decorated with wreaths and garland.

Past production assistants wearing festive sweaters into a green room that felt deliberately designed to make guests feel casual and comfortable before being led onto a set where five women would dissect their beliefs for entertainment value. The green room was smaller than Good Morning America’s had been.

Decorated with Christmas decorations that felt corporate rather than warm. A small artificial tree sat in one corner. Its lights blinking in a pattern, probably designed by some marketing team to feel festive without being specifically Christian. Monitors showed the live broadcast feed where the hosts were currently discussing some political controversy with the practiced outrage that characterized most episodes. A production assistant appeared at 6:45.

Her arrival punctual, but her demeanor considerably more casual than the precision Jonathan had encountered at GMA. Her smile was warm and genuine in a way that made him more nervous rather than less. People were most dangerous when they believed they were being kind. Mr. Roomie, welcome to the view.

She said, her enthusiasm apparently sincere. The ladies are so excited to have you. We thought it would be perfect timing with Christmas coming up. People love talking about faith and family during the holidays. She handed him a tablet showing suggested topics, and Jonathan felt his stomach tighten as he read through the list.

Every question was framed to sound warm and inclusive while actually demanding he choose between biblical truth and being accepted as a decent person. How does the chosen help bring people of all faiths together during the holiday season? What would you say to people who feel excluded by traditional Christianity’s narrow view of salvation? How can we celebrate Jesus’s message of love and acceptance while moving beyond divisive theology that separates people? The questions were not hostile in the way George Stephanopouloses had been. They did not question his intelligence or education.

Instead, they questioned his heart, his compassion, his willingness to be loving and inclusive. They positioned theological conviction as the opposite of kindness, as if standing firm on scripture meant failing to care about people. I will answer honestly, Jonathan said, handing the tablet back with a gentle smile that masked growing concern.

Whatever they ask, I will respond with what scripture actually teaches rather than what might make their audience feel comfortable. The production assistant’s expression flickered with something that might have been concern. Just so you know, the ladies are very passionate about inclusion and compassion. She said carefully, “Joy is Jewish. Whoopi has been very vocal about spiritual pluralism. Sunny is Catholic but very progressive.

Anna represents the Latino community. They will push back if anything sounds judgmental or exclusive. Just be prepared for that. Jonathan heard what she was not saying. Do not say anything that challenges progressive assumptions about all paths leading to God. Do not claim Jesus is the only way.

Do not suggest that anyone’s beloved grandmother might not be in heaven simply because she did not accept Christ. Be nice. Be vague. Be spiritual without being specifically Christian. celebrate the holiday without mentioning the actual gospel. A stage manager appeared at 7:05 to escort Jonathan to the main set for soundcheck. As he followed her through corridors decorated with holiday cheer that felt increasingly hollow, Jonathan could hear the show in progress through mounted speakers, the distinctive rhythm of daytime talk television, heated political debates, transitioning to celebrity gossip, transitioning to cooking segments, all flowing together

with practiced ease. The main set was designed to feel like a living room where friends gathered for coffee and conversation. The curved table where five hosts sat was positioned in front of windows looking out onto the street where a small crowd of fans had gathered despite the December cold, holding signs and cheering whenever cameras pointed their direction. Holiday decorations were everywhere.

Garland wrapped around railings. Poinsettias positioned strategically, a Christmas tree visible in the background. Whoopi Goldberg sat reviewing notes, her reading glasses perched on her nose, her expression showing the comfortable authority of someone who had commanded this set for years.

She looked up when Jonathan approached, her smile friendly, but her eyes already assessing him in a way that made clear she would be pleasant until she decided not to be. We loved having Dallas Jenkins on last year, she said. Her voice carrying warmth that did not quite reach her eyes. The chosen is impressive. My granddaughter watches it, though I got to be honest. I have some questions about the theology.

Joy Behard glanced up from her phone. Her expression showing the sharp intelligence and wit that made her both beloved and feared depending on which side of her commentary you landed. I watched a few episodes, she said conversationally. Very well done. But I kept thinking, what about all the good people who are not Christian? What happens to them in your theology? The question was delivered casually, almost as an aside during soundcheck rather than part of the actual interview.

But Jonathan recognized it for exactly what it was. A test to see whether he would soften his beliefs for a sympathetic audience, whether he would choose acceptance over accuracy, whether he valued being liked more than being faithful. Sunonny Host offered a professional smile. her legal background evident in how carefully she chose her words.

“I am Catholic, as you probably know,” she said, her tone friendly, but with steel underneath. And I believe God’s mercy is bigger than any one religion’s claims to exclusive truth. I think that is important to remember, especially during Christmas when we are celebrating peace and goodwill. Anna Navaro arrived with characteristic energy, greeting everyone warmly.

Her accent and expressiveness marking her as the panel’s representative of Latino culture. I cannot wait to talk about how The Chosen is reaching Hispanic communities, she said enthusiastically. Though I do think we need to discuss why so many Latinos are leaving evangelical churches.

The exclusivity is a real problem. Before Jonathan could respond to any of them, a producers’s voice cut through the studio speakers, calling for final positions. The moment passed, but Jonathan had seen the calculation in their eyes. The setup. They were not planning to attack his intelligence like George had.

They were planning to attack his character, to paint his theology as hateful and judgmental, to make him choose between being faithful to scripture and being seen as a good person by their audience. The sound check continued with technical adjustments while the hosts chatted pleasantly about Christmas plans and holiday shopping and completely innocuous topics that had nothing to do with why Jonathan was actually there.

He sat in the guest position, noting how the set was designed to create false intimacy. How the host sat in a semicircle facing him. How the audience sat behind them. Positioned to react to his responses based on cues he could not see. Everything about the setup was designed to manufacture emotional responses to make the hosts look warm and reasonable while making any guest who disagreed with progressive assumptions look cold and judgmental.

The Christmas decorations made it worse somehow. Using the season of Christ’s birth to pressure people into abandoning what Christ actually taught about himself. Backstage in the green room, Jonathan watched the show unfold on monitors. A segment about last minute gift ideas. An interview with a celebrity promoting their new movie. A discussion about family dynamics during the holidays.

Everything light and entertaining and designed to make audiences feel good without challenging them to think hard about anything that actually mattered. Then came the leadin to his segment, and Jonathan felt his chest tighten as he heard how they chose to frame the conversation.

Whoopi’s voice carried her trademark directness, but with an undertone that immediately set boundaries for what would be considered acceptable. Coming up next, we are talking to Jonathan Roomie, Star of the Chosen, the series that has captivated millions with its portrayal of Jesus Christ. But in a season that is supposed to be about peace and love and bringing people together, we want to ask some important questions about inclusion and exclusivity, about whether faith should build bridges or create divisions, about what love really looks like during the holidays and every day. We will have that conversation when we come back. The

framing was devastatingly subtle. a season supposed to be about peace and love, implying his theology violated the Christmas spirit. Whether faith should build bridges or create divisions, suggesting theological conviction was inherently divisive, what love really looks like, positioning disagreement with progressive assumptions as unloving. They were not going to argue with his intelligence.

They were going to question his heart. A stage manager appeared beside Jonathan. 30 seconds to air. Mr. Roomie, when we come back from commercial, Whoopi will introduce you and then we will have about 15 minutes of conversation. The ladies are excited. Just be yourself. Just be yourself.

As long as yourself was willing to prioritize making people feel included over telling them the truth about their need for salvation. Jonathan stood and followed the stage manager back toward the set, passing holiday decorations that now felt like props in a performance designed to manipulate emotions while avoiding anything resembling actual gospel.

He thought about the Christ whose birth they were supposedly celebrating. The one who came not to bring peace but a sword, not to make people comfortable, but to call them to repentance. Not to affirm everyone’s spiritual journey, but to offer the only path to the father. 5 seconds, the stage manager whispered, holding up fingers for the countdown.

4 3 2 The red light blinked on and the show’s theme music played while the audience applauded on Q. Whoopi’s voice filled the studio with practiced warmth that had made her one of daytime television’s most trusted personalities for decades. Welcome back to The View. Joining us now is Jonathan Roomie, star of The Chosen, the groundbreaking series about Jesus that has been viewed by hundreds of millions worldwide.

Jonathan, thank you for being here, especially during this busy holiday season. The applause was enthusiastic and warm, the kind given to guests the audience had been primed to like. Jonathan walked onto the set with a smile that felt increasingly fragile. Navigating around cameras to reach the chair, positioned across from five women who were about to spend the next 15 minutes trying to get him to choose between his faith and their approval.

and he knew with absolute certainty that he could not have both. That this Christmas season was about to become considerably less peaceful. That love sometimes looked like telling people hard truths they desperately did not want to hear. That the next 15 minutes would determine whether he valued being liked or being faithful. And that choice, as it had been on every other platform, was not actually a choice at all.

