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THE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF GOD 1
The True Followers of God: American Family Association VS Transformative Justice Law
Project of Illinois
Andrew B. Dornan
Liberty University
STCO 533: Video, Social & Mobile Promotion
Professor Kornel Gerstner
August 31, 2025
THE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF GOD 2
Abstract
The True Followers of God: American Family Association VS Transformative Justice Law
Project of Illinois is an analysis of two similar non-profit organizations. The aspects put into
review are their visions and core values, along with their social media presence, how their social
media presence represents their own vision and core values, and which organization does a better
job at representing the teachings of Christ, our Lord and Savior. The analysis is broken in four
parts: the AFA, the TLJP, the concept of Christian Nationalism and how it effects the analysis,
and then is capped off with an explanation as to why the author believes that the Transformative
Justice Law Project of Illinois does a better job of representing the teachings of Christ with a
selection of verses from the Holy Bible to further cement the argument.
Key Words: religion, social media, religious organizations, Christian Nationalism, QAnon,
American Family Association, LGBTQ+
The True Followers of God: American Family Association VS Transformative Justice Law
Project of Illinois
INTRODUCTION
In the present moment, there are many around the country that are fighting, nay, struggling to
stay alive. These are the homeless, the victims of abuse, the queers, the kids being fired upon
while at school. It is during times like these, where violence against those who cannot defend
themselves, that many will seek out assistance from a number of organizations around the
country for physical, emotional, and, at times, spiritual healing. Which of these organizations are
truly looking out for these poor souls' best interests? Which of these countless organizations truly
represent what it means to “love thy neighbor” and lending a helping hand without asking any
further questions? To answer this, a comparison of two similar organizations, one based in faith
and one based in secularism, shall be compared: the American Family Association and the
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Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois. Do these organizations accurately represent their
own values? How do they conduct themselves on social media?
DISCLAIMER
Before this essay can continue, however, a disclaimer must be given. In order to provide
sufficient evidence for the final conclusion of this essay, there will be an analysis of a growing
trend in the United States of American called “Christian Nationalism” and how the teachings of
such an ideology go against the real teachings of Christ, our Lord and Savior. Additionally, the
analysis of this ideology and these organizations are done through a lens of one who was once a
proud Christian, but left the established church to seek out their own spiritual and religious
journey. The scope of the social media analysis will be contained to Instagram, as that is the most
effective social media site they both share.
PART ONE: American Family Association
1-A: The Organization
According to their own website, the American Family Association (AFA or the AFA ad hinc) is a
“non-profit 501(c)(3) organization (...) founded in 1977” and claims to be “one of the largest and
most effective pro-family organizations in the country with hundreds of supports” (2025). This
organization is rooted in its Methodist-based faith and believes that the Holy Bible should be
taken exactly as it is written. The AFA's vision to to become “a leading organization in biblical
worldview training” (2025) with some of its core values including, but not limited to,
evangelism, sanctity of human life, and religious liberty.
1-B: AFA's Social Media
Upon first glance, the official Instagram page for the AFA (@americanfamassc) is what most
would expect: news bulletins about alleged controversies and deaths of key figures, bible verses,
and posts about the so-called “culture war” supposedly happening in the United States (2020).
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There is no question as to whether or not the social media page reflects the core values and
vision of the AFA. They also appear to utilize the social media platform rather effectively with
frequent postings that contain hashtags and other keywords to enable their posts to reach
additional users. There is also the fact of the matter that the AFA’s social media posts all seek to
elicit an emotional response, tapping into the primary system, the subconscious mind, which
handles emotions and has us react according (Mowat, 2021).
PART TWO: TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE LAW PROJECT OF ILLINOIS
2-A: The Organization
As with any organization, the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois (TJLP ad hinc)
states its own vision and core values on their own website. TJLP positions itself as an
organization that seeks to replace systemic oppression with communal care through general
support and free legal services to homeless people, with a focus on gender non-conforming
people (n.d.). Their core values sit upon two key pillars: prison abolition and strengthening
communities in order to eliminate “the root causes of inequality, violence, and oppression” (n.d.).
