The Pastor who called out Christian Nationalists, may have some skeletons in his own closet.
Benjamin R. Cremer is a Wesleyan pastor, theologian, and writer based in Idaho. He currently serves as the Amity campus pastor at the Cathedral of the Rockies and is the author of the newsletter Into the Gray, where he explores the intersections of faith, theology, and contemporary issues. x.com – beachedwhitemale
Theological Overview
1. Christology and the Atonement
Cremer identifies with the Wesleyan tradition and emphasizes a restorative view of the atonement. He critiques the penal substitutionary atonement theory, which posits that Christ suffered the exact punishment due to sinners to satisfy divine justice. Instead, Cremer views the crucifixion as humanity’s violent response to Jesus’ embodiment of divine love and forgiveness. He believes that God brought life out of Jesus’ suffering and death, breaking the hold of sin and death, and declaring that love would have the last word. In this framework, the cross is not primarily about satisfying God’s wrath, but about revealing God’s solidarity with the oppressed and overcoming evil through nonviolent resistance. This interpretation shifts the focus from substitution and divine justice to moral influence and the transformation of social structures through love and compassion.. (link – link)
2. Salvation and Hell
Cremer challenges traditional conceptions of hell as eternal conscious torment, a doctrine historically affirmed by the church and clearly upheld in confessional standards such as the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF 33.2). Scripture presents hell as a place of eternal, conscious punishment for the unrepentant—a just expression of God’s holy wrath against sin (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 14:10–11; 2 Thessalonians 1:9). However, Cremer argues that this view is psychologically harmful and hinders compassionate ministry. He suggests that such teaching causes emotional distress and leads Christians to focus more on fear of judgment than on confronting injustice.
Instead of hell as an objective, eschatological reality to which sinners are condemned, Cremer redefines “hell” as the suffering and oppression people experience in this life—especially through systems of injustice, abuse, and inequality. In his framework, salvation is less about deliverance from divine wrath and more about joining God’s mission to heal brokenness and dismantle systemic evil in the here and now. Thus, opposing racism, poverty, and inequality becomes the core expression of salvation.
This shift, while emotionally compelling, results in a serious theological displacement: the cross becomes less about appeasing God’s justice and more about confronting human suffering; hell becomes metaphorical, not judicial; and the eternal stakes of the gospel are lost. In Scripture, the gravity of hell underscores the urgency of repentance and the glory of Christ’s saving work. Without the reality of eternal judgment, the cross loses its necessity, and the call to flee from the wrath to come (Luke 3:7) becomes optional. In short, Cremer’s view exchanges the eternal for the temporal, and replaces the fear of God with a fear of social harm—subtly but significantly reshaping the gospel itself. (Unraveling Hell)
3. Scripture and Authority
Benjamin R. Cremer approaches Scripture through a lens that emphasizes love, justice, and compassion, often challenging traditional interpretations that he perceives as rigid or oppressive. He encourages readers to engage with the Bible in ways that foster empathy and confront systemic injustices.
For instance, in his newsletter titled “The Way Forward is by Love and Justice, Not Shame and Revenge,” Cremer reflects on Jesus’ restoration of Peter after his denial, highlighting how Jesus chose love and justice over shame and revenge. Cremer writes:
“Jesus shows us how to truly bring about the restoration, accountability, and healing we desire. Jesus had every right and opportunity to shame Peter… Yet Jesus shows us yet again that the way to restoration is not through shame and revenge but through love and pursuing justice.” (link – link 2)
This perspective illustrates Cremer’s belief that Scripture should be interpreted in a manner that promotes healing and justice rather than condemnation.
Additionally, Cremer often critiques interpretations of the Bible that he believes have been used to justify oppression. In a social media post, he challenges the selective literalism applied to certain biblical texts:
“Imagine taking a few Bible verses on human sexuality as literal divine commands from God for all society, but minimizing the +3000 verses calling for the care of immigrants, the marginalized, the oppressed, and the poor.” (link)
Through such critiques, Cremer advocates for a reading of Scripture that prioritizes the overarching biblical themes of love, mercy, and justice, especially towards marginalized groups. He consistently argues that the biblical mandate to care for the poor, immigrants, and marginalized extends beyond individual or church-based acts of compassion to include systemic and governmental action. He critiques interpretations of Scripture that limit justice to personal charity, emphasizing that true biblical justice involves transforming societal structures that perpetuate inequality. Drawing on Old Testament laws like debt forgiveness and Jubilee, Cremer maintains that God’s vision for justice includes public policy and communal systems that protect the vulnerable. He challenges Christians who resist governmental involvement in social welfare, asserting that advocating for laws and policies that uplift the oppressed aligns with the teachings of Jesus and the prophetic tradition. For Cremer, partnering with the government to pursue justice is not a compromise with secular power but a faithful application of biblical ethics to public life. However, without a biblical understanding of the human condition—namely, total depravity—entrusting governments with increasing power and resources usually leads to corruption and policies that conflict with the moral convictions of the church, making such partnerships a case of being unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14).