Whoopi started with what seemed like a softball question. Her voice warm and conversational in the way that made millions of viewers feel like they were sitting with friends over morning coffee. So Jonathan the chosen has become this phenomenon, especially during the holidays.

What is it about this season that makes people want to connect with the story of Jesus? Jonathan kept his answer focused on the incarnation, explaining how Christmas celebrated God becoming flesh to dwell among humanity. How the show depicted that mystery without domesticating it. How viewers responded to seeing Jesus as both fully divine and fully human in ways that made the familiar story feel new again.

The hosts nodded along pleasantly, and for a moment it seemed possible this might actually stay warm and celebratory. Joy leaned forward with a smile that looked friendly until you noticed her eyes. That is beautiful. Really, she said her tone carrying practiced warmth. And I think what resonates with so many people, including non-Christians, is the message of love and acceptance. You know, my family is Jewish.

We celebrate Hanukkah, but we can all appreciate the values of compassion and kindness that Jesus taught, right? That universal message that transcends any particular religion. The reframe was subtle but complete. Jesus’s moral teacher whose ethics could be appreciated by everyone. Christianity as one path among many to universal values. The gospel reduced to be nice to people.

Stripped of any claims about who Jesus actually was and what he actually came to do. Jonathan recognized the trap immediately. Agree that Christianity was really just about being kind or be exposed as narrow-minded and divisive. I think Jesus was clear that he came for a specific purpose.

Jonathan replied gently, not primarily to teach ethics, though his teaching was revolutionary. He came to seek and save the lost. To give his life as a ransom for many, to be the way, the truth, and the life. Those are exclusive claims that he made about himself repeatedly. Anna jumped in quickly. Her expressiveness turning the conversation toward personal territory.

But see, this is what I struggle with, she said, her hands gesturing as she spoke. I was raised Catholic. My abuela was the most devout woman I have ever known. Prayed the rosary everyday. Lived her faith beautifully. But she also had friends who were Jewish, Muslim, atheist. She loved them.

She did not think they were going to hell just because they did not share her specific beliefs. That kind of exclusivity, that is what drives people away from church, especially in Latino communities. Sunonny nodded vigorously, clearly prepared to reinforce Anna’s point with her own credentials. I am also Catholic, she said.

Her legal training evident in how she built her argument. And I was taught that God’s mercy is infinite, that we cannot put God in a box, that there are many paths to the divine. I think claiming that only Christians are saved is actually theologically unsound even within Christian tradition. Vatican 2 opened the church to recognizing truth in other religions.

The tag team approach was deliberate and effective. two Catholic women testifying that even their own tradition had moved beyond the exclusive claims Jonathan was making, positioning him not just outside progressive thought, but outside mainstream Catholicism, making him look like an extremist who did not even understand the diversity within his own faith.

Whoopi raised her hand to speak and the set went quiet with the authority she commanded after years dominating this table. Here is what I think and I am just going to be real about this. She said her directness cutting through the careful diplomatic language the others had been using. I have studied a lot of different spiritual traditions.

Buddhism, Hinduism, indigenous religions. They all have wisdom. They all help people find meaning and peace. Who are we to say that only one path is valid? That feels incredibly arrogant to me. Like your god is the only real god and everybody else is worshiping false gods. Come on, it is 2024, not the Middle Ages. The audience applauded, clearly agreeing with Whoopi’s assessment that exclusive truth claims were outdated and offensive.

Jonathan sat very still, recognizing that the conversation had shifted from discussing the chosen to putting his entire worldview on trial. The Christmas decorations around the set felt increasingly absurd. Celebrating the birth of the one who said he was the only way while simultaneously arguing that all ways were equally valid.

I am not claiming my God. Jonathan said quietly. I am proclaiming the God who created everything and everyone who has revealed himself definitively in Jesus Christ. These are not my ideas or my preferences. This is what Jesus taught about himself. Either he was telling the truth or he was not.

If he was not, then Christianity is false and we should abandon it. But if he was telling the truth, then it does not matter how many other religions exist or how sincere their followers are. Truth is not determined by sincerity or by how many people believe something different. Joyy’s expression shifted from friendly to something harder.

She leaned back in her chair with the posture of someone preparing to deliver a blow. “So, let me get this straight,” she said, her voice taking on an edge that made the studio feel colder despite the warm lighting. “My grandmother, who survived the Holocaust, who lost her entire family in the camps, who rebuilt her life and raised children and grandchildren while maintaining her Jewish faith through unimaginable trauma.

She is in hell right now because she did not accept Jesus. That is what you are saying. The personal story was deployed like a weapon, designed to make Jonathan look monstrous for affirming what scripture taught. The audience’s mood shifted palpably. Warmth replaced by hostility towards someone who would condemn a Holocaust survivor. Jonathan saw the trap clearly.

back down and compromise the gospel or confirm that yes, even Holocaust survivors needed Jesus. There was no answer that would make him look good to this audience. I cannot make judgments about any individual’s eternal destiny. Jonathan replied, his voice carrying both compassion and unwavering conviction.

I do not know your grandmother’s heart or what happened between her and God in her final moments. What I do know is what Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the father except through him. I did not make that claim. Jesus did. And if I soften it or pretend he meant something else to make people feel better, I am not being loving. I am lying.

Anna’s voice rose with genuine emotion. Her eyes showing she was personally offended. That is so hurtful, Jonathan. She said, shaking her head. Do you understand what you are saying to the millions of Latinos who are Catholic, but maybe do not fit your narrow definition of Christian who pray to Mary and the saints who have beautiful, vibrant faith traditions that have sustained our communities for generations. You are basically saying we are all wrong. that our abuelas and abuos who lived their faith every single

day are condemned because they did not believe exactly what you believe. Sunonny reinforced the point with prosecutorial precision. This is why people are leaving evangelical Christianity in droves. she said firmly, not because they are rejecting Jesus, but because they are rejecting this judgmental, exclusionary version of Christianity that makes people feel condemned rather than loved.

The Jesus I read about welcomed everyone, tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans. He did not tell them they were going to hell. He ate with them. He showed them compassion. The argument was sophisticated and emotionally compelling. Jesus welcomed sinners. Therefore, affirming everyone’s spiritual path was the loving thing to do.

But it carefully omitted what Jesus actually said to those sinners. Repent. Go and sin no more. Follow me. He welcomed them into relationship, not into affirmation of their current state. He offered transformation, not validation. Jesus welcomed sinners to call them to repentance. Jonathan said gently, “He ate with tax collectors to offer them salvation, not to affirm their oppression of the poor. He showed compassion to the woman caught in adultery.

But he also told her to go and sin no more. Welcoming people and affirming their beliefs are not the same thing. Love tells the truth, even when truth is hard to hear. Whoopi’s expression showed she was done being diplomatic. Her voice carried frustration that had been building since the interview started. But who decides what is truth? She asked sharply.

You, your interpretation of an ancient text, Jonathan. Millions of people find God in different ways. Through nature, through meditation, through service to others. Are you really sitting here telling me that all of them are wrong? That a Buddhist monk who has devoted his entire life to compassion and enlightenment is going to hell because he did not say a specific prayer about Jesus.

The audience applauded again clearly on Whoopi’s side. The other hosts nodded in agreement. A united front of women who believed that Jonathan’s exclusive claims were not just wrong, but actively harmful. The Christmas tree in the background seemed to mock the entire conversation. Celebrating the birth of Jesus while arguing that Jesus was just one option among many.

I am telling you what Jesus said about himself. Jonathan replied, refusing to let audience reaction dictate his response. He claimed to be the only way to the father. Either that claim is true or he was a liar or deluded. Those are the only options. There is no middle ground where he is a great moral teacher but wrong about his own identity and purpose.

The question is not whether exclusive truth claims make us uncomfortable. The question is whether Jesus was telling the truth. Joy jumped back in. Her frustration barely contained. But that is so incredibly arrogant. She said, her voice rising. To think that your religion is the only correct one out of thousands of religions that have existed throughout human history.

The hubris of that is staggering. What about all the people who were born in countries where Christianity never reached? Are they condemned for an accident of geography? Anna added her voice to the chorus, speaking rapidly with emotion. And what about children? She asked. Babies who die before they can accept Jesus. People with mental disabilities who cannot understand theology.