2-B: TJLP's Social Media
Similar to the AFA, TJLP's Instagram page (@transformativejusticelawproj) reflects their vision
and core values fairly accurately. Their approach to content posting is more directed around
sharing dates, times, and locations of events happening in the area as well as reminders about the
services they offer to the local community. While the information being provided is extensive
and helpful to their followers on Instagram, it does appear that TLJP is not utilizing the platform
for maximum potential reach, as posts seem to be rather sporadic with a considerable amount of
dead air being had between their post about taking a break from providing services on
July 4th of this year to the, as of now, most recent post back on August 10th regarding their
August 2025 Name Change Mobilizations in Cook County (2020).
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PART THREE: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding (...)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of
God. For the Lord gives wisdom (...)” (Proverbs 2:1-2,5-6, NIV).
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ
God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Another passage that was to be included but cut for sake of the word count is James 2:14-18.
These passages, and many others like them within the Holy Bible, speak of helping the less
fortunate, the less able, those who society has thrown to the metaphorical curb and spat upon.
There has been a concerning number of those who claim to be believers in Christ falling into the
trap of far-right ideologies, specifically a combination of Christian Nationalism and QAnon (an
online-based conspiracy group), the latter of which fuels the former, which has given rise to
many conspiracy theories and violent actions out in the real world (Dinulescu, 2021). The
radicalization and indoctrination of fellow worshipers of Christ is a wild phenomenom that has
been widely studied by American scholars across many realms of expertise, from sociologists to
religious studies scholars (Napierala, 2013). This rise in people who claim to be followers of
Christ are instead using their supposed faith as a sword in an effort to hurt all those that are not
like them, saying that to do otherwise, to help these people, would be to give into the greatest
sin: empathy (Taylor, 2025). Their war against this alleged sin comes in form of overtuning Roe
v. Wade, gay marriage, and more (Murray, 2017). This belief that empathy is a sin goes against
the teachings of Christ, as shown with the passages above. This is a topic that deserves much
greater attention than what can be provided in the confines of the rubric for this paper.
PART FOUR: THE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST
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It is worth noting that many who are pushing towards having all be under the flag of
Christian Nationalism by means of utilizing Christian iconography and ideals are proud atheists
(Shaw, 2019), effectively wolves in sheep's' clothing. By analyzing the social media pages of the
AFA and TJLP, it becomes evident that while both accurately depict their own visions and values
accurately, if there were to be one of the two that proper portray a Christian-based worldview
and teachings of Christ, it would have to be that of the TJLP with their focus on empathy for the
poor, the homeless, those effected by systemic oppression, and so many more. If the AFA was
truly followers of Christ, they would understand the need to protect everyone from the
oppressors in addition to identifying their own, unique privilege, which, in turn they could use to
better help, instead of hurt, those less fortunate.
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Reference
@americanfamassc. (2015, July). Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/americanfamassc/
@transformativejusticelawproj. (2020, June). Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/
transformativejusticelawproj/
About 3. Transformative Justice Law Project of IL. (n.d.). https://www.tjlp.org/about-us
About. AFA. (2025). https://www.afa.net/who-we-are/about
Dinulescu, I. (2021). The Interference of the Far-Right Ideology Qanon with Christianity.
Strategic Impact, 78(1), 118–134.
Mowat, J. (2021). Video marketing: Create engaging video campaigns to drive brand growth and
sales. Kogan Page.
Murray, M. (2017). Intimate Choices, Public Threats — Reproductive and LGBTQ Rights under
a Trump Administration. The New England Journal of Medicine, 376(4), 301-303.
https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1615718
New International Version (Revised, Online). (2022). Biblica.
Shaw, D. O. (2019). SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED:
THE ALT-RIGHT ON BUILDING CHRISTENDOM WITHOUT CHRIST. Journal for
the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 18(54), 79-92. https://go.openathens.net/
redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/something-
oldnew-borrowed-alt-right-on-building/docview/2352150344/se-2
Taylor, A. R. (2025, 05). EMPATHY ISN'T A SIN. Sojourners Magazine, 54, 9-10. https://
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Uysal, M. S., Uluğ, Ö. M., Kanık, B., & Aydemir, A. (2022). “The liberation of LGBTQ+ will
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