4. Social Engagement
Cremer is vocal about social justice issues, including racial equality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and opposition to Christian nationalism. He believes that the church should be a force for healing and reconciliation, actively working against systems of oppression and advocating for the marginalized. Cremer frequently critiques the phrase “thoughts and prayers” as a response to societal issues, advocating instead for tangible actions that address systemic injustices. He emphasizes that true repentance should result in societal change, such as equitable wealth distribution and justice for marginalized communities. This perspective shifts the focus from individual transformation to collective social action.(Link)
5. Redefining Repentance
Rev. Benjamin R. Cremer emphasizes the importance of embodying repentance through tangible actions such as generosity and justice, rather than solely calling for individual repentance. While this may outwardly sound commendable, the substance of his message appears to align more with political activism than with the gospel as revealed in Scripture. By critiquing Christians who focus on personal salvation and redirecting repentance toward societal reform, Cremer risks redefining repentance as primarily a call to social and political change. This approach can darken and obscure the biblical call to personal confession of sin, heart transformation, and reconciliation with God through Christ, thereby minimizing the gospel’s central concern with the sinner’s need for salvation and sanctification.
In fact, Cremer’s teachings often center on human efforts, political activism, and social reform as essential aspects of the Christian life. This focus can inadvertently downplay the necessity of personal repentance, transformation, and obedience to God’s Word. Such an approach may shift attention from the majesty of God, the centrality of Christ’s redemptive work, and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit to a more human-centered perspective on faith.
Scripture teaches that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8–9). The true Gospel emphasizes what Christ has accomplished for us—not what we can accomplish ourselves. As Paul declares, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). The gospel must come first. It is the good news that sinners, dead in trespasses, are made alive and united to Christ by grace through faith. Only in union with Him are hearts renewed and affections transformed. From this new life, good works flow—not as the root of salvation but as its fruit. These works are done out of gratitude and are never the goal or solution in themselves. We are saved unto good works (Ephesians 2:10), but our primary calling is to proclaim Christ crucified, the only power that delivers from sin. When theology prioritizes human effort and social reform, as seen in Cremer’s teaching, it risks replacing the gospel’s saving power with political activism. This shifts the focus from the cross to human causes, mistaking the fruit for the root, and offering society improvement without redemption, thus clouding the very reason Christ come to earth.
Comparison with Confessional Christianity
1. Atonement
Confessional Christianity affirms that Christ’s death was a penal substitution—that is, He bore the penalty for sin in the place of His people to satisfy the justice of God (Isaiah 53:5; Romans 3:25–26; WCF 11.3). The cross is the center of redemption, where wrath and mercy meet. Cremer, by contrast, tends to reject or downplay penal substitution, emphasizing a restorative or therapeutic model. In his view, the cross is primarily about God standing in solidarity with human suffering and injustice rather than Christ bearing the wrath of God to reconcile sinners. This undermines the gravity of sin, the holiness of God, and the necessity of Christ’s substitutionary death as taught in Scripture and confessed by the church throughout history.
2. Salvation
The gospel, according to the Reformed confessions, is the good news that sinners are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, apart from works (Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 3:5–7; WCF 11.1). It includes both present assurance and future hope, along with a solemn warning of eternal judgment for the unrepentant (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:11–15). Cremer shifts the focus of salvation from eternal deliverance from sin and judgment to present social transformation. His theology emphasizes participation in “God’s restorative work in the world,” often to the neglect—or denial—of eternal punishment and the need for personal faith and repentance. This reflects a man-centered and this-worldly orientation, rather than the God-centered, redemptive-historical message of Scripture.
3. Scripture
The Reformed confessions uphold the inspiration, inerrancy, and sufficiency of Scripture as the final authority in all matters of faith and life (2 Timothy 3:16–17; WCF 1.6). Scripture is not merely a moral guide, but the very Word of God, to be received not as shaped by cultural trends but as the unchanging truth. Cremer, while affirming the value of Scripture, approaches it through the lens of contemporary cultural movements—especially social justice activism. This interpretive grid often leads him to redefine or relativize the Bible’s clear teachings, especially on sin, atonement, and human sexuality. In effect, experience and current social concerns are given greater weight than the plain teaching of Scripture.