Indigenous people who never heard the gospel because Christians were too busy colonizing and destroying their cultures to actually share it. Are they all in hell? Because that is what your theology implies. Sunny leaned forward with the intensity of someone delivering a closing argument. This is the problem with fundamentalism. she said firmly.

It leaves no room for mystery, no room for God’s mercy to work in ways we cannot understand or predict. The Catholic Church recognizes this. We have concepts like invincible ignorance. We acknowledge that God’s saving grace can reach people in ways beyond our narrow frameworks. But you are sitting here saying you know exactly who is saved and who is condemned based on whether they subscribe to your specific beliefs. That is not faith.

That is spiritual arrogance. The barrage was overwhelming. Delivered with tag team precision, designed to make Jonathan look heartless and rigid. Four intelligent articulate women all testifying that his beliefs were not just wrong but harmful. That claiming Jesus as the only way was bigotry dressed in religious language.

That the loving thing to do was acknowledge all paths as valid. The audience clearly agreed. Their body language and scattered applause showing they sided with the hosts. Jonathan looked at all four of them, seeing in their faces genuine conviction that they were defending compassion against judgment, inclusion against exclusivity, love against hate.

They believed what they were saying. Believed that softening Christianity’s claims was the kind thing to do. that making people feel accepted regardless of their beliefs was what Jesus would want. And they were using the platform they commanded to paint anyone who disagreed as narrow-minded and cruel. The Christmas decorations throughout the set suddenly felt unbearable.

Celebrating the incarnation while denying what the incarnate God had actually said about himself. Using the season of Christ’s birth to pressure people into abandoning Christ’s actual teachings, wrapping rejection of the gospel in tinsel and warm feelings and calling it love, his hands tightened slightly in his lap as he prepared to respond.

Knowing that what he said next would determine whether this stayed a conversation or became something else entirely, the holiday audience watching from home wanted peace and goodwill. The women across from him wanted affirmation that all beliefs were equally valid. And Jonathan had to choose between giving them what they wanted or giving them what they needed.

Between being liked and being faithful, between Christmas sentimentality and Christmas truth. The commercial break was coming soon. Producers were probably hoping he would soften his stance. End the segment on a warm note about unity and love. let everyone feel good about respecting different perspectives.

But Jonathan knew with absolute certainty that the next words out of his mouth would shatter any possibility of that comfortable ending. Because sometimes love looked like telling people what they desperately did not want to hear. Especially during Christmas, especially when everyone wanted to feel good, especially when the cost of truthtelling was being labeled hateful by four influential women in front of millions of viewers.

The choice, as it always was, was not actually a choice at all. Jonathan’s voice when he spoke carried no defensiveness, just the steady certainty of someone who had wrestled with these exact questions long before being asked about them on daytime television. The issue is not my arrogance in claiming to know truth. He said calmly.

The issue is whether Jesus was telling the truth when he made exclusive claims about himself. I am not the one who said I am the way, the truth and the life. Jesus said that I am not the one who said no one comes to the father except through me. Jesus said that you can call me arrogant for believing him.

But what you are actually saying is that Jesus himself was arrogant for making those claims. The reframe landed with unexpected force. Whoopi’s expression shifted, recognizing that Jonathan had just made her choose between calling him arrogant and calling Jesus arrogant. Joy leaned back slightly. Her quick mind already formulating a response. Anna’s hands gestured as she prepared to object.

Sunny’s legal training kicked in as she searched for a counterargument. But Jesus also said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Joy interjected quickly. He said, “Judge not, lest you be judged.” He said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Those teachings are about acceptance and non-judgment.

” You are cherry-picking the verses that support exclusivity while ignoring the ones about compassion. The argument was clever and emotionally resonant. Jesus taught love. Therefore, disagreeing with anyone’s beliefs was unloving. But it required ignoring everything Jesus said about sin and repentance and the narrow way that led to life.

It required pretending that love meant never telling people they were wrong. Jesus also said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Jonathan replied gently. He said, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

” He said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out.” He was the most loving person who ever lived. And he was also the most uncompromising about truth. Those are not contradictory. Love and truth go together. What you are calling judgment, Jesus called warning. What you are calling exclusivity, he called the only path to salvation. Anna’s voice carried genuine hurt when she spoke.

Her emotion clearly authentic rather than performed. But Jonathan, you are hurting people with this message. She said, her eyes showing pain. Do you understand that every time you say that only your version of Christianity is valid, you are telling millions of people that their faith, their devotion, their prayers. Their entire spiritual lives mean nothing. That is devastating.

That is cruel. How is that loving? The accusation hit harder because it was sincere. Anna genuinely believed that affirming everyone’s spiritual path was compassionate and that claiming exclusive truth was harmful. She was not being manipulative. She was being honest about how Jonathan’s words affected her personally and that made it more difficult to respond without seeming callous.

“I understand that truth can be painful,” Jonathan said his voice carrying compassion that was impossible to fake. But lying to people about their spiritual condition is not loving. If someone has cancer and I tell them they are fine because I do not want to hurt their feelings. That is not compassion. That is cruelty disguised as kindness.

Jesus offers salvation because we actually need saving from something real. Pretending we do not need saving might make us feel better temporarily, but it does not address our actual condition before a holy God. Whoopi’s hands came down on the table with enough force to make a sound, her frustration breaking through her usual controlled demeanor.

But who made you the doctor in this scenario? She asked sharply. Who gave you the authority to diagnose everyone else’s spiritual condition? You are an actor. You play Jesus on a TV show. That does not make you qualified to tell the rest of us whether we are spiritually sick. The attack on his credentials was designed to undermine his authority to speak on these topics.

You are just an actor, not a real theologian or spiritual leader. What right do you have to make these pronouncements? The audience murmured agreement clearly swayed by Whoopi’s logic. I am not speaking from my own authority. Jonathan replied calmly. I am repeating what Jesus taught. You do not need theological degrees to read the gospels and understand what Jesus said about himself.

He made these claims to fishermen and tax collectors and ordinary people. The issue is not my qualifications. The issue is whether we believe Jesus or redefine him to match our preferences. Sunny jumped in with prosecutorial intensity. clearly frustrated that Jonathan kept redirecting to scripture instead of defending his personal authority.

But there are thousands of biblical scholars, people with doctorates and theology who interpret these passages differently than you do. She said firmly, who read the same texts and conclude that God’s saving grace extends beyond Christian faith. Are you saying all of them are wrong? That you without any formal theological training understand scripture better than people who have devoted their entire careers to studying it? The appeal to scholarly consensus was designed to make Jonathan look presumptuous. All these educated people disagree with

you. So clearly you are wrong. It was the same tactic George Stephanopoulos had used just wrapped in different language. credentials as weapons, academia as the final authority on what scripture could actually mean. Jesus warned that the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.

Jonathan said, “The religious scholars of his day, the most educated and credentialed people, completely missed who he was. They studied scripture their entire lives, but rejected the one scripture pointed to. Education does not guarantee spiritual insight. In fact, Jesus thanked the father for hiding truth from the wise and learned and revealing it to little children. The question is not whether scholars agree.

The question is what Jesus actually said. Joyy’s voice dripped with sarcasm that made the audience laugh. A release of tension that had been building. So, all the scholars are wrong. All the theologians are wrong. All the people with PhDs are wrong. But you are right, she said. Her hands spread wide.

You see how that sounds right? You see how incredibly arrogant that position is. The mockery was effective, reducing Jonathan’s position to absurdity for the audience’s entertainment. But he refused to be baited into defensiveness or anger. His voice remained steady, almost gentle, which somehow made his words land harder.

Paul warned that a time would come when people would not endure sound teaching, but would accumulate teachers to suit their own passions. Jonathan said, “When they would turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” What you are calling arrogance, Paul called faithfulness. What you are calling narrow-mindedness. Jesus called the only way. I am not claiming to be smarter than scholars.

I am claiming to believe what Jesus said, even when scholars try to explain it away. Anna leaned forward, her voice breaking slightly with emotion that seemed to come from a deep personal place. “My cousin is gay,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “He grew up in the church. He loved Jesus.

He prayed to be different. He tried so hard to be what the church wanted and people like you with your exclusive theology, with your rigid interpretation of scripture. You told him he was an abomination that God could not love him as he was. He tried to kill himself. Jonathan, he survived. Thank God.

But he left the church, left Christianity because he could not reconcile your version of Jesus with a God who actually loved him. The personal testimony was delivered with raw emotion that made the audience gasp. Several people wiped their eyes. The other hosts looked at Anna with sympathy and support. The Christmas decorations in the background felt grotesque against this story of pain and rejection and attempted suicide allegedly caused by beliefs like Jonathan’s. The trap was perfectly set.

