You've likely seen the flags. In many American churches, the Israeli flag sits right next to the Stars and Stripes. It's a fixture of modern evangelicalism, almost as if it’s part of the liturgy itself. But there’s a small, incredibly persistent group of veterans and activists who look at that scene and see something deeply wrong. They operate under the banner of We Hold These Truths, and honestly, they’ve been shouting into the wind for decades about the intersection of US foreign policy, Christian Zionism, and what they call "war-making" in the Middle East.
They aren't your typical anti-war group.
While most peace activists come from the secular left, We Hold These Truths (WHTT) is rooted in a gritty, old-school brand of American conservatism and biblical interpretation. They aren't trying to be woke. They’re trying to be what they consider "traditionally American." Founded by the late Charles E. Carlson—a guy who spent a lot of time in the trenches of both the financial world and grassroots activism—the organization exists to challenge the idea that being a "good Christian" means giving a blank check to the State of Israel.
It’s a controversial stance. Obviously.
Why We Hold These Truths Challenges the Evangelical Status Quo
Most people don't realize how much of US Middle East policy is driven by a specific theological framework called dispensationalism. It’s the stuff of Left Behind novels. WHTT spends an enormous amount of energy deconstructing this. They argue that modern Christian Zionism is a relatively recent invention, popularized by the Scofield Reference Bible in the early 20th century. To them, this isn't just a theological disagreement; it’s a matter of life and death.
When a church sends money to settlements or lobbies for military aid, WHTT sees that as a direct violation of the "Peacemaker" beatitudes. They focus heavily on the "Project for a New American Century" and how neoconservative goals aligned with religious fervor to jumpstart various conflicts in the Middle East.
It's about the money, too. Carlson often talked about the "war economy." He believed that by tying religious identity to military support for a foreign power, the US was essentially subsidizing its own moral and financial bankruptcy. They don't pull punches. They use words like "Pharisaism" to describe modern church leadership. It’s spicy. It’s uncomfortable. And for most mainstream denominations, it’s basically heresy.
The Scofield Bible Factor
If you want to understand the "truth" they are trying to "hold," you have to understand their obsession with Cyrus Scofield. WHTT argues that Scofield’s footnotes—which suggest that the Jewish people have a separate, earthly covenant with God apart from the Church—are the "DNA" of the modern war machine.
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They produce documentaries like The People's Mind: Scofield's Bible and the Making of Zionism. It’s not a high-budget Marvel movie. It’s raw. It’s grainy. It’s filled with guys in suits talking for a long time. But the research is dense. They track how Oxford University Press marketed this specific Bible and how it effectively re-wired the American Protestant brain to view the geopolitical state of Israel as a divine entity.
Critics, of course, call this fringe. Some call it worse. But WHTT insists they are the ones actually reading the New Testament. They point to verses about there being "neither Jew nor Greek" in Christ. To them, the "Truth" is that the Gospel is universal, not tribal.
Beyond the Pews: Activism and the "Vigil"
WHTT doesn't just write articles. They show up. For years, their members have conducted "Project Strait Gate" vigils. These aren't massive rallies with Jumbotrons. Usually, it’s just a handful of people—often seniors, often veterans—standing outside of "Mega-Churches" or Christian Zionist conventions.
They hold signs.
"Choose Life, Not War."
"Bless the Peacemakers."
They try to hand out DVDs or pamphlets to congregants as they drive into the parking lot. Most of the time, they are ignored. Sometimes they are kicked off the property. There’s something sort of haunting about the persistence of it. You’ve got these octogenarians who fought in previous wars standing in the rain because they think the local Baptist pastor is leading the youth into a "Crusade" they didn't sign up for.
The Human Cost in Gaza and the West Bank
A major pillar of the organization's work involves highlighting the plight of Palestinian Christians. This is their "bridge" to the American audience. They argue that American evangelicals are effectively funding the displacement of their own brothers and sisters in Bethlehem and Ramallah.
- They share stories of olive groves being bulldozed.
- They talk about the "Open Air Prison" in Gaza.
- They interview local priests who feel abandoned by the West.