4. Social Issues
Confessional Christianity teaches that Christians are to love their neighbor and pursue justice (Micah 6:8), but always in submission to God’s revealed moral law. This includes maintaining biblical distinctions regarding sexuality, gender, and the created order (Genesis 1:27; Romans 1:26–28; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11). Cremer advocates for full affirmation of LGBTQ+ identities within the church and actively challenges traditional Christian teachings on gender and sexuality. These views are not merely pastoral differences but a direct contradiction of biblical ethics and confessional commitments. By affirming what Scripture clearly calls sin, Cremer departs from the gospel’s call to repentance and the hope of transformation in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Should Rev. Benjamin R. Cremer Be Regarded as a False Teacher and Avoided? Let’s Review:
1. View of Scripture
Rev. Cremer consistently treats the Bible as a text to be reinterpreted through the lens of modern sensibilities—especially social justice, inclusion, and systemic reform. He does not appear to affirm the inerrancy, sufficiency, or final authority of Scripture in the manner required by biblical orthodoxy (2 Timothy 3:16–17; Psalm 19:7–11).
Deviation: This opens the door to human reason overriding divine revelation, placing man over God.
2. Gospel Message
Cremer emphasizes collective activism, structural change, and political engagement as the outworking of Christian faith. While Scripture certainly commands love and justice (Micah 6:8; James 1:27), his gospel presentation often lacks the essential biblical call to:
- Repentance from sin (Acts 2:38),
- Faith in the finished work of Christ alone (Romans 3:21–26), and
- Obedience to Christ as Lord (John 14:15).
Instead, the focus is often on societal behavior rather than God-centered redemption.
Deviation: This reduces the gospel to ethics and activism—more about saving the world than saving sinners.
3. Christ’s Atoning Work
Cremer frequently rejects or downplays penal substitutionary atonement, which is the heart of the biblical gospel (Isaiah 53:4–6; Romans 5:8–9; 1 Peter 3:18). His preferred view seems to be moral influence or Christus Victor theories redefined through a sociopolitical lens.
Deviation: Denying penal substitution is denying the very means by which God justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5).
4. Sexuality and Ethics
Cremer publicly affirms LGBTQ+ identities and relationships as compatible with Christian faith, which directly contradicts clear biblical teaching (Romans 1:24–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; 1 Timothy 1:10). While he emphasizes inclusion and compassion, he often refuses to uphold biblical categories of sin, thereby affirming what God forbids.
Deviation: Affirming sin under the guise of love is not loving—it withholds the truth that leads to repentance and life (John 8:32; 2 Timothy 2:24–26).
So Based on the Above Evidence Should He Be Regarded as a False Teacher?
Yes—on biblical grounds, Rev. Benjamin R. Cremer’s teachings qualify as false doctrine:
- He alters the gospel (Galatians 1:6–9),
- Minimizes the authority and clarity of Scripture (2 Peter 1:19–21),
- Redefines core doctrines about sin, atonement, and salvation, and
- Encourages approval of what God condemns (Isaiah 5:20).
He may be sincere, articulate, and even compassionate in tone, but the standard of truth is not emotional appeal—it is fidelity to God’s Word.
Therefore, in love for the truth and for the souls of others, believers should avoid his teaching (Titus 3:10–11), expose it where necessary (Ephesians 5:11), and pray that he may come to a knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 2:25–26).
“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.”
— 2 John 10
Faithfulness to Christ demands clarity and courage in an age of compromise.
Conclusion
Rev. Cremer’s theology reorients Christianity away from a gospel of sovereign grace, substitutionary atonement, and eternal hope—and toward a framework that emphasizes human dignity, activism, and systemic reform. While his compassion for the marginalized is commendable, the content and foundation of his theology rest on a different gospel (Galatians 1:6–9). The church must always care for the hurting, but never at the cost of compromising the truth that only the blood of Christ can save sinners from the wrath of God. Social engagement is a fruit of the gospel—not its substitute.
That is, the Christian’s call to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8) flows out of a transformed heart—one that has been reconciled to God through the redemptive work of Christ. Good works, including compassion for the poor, defense of the oppressed, and pursuit of societal good, are the evidence of saving faith (James 2:14–17), but they are never the means by which one is justified or the essence of the gospel itself. When the church makes social action its starting point or central mission, it risks replacing the message of the cross with moralism or activism.
The gospel is not a call to reform society, but a divine proclamation that Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). It announces a salvation that addresses the deepest human need: reconciliation with a holy God. Once a person is united to Christ by faith, the Holy Spirit renews their heart and empowers them to bear fruit—including love for neighbor and a desire to seek justice (Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 3:4–7).
But reversing that order—putting action before grace—undermines the gospel’s power. It implies that human progress or moral improvement can replace the atonement, turning Christianity into a social movement rather than a redemptive faith. Social engagement, while important and necessary, is a response to the gospel, not its replacement. It is the fruit, not the root. When we confuse the two, we offer the world external healing while leaving souls untouched by the saving grace of God in Christ.
When your message aligns more with political activism than with the gospel of Scripture, you risk reshaping repentance into a call for societal reform rather than personal trust in Christ. This reframing does not elevate the gospel—it eclipses it. It blurs the sinner’s need for conviction, confession, and conversion. By shifting the focus from the heart to the system, from the cross to the cause, this approach diminishes the gospel’s central aim: the reconciliation of sinners to a holy God through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.