Respond with theology and look heartless about a young man’s suicide attempt. Soften the stance and compromise biblical teaching. There was no answer that would satisfy this audience. No response that would make him look like anything other than a monster who cared more about being right than about people’s lives. I am deeply sorry for what your cousin experienced.

Jonathan said his voice carrying genuine compassion. No one should be told they are unloved by God. That is not biblical. God loves everyone he created. That is why he sent Jesus. But love and affirmation are not the same thing. Jesus loved the woman at the well while also addressing her serial marriages and current cohabitation.

He loved the rich young ruler while also identifying his idolatry of wealth. Love tells the truth about sin while offering grace for repentance. Pretending sin is not sin might make people feel accepted temporarily, but it does not actually help them. Whoopi’s voice cut through like a knife. Her patience clearly exhausted. So being gay is a sin. She said flatly. That is what you are saying.

My friends, my colleagues, people I love and respect who happen to love someone of the same sex. They are sinners who need to repent. That is your position. The audience reacted with audible disapproval. Anna shook her head. Joy crossed her arms. Sunny’s expression showed disappointment mixed with vindication, as if Jonathan had just confirmed everything she suspected about evangelical Christianity.

The panel had successfully painted him into a corner where any honest answer would make him look bigoted to their progressive audience. “We are all sinners who need to repent,” Jonathan said quietly. “That includes me as much as anyone else. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. But yes, scripture is clear that sexual intimacy is designed for marriage between a man and a woman.

That is not hatred or bigotry. That is what the Bible teaches from Genesis through Revelation. I did not write it. God did. And changing what he said to make people comfortable is not compassion. It is deception. Joyy’s response was immediate and sharp. So there it is, she said, her voice rising. The views millions of viewers just heard you call gay relationships sinful.

You just told LGBTQ people watching this show that who they are, who they love is wrong. Do you understand the harm you are causing right now? The kids who are going to hear this and think something is wrong with them. The families you are dividing, the pain you are inflicting. The accusation of causing harm was delivered with genuine anger. Joy was not performing.

She was actually offended, actually angry, actually convinced that Jonathan’s beliefs were dangerous and needed to be called out on national television during the Christmas season when families were supposed to be coming together. not being divided by exclusionary theology. Sunny reinforced the attack with legal precision. This is hate speech disguised as religious belief.

She said firmly, “You are using your platform to marginalize and condemn an entire community of people. The Catholic Church, for all its flaws, at least teaches to love the sinner, even if you hate the sin. But what you are promoting is not even that nuanced. You are promoting exclusion and judgment. Anna wiped her eyes.

Her emotion raw and unfiltered. You know what breaks my heart, she said, her voice thick. It is Christmas. We are supposed to be celebrating Jesus’s birth. The angel said, “Peace on earth. Goodwill to all people. And you are sitting here spreading division and condemnation. Telling people they are not good enough, that their love is sin, that their faith is invalid, that their grandmothers are in hell, that is not what Jesus taught, that is not what Christmas is about.

The audience applauded loudly, clearly moved by Anna’s emotional appeal. The contrast was stark. Four women advocating for love and inclusion and acceptance positioned against one man insisting on exclusive truth claims that hurt people. The optics were devastating. The Christmas setting made it worse.

Everything about the moment was designed to make Jonathan look like the Grinch who stole the holiday spirit. Whoopi raised her hand for quiet and the audience settled. Her expression showed she was done with diplomatic conversation. Her voice carried the finality of someone delivering a verdict. I think we have heard enough. She said, “We invited you here to talk about your show and maybe have a nice conversation about faith during the holidays.

Instead, you have used this platform to promote exclusivity, to condemn other religions, to call gay relationships sinful, to tell people their loved ones are in hell. That is not what this show is about. That is not what Christmas is about. And honestly, I think our viewers deserve better. The dismissal was barely veiled.

You are no longer welcome here. Your beliefs are not acceptable. You have violated the unspoken rules of progressive discourse. The message was clear to everyone watching. This was not intellectual disagreement. This was moral judgment. Jonathan was not just wrong, he was harmful, dangerous, someone who needed to be stopped from spreading his hateful theology.

Joy nodded in agreement. I just want to say for the record, she added that the views expressed by our guest do not reflect the views of this show or its hosts. We believe in inclusion. We believe in love. We believe in respecting all faiths and all people.

What we just heard is not Christianity as most modern Christians practice it. It is fundamentalism and it is exactly why people are leaving churches. Sunny jumped in to make sure the point was absolutely clear. As a Catholic, I want to emphasize that there are many Christians who interpret scripture differently. she said firmly. Who believe God’s love and mercy extend to all people regardless of their religion or sexual orientation.

Who do not condemn others for being different. That is the Christianity I practice. That is the Jesus I follow. Anna added her voice to the chorus. And as a Latina, I want young Hispanic people watching to know that you do not have to accept this narrow exclusionary version of faith.

she said passionately, “You can love Jesus without believing that everyone else is condemned. You can celebrate your Abua’s devotion without agreeing that non-Christians go to hell. There is room for a more inclusive, loving Christianity.” The United Front was complete. four successful, influential women, all testifying that Jonathan’s beliefs represented extremism, not authentic Christianity, that his theology was harmful, not helpful, that his presence on their show had been a mistake.

The audience applauded their solidarity, clearly agreeing that this man and his dangerous ideas had been properly exposed and condemned. Jonathan sat very still, recognizing that he had just been publicly tried and found guilty by four judges who commanded enormous cultural influence. They had used personal stories and emotional appeals and accusations of harm to paint Orthodox Christianity as bigotry.

Had positioned themselves as defenders of love against his alleged hatred. Had made it clear that anyone who believed what he believed was not welcome in spaces they controlled. The commercial break was seconds away. Producers were probably relieved the segment was ending. The hosts had made their position clear. The audience had spoken. Jonathan had been given multiple opportunities to soften his stance and had refused everyone.

Now there would be commercial break. Maybe one more segment. Then he would leave and they would spend the rest of the show reassuring viewers that not all Christians were like him. But Jonathan’s hands were moving toward his microphone clip, and something in his expression suggested this was not going to end the way the producers expected.

His fingers found the small microphone clipped to his collar, and the gesture was subtle enough that only Whoopi noticed immediately. Her eyes widened with recognition. Having seen this exact movement before when other guests had walked off talk shows, she opened her mouth to say something. But Jonathan was already speaking, his voice quiet, yet somehow carrying through the entire studio with devastating clarity.

You have spent the last 15 minutes accusing me of hatred because I believe what Jesus said about himself, Jonathan said. His tone carrying no anger, but profound sadness that cut deeper than rage ever could. You have used personal stories and emotional manipulation and accusations of harm to avoid dealing with the actual question which is whether Jesus was telling the truth. You do not want conversation.

You want me to validate your beliefs and condemn my own. That is not dialogue. That is a show trial dressed in Christmas decorations. Joyy’s face flushed red, her voice rising defensively. We gave you every opportunity to explain yourself. She protested.

You are the one who chose to double down on exclusionary beliefs that hurt people. Do not blame us for your theology. Jonathan unclipped the microphone. The small mechanical sound somehow audible in the sudden tension that gripped the studio. I am not blaming you for my theology, he said calmly. I am identifying what you actually did here.

You invited me to discuss the chosen during Christmas, then ambushed me with emotional accusations designed to make Orthodox Christianity look like bigotry. You do not disagree with my beliefs. You disagree with Christianity itself. You just do not have the courage to say that directly. Anna’s voice broke with genuine emotion. Her hand pressed against her chest.

How dare you? she said, tears streaming down her face. I am a Christian. I love Jesus. You do not get to tell me I am not Christian just because I refuse to condemn people. Jonathan stood slowly. His movements deliberate and controlled.

If loving Jesus means changing what he said to make it more palatable, then we are not worshiping the same person. He replied gently. You love a Jesus you have created in your own image. One who affirms everyone and excludes no one and makes no demands. That is not the Jesus of scripture. That is a comfortable fiction. Whoopi stood as well. Her authority commanding even in the midst of chaos. You are out of line. She said sharply.

You came on this show and used it to spread hate. To tell Joyy’s Jewish grandmother she is in hell. To tell Anna’s cousin his love is sin. To condemn billions of people for not believing what you believe. And now you have the audacity to walk off like we are the problem. The audience erupted in applause, clearly siding with the hosts against this man who had violated every unspoken rule of progressive discourse. The cameras captured everything.