By focusing on the Christian minority in the Holy Land, they bypass the usual "clash of civilizations" narrative. It makes it harder for a churchgoer to dismiss the message when the person on the screen is a Greek Orthodox grandmother talking about how she can't get to her doctor because of a checkpoint funded by US tax dollars.
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The Complicated Legacy of Charles Carlson
You can't talk about We Hold These Truths without talking about "Chuck." He was a character. A former paratrooper with a background in the gold market, he brought a "follow the money" skepticism to theology. He wasn't a polished academic. He was a guy who liked to ask, "Who benefits?"
Carlson's writings often delved into the Federal Reserve, the military-industrial complex, and the way religious groups are "used" by political elites. This led some to categorize the group as part of the "Old Right" or "Paleoconservative" movement. It’s a niche world. It overlaps with people like Pat Buchanan or Ron Paul. It’s fiercely anti-interventionist.
Since his passing, the organization has had to figure out how to navigate a world that is even more polarized. The rise of "Christian Nationalism" as a buzzword has made their work even more complex. While some might assume they fit into that camp because they are conservative Christians, they are actually the critics of the nationalist-military overlap. They think putting the flag of any nation—US or Israel—on an altar is idolatry.
Why Nobody Talks About Them
The media hates nuance. WHTT doesn't fit into the "Liberal vs. Conservative" box.
If you’re a liberal, you might like their anti-war stance, but you’ll probably be put off by their traditionalist language and focus on biblical prophecy. If you’re a conservative, you’ll like their talk of "founding principles," but you’ll hate that they are criticizing Israel. They are essentially politically homeless.
Because they operate on a shoestring budget and rely on "boots on the ground" grassroots efforts, they don't have the PR machine of the ADL or Christians United for Israel (CUFI). John Hagee (the head of CUFI) can fill a stadium. WHTT fills a sidewalk. But they argue that the size of the audience doesn't dictate the truth of the message.
Addressing the Elephant in the Room
Is the organization's message "anti-Semitic"? That’s the charge always leveled at anyone critiquing Zionism from a religious angle. WHTT vehemently denies this, stating that their critique is of political Zionism and a specific theological error, not a people. They often quote Jewish critics of the state of Israel to bolster their points.
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However, in the hyper-charged environment of 2026, those distinctions are often lost. Their insistence on calling out the "Jewish Lobby" or the "Zionist influence" on the church puts them in the crosshairs of major watchdog groups. They don't seem to care. They view the "fear of being called names" as the primary reason most pastors stay silent.
What You Can Actually Do With This Information
Whether you agree with their theology or not, We Hold These Truths offers a lens to view US policy that isn't provided by mainstream news. If you’re tired of the same two talking points on cable news, checking out their archives is an education in "dissenting" history.
If you want to look into this further, don't just take their word for it. Do the legwork.
1. Audit your own "Information Diet"
Look at the Scofield Reference Bible. You can find copies online or in thrift stores. Look at the footnotes in the book of Genesis or Revelation. See if the "dual covenant" theology they talk about is actually there. It’s a fascinating study in how a few sentences at the bottom of a page can change the foreign policy of a superpower.
2. Follow the Money
Check out sites like OpenSecrets. Look at the funding for both pro-Israel and pro-war lobbies. Then, look at the "Faith-Based Initiatives" within political parties. You’ll start to see the "War Economy" Carlson was obsessed with.
3. Listen to the "Other" Christians
Look up the "Kairos Palestine" document. It’s written by Palestinian Christian leaders. Compare what they say about their lives with what you hear from your local pulpit. The disconnect is usually pretty jarring.
4. Engage in the "Great Conversation"
If you belong to a church, ask your pastor about the history of Christian Zionism. Not as an attack, but as a genuine question. Ask when the Israeli flag was first placed in the sanctuary. Most of the time, nobody actually knows. They just do it because everyone else does.
The reality is that groups like We Hold These Truths are becoming rarer. As the world moves toward digital echo chambers, the "guy with a sign" outside a church is a relic of a different era of protest. But if they’re right about the "Truths" they’re holding, then the cost of ignoring them might be higher than we think. It's not just about a map in the Middle East; it's about the soul of American Christianity and whether it's been traded for a seat at the political table.
Stop looking at the screen for a second. Read the history. Deciding for yourself is the only way to actually "hold" a truth rather than just renting one from a politician.