Jonathan standing while four women remained seated, creating optics that made him look aggressive. The Christmas decorations framing a confrontation that felt anything but peaceful. The visible emotion on Anna’s face contrasting with Jonathan’s calm demeanor in a way that made him appear cold.

“I am walking off because you have made it clear that my beliefs are not welcome here,” Jonathan said. his voice cutting through the applause. That is your right. This is your show. But do not pretend this was dialogue. Do not pretend you were seeking truth. You were seeking validation for your version of Christianity that requires rejecting what Christ actually taught. I will not give you that validation.

Not during Christmas. Not ever. Sunny jumped to her feet. Her legal training making her response sharp and precise. You are creating a false choice. She said firmly. You can believe in Jesus without believing that everyone else is condemned. Millions of Christians do exactly that. Your version is not the only version.

Your interpretation is not the only interpretation. And your walking off does not make you a martyr. It makes you someone who cannot handle being challenged. Joy added her voice. Anger making her words come fast. This is what fundamentalists do. She said, “When they cannot defend their beliefs, they claim persecution. You are not being persecuted.

Jonathan, you are being held accountable for harmful theology. There is a difference.” Jonathan looked at each of them in turn. Seeing the absolute conviction in their faces that they were right and he was wrong, that they represented love and he represented hate. that Christmas was about inclusion and he was promoting division.

They genuinely believed it. Genuinely thought they were defending Jesus against someone perverting his message. And that made it more tragic, not less. Love does not look like lying to people about eternity. Jonathan said, repeating the words he had spoken when standing. It does not look like telling them they are fine when they are dying.

It does not look like changing God’s word to make people comfortable. You have accused me of lacking compassion, but what you call compassion is really cowardice. Fear of being called judgmental. Fear of being excluded from cultural approval. Fear of standing for truth when truth is unpopular. The studio went completely silent. Even the audience stopped murmuring. The production crew stood frozen. The cameras kept rolling.

capturing a moment that would be replayed millions of times within hours. Four influential women standing behind their table, united in their condemnation of this one man who refused to bend. Anna’s voice was barely a whisper thick with tears. “Get out,” she said. “Just get out. You are not welcome here. Your hate is not welcome here.

” Jonathan walked toward the exit with the same dignity he had shown on every other platform where he had been rejected for refusing to compromise. His steps were measured, his back straight, his expression showing sadness rather than triumph or anger. Behind him, he could hear Whoopi speaking to the audience, her voice carrying authority and reassurance.

We going to take a quick break, Whoopi said. her tone professional but strained. When we come back, we will continue this important conversation about faith and inclusion and what it really means to love people. Because what you just witnessed, that is not love. That is judgment disguised as theology. The audience applauded as Jonathan disappeared through the studio doors.

He walked through corridors decorated with wreaths and garland that now felt like mockery. past production assistants who avoided eye contact. Past holiday decorations celebrating the birth of the one whose actual teachings had just been condemned as hateful on national television 2 weeks before Christmas. His phone began vibrating before he even reached the green room.

Dozens of notifications flooding in as the clip hit social media with explosive speed. He could see it spreading in real time. The View’s official account had already posted a statement. Jonathan Roomie walked off our show after being challenged on his exclusionary beliefs. We stand with our hosts in promoting love and inclusion over judgment. The framing was immediate and deliberate.

He had walked off because he could not handle being challenged. Not because they had ambushed him, not because they had used emotional manipulation and moral accusations, because he was weak and his beliefs were indefensible. The narrative was set before he even left the building. A producer appeared looking harried and angry. “Mr.

Roomie, that was completely unprofessional,” she said sharply. “You do not walk off a live show. You knew the topics we were going to discuss. If you could not handle the questions, you should not have agreed to appear. Jonathan looked at her with the same sadness he had shown the hosts. You did not invite me to discuss topics. He replied quietly.

You invited me to be publicly shamed for believing scripture. There is a difference. And I will not participate in my own condemnation for the entertainment of your audience. The producers’s expression showed she wanted to argue further, but recognized it was pointless. The damage was done. The clip was viral. The narrative was established.

All that remained was managing the fallout and making sure the view looked like the victim of an unreasonable guest rather than the perpetrator of an ambush. Jonathan collected his coat from the green room and walked out into the December cold. Manhattan was busy with Christmas shoppers carrying bags from department stores. Street vendors sold hot chocolate and roasted chestnuts. Salvation Army bell ringers stood on corners collecting donations.

Everyone focused on the commercial version of Christmas while the actual meaning of the holiday was being systematically dismantled by people claiming to represent it. His car was waiting. The driver having been alerted that the taping had ended early. Jonathan climbed into the back seat and sat in silence as they navigated through midday traffic. His phone continued its relentless vibration.

Messages from his agent, calls from his publicist, emails from journalists requesting comment, texts from Dallas Jenkins checking if he was okay, the familiar pattern of viral controversy unfolding exactly as it had before. But mixed among the expected chaos were other messages, different messages.

A pastor from a large Hispanic church in Texas, writing that he had just preached on exclusive salvation the previous Sunday and lost 50 families who walked out. But watching Jonathan refused to back down had given him courage to keep preaching truth regardless of cost. a theology student at a progressive seminary, writing that she had been on the verge of abandoning Orthodox Christianity because professors and peers made her feel ignorant for believing scripture. But watching Jonathan stand firm against four influential women had reminded her that

popularity was not the same as truth. a woman who identified as Anna’s cousin’s mother, writing with shaking hands. She explained that her son’s suicide attempt had nothing to do with church teaching about sexuality and everything to do with mental illness and drug addiction that the family had been hiding from public view.

Anna had appropriated his story, stripped it of context, and weaponized it against anyone who believed biblical sexual ethics. The mother was furious, heartbroken, and grateful that someone had finally stood up to the narrative that blamed Christianity for every troubled person’s pain. Jonathan read that last message three times, his throat tight with emotion.

Anna had used her cousin’s attempted suicide as a weapon, making Jonathan personally responsible for that young man’s desperation. and it had been a lie, a manipulation, a story twisted to serve progressive talking points regardless of the actual facts. How many other stories had been similarly weaponized? How many accusations of causing harm were really accusations of refusing to validate? The car pulled up to his hotel and Jonathan sat for a moment watching holiday shoppers pass by the windows.

2 weeks until Christmas. Two weeks until the celebration of Jesus Christ entering human history to accomplish what no other religion even attempted. Not to show us a path to God through our own effort, but to become the path himself. To do for us what we could never do for ourselves, to offer salvation as a gift rather than an achievement. That was the gospel. That was Christmas.

That was what he had just been condemned for, refusing to compromise. Inside the hotel lobby, a massive Christmas tree stood decorated with ornaments and lights. Families posed for photos in front of it. Children ran around pointing at decorations. Everyone celebrating the holiday while remaining mostly oblivious to what it actually meant.

And Jonathan understood with painful clarity that the view had not attacked him. They had attacked Jesus. his exclusive claims, his demand for repentance, his insistence that he was not one way among many, but the only way. Jonathan was just the messenger getting killed for delivering a message the culture desperately wanted to reject.

By evening, the clip had been viewed 80 million times across all platforms. The View’s social media team was working overtime to frame the narrative. Headlines everywhere proclaimed Jonathan Roomie’s hateful theology exposed on the view. Think pieces were already being written about fundamentalism’s dangerous grip on popular entertainment. Progressive pastors were giving interviews about how to practice inclusive Christianity that did not condemn people. The culture was rallying around the hosts and against the man who had dared to suggest their universalism

was incompatible with Christianity. But other voices were emerging too. a movement of people who had been silent because they feared the kind of public condemnation Jonathan had just experienced. Pastors who had softened sermons to avoid offense. Believers who had stopped sharing their faith because calling Jesus the only way seemed arrogant.

Students who had been taught that exclusive truth claims were inherently harmful. All of them watching one man refused to back down and wondering if maybe faithfulness mattered more than approval. The phone calls started that evening. First from his agent explaining that three potential film projects had just evaporated. Then from his publicist outlining the media strategy for damage control.

Then from a studio executive suggesting that maybe Jonathan should issue a clarification. Not an apology exactly, but a statement emphasizing that he respected all faiths and had not meant to imply condemnation. Just a softening, just enough to make the controversy go away. Jonathan declined.

No clarification, no softening, no statement that would require pretending he had been unclear when he had been perfectly clear. He had said what he meant, meant what he said, and would say it again tomorrow if asked. The cost was his career. The gain was his integrity. The choice was not difficult. By midnight, the view had released a longer statement. We believe in creating a safe space for all beliefs and all people.

Today’s episode demonstrated why exclusive religious claims are incompatible with the inclusive loving community we strive to build. We stand with our hosts and with everyone who has been hurt by judgmental theology. Christmas is about bringing people together, not driving them apart. The irony was almost funny using Christmas, the celebration of the most exclusive claim ever made, that God became flesh in Jesus Christ alone, to condemn exclusive claims as divisive, invoking the holiday while rejecting the one whose birth it celebrated, building a safe space for all beliefs by excluding the belief that Jesus is the

only way. The contradictions were glaring to anyone willing to see them. But most people were not willing. Most people wanted the warm feelings of Christmas without the hard demands of Christ. Wanted spirituality without submission. Wanted Jesus as inspiring teacher without Jesus as exclusive Lord. And the view had given them permission to have exactly that.

Had told them that anyone claiming otherwise was hateful and judgmental and not worth listening to. The message was clear and it would echo through the entire Christmas season. Inclusivity was love. Exclusivity was hate. And Jonathan Roomie had just been made the face of everything wrong with conservative Christianity in America. The next morning, Jonathan woke to discover that the views clip had become the number one trending topic across every social media platform, not just in America, but globally. 120 million views and climbing exponentially with each passing hour.

But what surprised everyone monitoring the fallout was how the response was splitting along unexpected lines that defied the usual political and cultural divisions. Progressive Christian leaders were predictably condemning Jonathan with statements that sounded remarkably similar to what the hosts had said.

Reverend Susan Matthews from the Inclusive Faith Coalition issued a press release calling his theology a dangerous relic of fundamentalism that drove people away from the loving Jesus. She proclaimed, “Pastor David Harrison from the United Church of Diversity posted a video explaining how to practice Christianity without exclusive claims that hurt people.

Seminary professors wrote op-eds about how biblical scholarship had moved beyond literal interpretations that Jonathan clung to with embarrassing naive. But the Hispanic evangelical community was responding in ways that shocked cultural commentators who expected them to distance themselves from Jonathan after Anna’s emotional accusations. Pastor Miguel Rodriguez from one of the largest Hispanic churches in Los Angeles held a press conference that went viral almost as quickly as the original clip.

He stood at his pulpit with his Bible open speaking in Spanish with English subtitles appearing below. Anna Navaro does not speak for Latino Christians, he said firmly, his voice carrying the authority of someone who shephered 10,000 congregants. She speaks for progressive Latinos who have already abandoned biblical authority.

But there are millions of us Hispanic believers who love Jesus and believe his word, who refuse to let her weaponize our culture against truth. Jonathan Roomie stood firm against four powerful women attacking him for believing scripture. He showed more courage than most pastors show in their own pulpits. We stand with him. The statement was shared 3 million times within 6 hours.

Other Hispanic pastors began posting their own videos. Pastor Carlos Mendoza from Miami, Pastor Elena Torres from Chicago, Pastor Juan Hernandez from Houston, all of them pushing back against the narrative that Latino Christians rejected exclusive salvation. All of them testifying that their congregations believed exactly what Jonathan had articulated.

all of them refusing to let Anna speak for them. The movement spread rapidly through Spanish language Christian media. Radio shows dedicated entire programs to discussing the interview. Podcasts analyzed every exchange. WhatsApp groups exploded with passionate debates. And what emerged was a clear divide, not between Latinos and Anglo-Christians, as Anna had implied, but between Latinos who held to biblical authority and those who had embraced progressive theology.

Maria Gonzalez, a popular Latina Christian blogger, wrote a post that captured the sentiment of millions. Anna cried on television and made it seem like all Hispanics are leaving evangelical churches because of exclusive theology. That is a lie. We are leaving churches that have abandoned scripture for cultural approval. We are leaving pastors who are more concerned with being liked than being faithful.

Jonathan Roomie reminded us what boldness looks like. He lost opportunities to gain integrity. That is the trade every believer must be willing to make. The post went viral, shared by hundreds of thousands of Hispanic believers who felt Anna had misrepresented them. Many shared stories of their own abuelas who would have been horrified by the suggestion that all paths led to God, who had believed in Jesus as the only way with fierce conviction, who had raised families in biblical truth despite poverty and persecution. The narrative Anna had constructed about Latino faith was

collapsing under the weight of actual Latino Christians testifying to what they believed. But the cultural backlash against Jonathan intensified as Christmas approached. Major retailers pulled the chosen merchandise from shelves, citing concerns about associating their brands with controversial figures.

Streaming platforms added content warnings before episodes, alerting viewers that the show contained religious perspectives that some might find offensive. Late night comedians made Jonathan the punchline of jokes about religious extremism ruining the holiday spirit. Steven Colbear devoted his opening monologue to the controversy, his Catholic background, giving him license to attack from within the faith.

I am a Christian,” Colbert said to applause. “But I also believe in science and evolution and marriage equality, and that my Jewish and Muslim and atheist friends are not going to hell.” Jonathan Roomie represents a version of Christianity that most of us have moved beyond. It is embarrassing. It is harmful. And it is definitely not what Jesus would do.

The monologue was shared widely as proof that you could be Christian without being like Jonathan. That progressive faith was the intellectually and morally superior option. That anyone still clinging to exclusive truth claims was stuck in the past.

The message resonated with millions who wanted to keep their Christian identity while rejecting Christian doctrine. But other voices were emerging from unexpected places. Dr. Michael Chang, a professor of religion at Yale who had never identified as evangelical, published an essay in the Atlantic that stunned progressive readers. I am not a conservative Christian.

He wrote, “I do not share all of Jonathan Roomie’s theological convictions, but what happened on the view was not a fair discussion. It was four women using emotional manipulation and moral accusations to avoid engaging with actual truth claims. They made personal stories into weapons. They equated disagreement with hatred. They created an environment where stating Christian orthodoxy became grounds for public shaming.

That should trouble anyone who values honest discourse. The essay sparked fierce debate in academic circles. Progressive scholars accused Chang of providing cover for fundamentalism. Conservative scholars praised him for intellectual honesty regardless of his personal beliefs. But what made the piece powerful was that it came from outside the evangelical world. It could not be dismissed as tribal defensiveness.

It was a secular academic identifying the dishonest tactics used against Jonathan. Similar defenses emerged from other unexpected sources. A Jewish rabbi wrote that while he disagreed with Christian exclusive claims, he respected Jonathan more than Christians who pretended all religions were equally valid. An atheist philosopher argued that progressive Christianity’s refusal to make any exclusive truth claims made it intellectually incoherent and not worth taking seriously.

A Muslim imam stated that he would rather engage with Christians who actually believed their scriptures than with those who had watered them down to the point of meaninglessness. The pattern was striking. People from other faiths or no faith defending Jonathan not because they agreed with him but because they respected his unwillingness to compromise.

While progressive Christians attacked him for harming their reputation, non-Christians were saying they appreciated his consistency. The irony was profound and not lost on anyone paying attention. Dallas Jenkins called on December 15th, 5 days after the interview aired. His voice carried a mixture of concern and fierce loyalty that had characterized their friendship since The Chosen began.

“I just got off the phone with three executives who want to distance the show from you,” he said without preamble. They are suggesting we release a statement clarifying that the show does not endorse your personal views. They are worried about losing mainstream appeal. Jonathan felt his stomach tighten.

And what did you tell them? Dallas laughed though it carried no humor. I told them that if they could not handle standing with you when you are under attack for believing scripture, they needed to find a different show to work on. The chosen exists because we refuse to soften who Jesus is. If we abandon that now to protect our audience numbers, we become exactly what we were created to oppose.

The loyalty hit Jonathan harder than he expected. “Thank you,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “That means more than you know. It gets better.” Dallas continued. Donations to the show have increased 40% since the interview. 40%. People are writing checks with notes saying, “Thank you for not backing down.

Thank you for showing us what faithfulness looks like. Thank you for choosing truth over popularity. The audience we are gaining is worth infinitely more than the audience we are losing.” By December 20th, 5 days before Christmas, the interview had been viewed 250 million times. It had become the most watched clip in the Views history, surpassing every celebrity interview and political debate they had ever aired. But the show’s ratings were actually declining. Their audience was shifting.

Older viewers who wanted comfortable morning television were tuning out. The controversy had made the show feel toxic rather than entertaining. Whoopi addressed the ongoing fallout during a subsequent episode. Her frustration barely masked by professional composure. Look, we stand by what we said. She stated firmly. Exclusive religious claims are divisive. They hurt people.

They create the conditions for discrimination. We are not going to apologize for calling that out. If people want to stop watching because we believe in inclusion, that is their choice. But Joy looked less certain during her comments. Her usual confident delivery slightly strained. I have been getting messages from people saying we were unfair to him.

She admitted that we ambushed him or did not let him fully explain. I want to be clear. We gave him every opportunity to clarify his position. He chose to double down on beliefs that many people find hurtful. That is on him, not on us. The defensive tone suggested that maybe the backlash was hitting harder than they wanted to admit publicly.

Anna had stopped mentioning the interview entirely on air. Though her social media showed she was fighting daily battles with Hispanic evangelicals who rejected her claim to speak for their community. Jonathan spent the week before Christmas largely in silence. He declined most interview requests, did not issue clarifying statements, did not engage with the controversy swirling around him.

Instead, he read his Bible, prayed, walked through Manhattan, watching people rush through holiday preparations, attended a small church on the Upper West Side, where the pastor preached on Jesus as the light of the world who came into darkness. The pastor, an elderly man named Thomas Warren, had been shephering the same small congregation for 40 years.

After the service, he pulled Jonathan aside with tears in his eyes. I have been preaching the gospel in this city for four decades. He said, his voice breaking, “And I have watched church after church abandon biblical truth for cultural acceptance. I have seen pastor after pastor soften their message to keep people comfortable.

I have wondered if anyone still had the courage to stand firm. Then I watched you on the view, watched you refuse to back down against four powerful women. Watched you walk off rather than compromise. And I wept because I realized I had stopped believing that kind of faithfulness still existed. The old pastor’s words stayed with Jonathan through Christmas week. The emails and messages continued flooding in.

Some vicious, many grateful. All of them proving that taking a stand forced people to take a side. There was no neutral ground when it came to Jesus. Either he was who he said he was or he was not. Either his claims were true or they were not. Either the gospel was exclusive or it was not the gospel at all. On Christmas Eve, Jonathan attended a midnight service at the same small church.

The sanctuary was decorated simply, candles flickering, a modest nativity scene, nothing like the elaborate productions at megaurches or the commercial excess throughout the city. Just a small group of believers gathering to celebrate the incarnation. God becoming flesh, the word made manifest. Jesus entering history to accomplish what no other religious figure even attempted.

Pastor Warren preached from John 1. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. He spoke about how the world rejected Jesus then and rejects him now. How religious and political and cultural powers all conspired to silence him. How his exclusive claims threatened everyone who wanted to approach God on their own terms. How the cross proved that truth always costs something.

How resurrection proved that truth always wins eventually. After the service, dozens of congregants approached Jonathan. Some were elderly believers who had stood firm through decades of cultural pressure. Some were young believers learning to stand firm now. All of them grateful. All of them encouraged.

All of them testifying that watching him refuse to compromise had strengthened their own resolve. A young woman in her 20s waited until everyone else had left before approaching. Her eyes were red from crying. “I need to tell you something,” she said quietly. I am Anna Navaro’s cousin’s fiance, the one she talked about on the show, the one who supposedly attempted suicide because of Christian teaching.

Jonathan felt his heart stop. I am so sorry for what you have experienced. He began, but she cut him off with a shake of her head. That is not what happened, she said firmly. He struggled with addiction and depression that had nothing to do with church or sexuality. We have been fighting to get him help for years. But Anna took his story and twisted it.

Made it about Christian condemnation when it was really about mental illness and family dysfunction. She used his pain to score political points. And I have been furious but too scared to speak up because she is family and she is powerful and I am nobody. Her voice broke. But watching you stand up to her, watching you refuse to let her weaponize suffering against truth, that gave me courage. I am going public.

I am telling the real story because people deserve to know that she lied, that she manipulated a family tragedy for her progressive agenda, that her tears on television were performance, not honesty. The young woman pulled out her phone and showed Jonathan a statement she had drafted for social media.

It was detailed, documented, heartbreaking, and it would completely undermine the emotional centerpiece of Anna’s attack, Jonathan read it twice. Recognizing that this was about to create an entirely new firestorm. “Are you sure?” he asked gently. “This will bring enormous pressure on you and your family,” she nodded. Her jaw set with determination. I am sure truth matters more than keeping peace. You taught me that.

Now I am going to live it. As Jonathan walked back to his hotel through streets decorated for Christmas, he thought about how truth always had a way of emerging. How lies could dominate headlines temporarily but could not survive forever. How standing firm created space for others to stand firm, too.

how faithfulness multiplied in ways impossible to predict or control. The young woman posted her statement on Christmas morning. Within hours, it went viral. Anna Navaro’s carefully constructed narrative collapsed under the weight of actual facts from actual family members.

The cousin she had used as a weapon was not a victim of Christian theology, but of mental illness and addiction. She had lied on national television to make a political point. had weaponized real suffering for progressive talking points, had manipulated millions of viewers with false testimony. The view did not address it. Anna did not respond. But the damage to their credibility was catastrophic and permanent.

The interview that was supposed to expose Jonathan’s hateful theology had instead exposed their willingness to lie for cultural approval. The Christmas season that was supposed to be about peace and inclusion had instead become about truth and courage and the cost of standing firm. And Jonathan Roomie, unemployable by Hollywood standards, had become a symbol of something the culture desperately needed but did not want.

Faithfulness that could not be bought, conviction that could not be compromised, truth that could not be silenced. No matter how many powerful voices tried, the fallout from the fiance’s statement was swift and devastating for the view’s credibility. Major news outlets that had initially framed Jonathan as the villain were forced to issue corrections.

Fact- checkers who had defended Anna’s emotional testimony now had to acknowledge she had fabricated key details. Christian commentators who had condemned Jonathan for lacking compassion now faced awkward questions about why they had believed accusations without verification. The narrative that exclusive theology drove people to suicide collapsed under documented evidence that mental illness and family dysfunction were the actual causes.

Anna Navaro disappeared from social media for 3 days, an eternity for someone whose career depended on constant public presence. When she finally responded, her statement was brief and defensive. My cousin’s story is his to tell, not mine. I shared what I understood to be true based on family conversations.

If details were miscommunicated, I apologize for any confusion, but the larger point remains valid. Exclusive theology does harm people. That truth stands regardless of one specific example. The non-apology fooled no one. She had not miscommunicated details. She had invented them. Had weaponized a family member’s suffering to score political points.

Had cried on national television using false testimony to make Jonathan look cruel. And when caught, she refused to take full responsibility. The progressive community that usually rallied around their own seemed uncertain how to defend someone who had been caught in such an obvious lie. Joy Behar tried to move past the controversy during the next episode. Her voice carrying forced brightness.

Look, emotions were high during that conversation. She said, “We all spoke from the heart about issues we cared deeply about. Maybe some details got mixed up in the heat of the moment. The important thing is that we continue fighting for inclusion and love.” But Sunonny Host looked genuinely shaken.

her legal training making her understand the gravity of presenting false testimony on national television. “We need to be more careful with stories we share,” she said carefully, clearly trying to distance herself from Anna without completely throwing her under the bus. “Facts matter, accuracy matters.

We owe our viewers that much.” Whoopi remained defiant, refusing to acknowledge any wrongdoing. So one detail about one story might have been wrong. She said dismissively that does not change the fact that Jonathan Room’s theology is harmful. That exclusive claims about salvation hurt people. That we need a more inclusive approach to faith.

Our position was right. Even if one example was not perfect, but viewers were tuning out in record numbers. The week after Christmas saw the views ratings drop 23%. the largest single week decline in the show’s history, advertisers began pulling spots. Concerned about associating their brands with a program that had been caught spreading misinformation.

The cultural moment that was supposed to solidify their moral authority had instead exposed their willingness to lie for ideological purposes. Meanwhile, the movement among Hispanic evangelicals continued growing beyond anyone’s expectations. Pastor Miguel Rodriguez organized a conference in Los Angeles for January 15th titled Standing Firm Latino Christians and Biblical Authority.

The venue that seated 3,000 sold out in 18 hours. They moved to a larger space that seated 8,000. That sold out in 2 days. They ended up streaming to overflow rooms across six locations accommodating 25,000 people total. Jonathan was invited to speak and his appearance created security concerns because of the crowds.

When he walked onto the stage, the entire arena stood in sustained applause that lasted 4 minutes. Pastor Rodriguez had to gesture repeatedly for quiet before Jonathan could begin speaking. “I did not walk off the view to become a hero,” Jonathan said, his voice carrying through the massive space.

I walked off because I could not participate in calling truth hateful and lies loving. What happened on that show was not about me. It was about whether we will allow cultural pressure to redefine Christianity into something unrecognizable. Whether we will trade biblical authority for social approval. Whether we will stand firm when standing firm costs us everything. The response was overwhelming.

Pastors committed to preaching exclusive salvation without apology. Parents pledged to raise their children in biblical truth regardless of cultural backlash. Students testified about standing firm on college campuses where professors mocked their beliefs. Young adults spoke about choosing faithfulness over careers that required compromise. The movement was real and growing and showed no signs of stopping.

But the cost to Jonathan personally was exactly what he had expected. By February, every mainstream opportunity had evaporated completely. Studios that had been in talks about potential projects went silent. Agents who had expressed interest stopped returning calls. Casting directors who had seemed enthusiastic suddenly had scheduling conflicts.

The message was clear and unanimous. Walk off the view. refused to apologize for biblical truth. And you are done in Hollywood. Yet different opportunities emerged from unexpected places. A Christian film studio offered him a leading role in a movie about early church persecution.

The budget was a fraction of what mainstream studios spent. But the script was excellent and the message uncompromising. A faith-based streaming service wanted him to develop a series about Christian history’s most courageous figures. The compensation was modest compared to Hollywood standards. But the creative freedom was total. Speaking invitations poured in from churches and conferences that wanted someone who had demonstrated what standing firm actually looked like.

Universities where Christian student groups felt embattled invited him to give lectures about maintaining conviction in hostile environments. Seminaries asked him to speak to future pastors about the cost and necessity of faithfulness. The calendar filled completely with opportunities that paid little financially but mattered infinitely more eternally.

Dallas called in March with news about The Chosen’s final season performance. We just crossed 1 billion total views. he said his voice showing amazement. 1 billion. The controversy did not hurt us. It helped us because people are hungry for authentic Christianity. They are tired of watered down spirituality that demands nothing and promises everything.

They want Jesus as he actually was, not as culture wishes he had been. By Easter, the full impact of the Christmas controversy had become clear. Progressive Christianity’s attempt to paint Orthodox belief as hateful had backfired spectacularly. Their willingness to lie for political purposes had been exposed.

Their claims to moral superiority had been undermined by their own dishonesty, and millions of believers who had been intimidated into silence had found their voice. Dr. Elizabeth Morrison from Yale published a follow-up essay tracking the cultural shift. What the view did not anticipate, she wrote, was that attacking someone for believing historic Christianity would galvanize believers who had been hiding their convictions.

Jonathan Roomie became a symbol of costly faithfulness. His willingness to lose everything rather than compromise gave courage to countless others to stop apologizing for what they believed. The attempted silencing became amplification. The essay documented churches that had been declining for years suddenly experiencing growth as they returned to biblical preaching.

Seminaries that had embraced progressive theology watching enrollment drop while conservative institutions could not build classrooms fast enough. publishers reporting that books defending Orthodox Christianity were outselling progressive titles by massive margins. The cultural tide had not turned completely, but it had shifted in ways no one predicted.

Anna Navaro’s influence diminished significantly. She remained on the view, but her credibility was permanently damaged. Every time she spoke about faith or values, comments sections filled with reminders that she had lied about her cousin.

Her attempt to position herself as a voice for Latino Christians had been thoroughly rejected by the very community she claimed to represent. She had wanted to silence Jonathan and instead had silenced herself. Joy Behar became more careful about religious topics. Clearly stung by the backlash and aware that the audience was watching for any hint of dishonesty, Sunonny Host distanced herself from controversial faith discussions entirely, focusing on legal analysis where her expertise was less questionable.

Whoopi remained defiant, but noticeably avoided booking guests who might create similar confrontations. The show that had confidently attacked Orthodox Christianity learned there were consequences for weaponizing lies. One year after the interview, on December 10th, Jonathan received a letter that crystallized everything the controversy had accomplished.

It came from Thomas Warren, the elderly pastor whose small Manhattan church had become Jonathan’s refuge during the initial storm. Pastor Warren was retiring after 45 years of ministry and he wrote to share what he had witnessed in his final year. For decades I have watched this city’s churches abandon truth for relevance. He wrote in careful script. I have buried colleagues who compromised their way into emptiness.

I have counseledled young pastors tempted to soften their message for cultural acceptance. I have wondered if biblical Christianity had any future in places like New York. Then you walked off that set, refused to back down, paid the price for faithfulness, and something shifted.

The letter described young families joining his church specifically because they wanted their children raised hearing uncompromising truth. Seminary students visiting to learn from a pastor who had never bent to cultural pressure. Other Manhattan pastors calling to ask how to preach biblical authority in hostile environments.

A small church that had been dying was now growing because people were hungry for authenticity that cost something. You gave them permission to believe that standing firm was possible. Pastor Warren concluded, “You showed them what faithfulness looked like in real time, in real cost, with real consequences. that is worth more than any Hollywood career could ever be. Thank you for choosing well. Thank you for making it easier for the rest of us to choose well, too.

Jonathan kept the letter in his Bible alongside others that had accumulated over the year. Letters from students who stayed Christian in college because of his example. From pastors who started preaching harder truths because of his courage. From parents who stopped apologizing for raising their children in biblical truth.

from believers around the world who had been strengthened by watching one man refuse to compromise. The final episode of The Chosen aired that same month, depicting the resurrection with uncompromising supernatural glory. Critics called it intellectually embarrassing fundamentalism. Progressive Christians wrote articles about how to appreciate the show’s artistry while rejecting its exclusivist theology.

Secular reviewers dismissed it as beautiful mythology that educated people knew was not historically accurate. But the audience did not care what critics thought. They watched in numbers that shattered every expectation. They shared it with friends and family. They testified to how it strengthened their faith.

They thanked the creators for refusing to soften the supernatural claims that were Christianity’s foundation. The show that was supposed to be too controversial to succeed became one of the most successful independent productions in entertainment history because it refused to be anything other than what it was.

Jonathan’s career in mainstream entertainment never recovered. But his influence in strengthening believers worldwide continued multiplying in ways impossible to measure or contain. He had traded Hollywood for faithfulness and discovered that faithfulness was worth infinitely more than anything Hollywood could offer.

He had chosen truth over approval and found that truth created its own approval from people who actually mattered. 2 years after walking off the view, Jonathan stood in his small apartment looking at the carved crucifix his grandmother had given him decades earlier.

The walls were still mostly bare, the furniture still modest, the space still simple, but the filing cabinets overflowed with testimonies from people whose lives had been changed, not by his acting, but by his unwillingness to pretend Christianity was anything other than exclusive truth. He thought about that December morning, about four women attacking him for believing what Jesus said, about walking off rather than compromising, about losing everything by worldly standards, about gaining what actually mattered.

And he knew with absolute certainty that he would make the same choice again tomorrow and every day after. Because some truths were worth defending regardless of cost. Some convictions were worth maintaining regardless of consequence. Some moments required choosing faithfulness over everything else.

The Christmas decorations throughout the city that year felt different somehow. Less commercial, more meaningful, as if the controversy had reminded people what the holiday actually celebrated. Not inclusion that required excluding truth. Not love that required rejecting Christ’s claims.

Not peace that required compromising the gospel, but the incarnation, God becoming flesh, Jesus entering history to accomplish what no other figure attempted to be not one way among many, but the only way to offer salvation as a gift because we could not earn it ourselves.

That was the message Jonathan had refused to compromise two years earlier. That was what had cost him his mainstream career. That was what had strengthened millions of believers worldwide. That was what would echo into eternity long after Hollywood and the view and every cultural controversy had been forgotten. Truth, uncompromising, costly, eternal, worth defending, worth dying for, worth losing everything to proclaim.

And as Christmas approached again, Jonathan Roomie, unemployable by secular standards, but used by God beyond measure, understood that he had chosen well. That faithfulness always costs something, but always produces fruit that lasts forever. That standing firm when everyone says to bend, creates space for others to stand firm, too.

that one person refusing to compromise can change more lives than a thousand people trying to please everyone. That the approval that matters most does not come from cultural gatekeepers or entertainment executives or talk show hosts. It comes from the one who said well done good and faithful servant. The one whose birth they celebrated.

The one whose exclusive claims they either believed or rejected. the one who was either lord of all or not lord at all. There was no middle ground. There never had been. And Jonathan had chosen his ground and would stand on it until the end. Thank you for following this story. Let us know in the comments below.

If this story has moved you and you would like to stand with us in bringing more voices of truth and hope to light, please consider supporting our work. Even the smallest gift helps us continue creating and sharing these powerful stories. You can find the donate link in the description.

And of course, do not forget to subscribe so you will not miss the next chapter we are preparing for you.