Oscar-winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique is once again speaking her truth—this time about religion.
In a revealing conversation with conservative pastor Jesse Lee Peterson, Mo’Nique said she does not identify as a Christian, calling the religion a “white man’s religion” and urging Black people to seek out their own spiritual paths.
“That’s a religion that was given to us… that he said, ‘This is our white God and this is what you believe,’” she explained. “So no, Jesse, I am not Christian.”
The comments came during a recent interview where Peterson asked whether she believed Christianity was “the white man’s religion.”
Mo’Nique responded with conviction, pointing to the historical context of colonization and forced religious conversion of enslaved Africans as the foundation for her rejection of mainstream Christian doctrine.
Rather than adopt traditional religious labels, Mo’Nique encourages a deeply personal and exploratory approach to faith.
“I want for my beautiful people… find it for yourself,” she said. “If finding it for yourself means, ‘I got a husband and my husband got three wives, and all of us are good with that’—then everybody good?”
Mo’Nique, who has long used her platform to challenge social and cultural norms, said her travels opened her eyes to how religion is interpreted globally:
“I’ve seen where that Jesus is Black, baby—but because we’ve been taught it’s not about the color. Don’t get caught up in that.”
Pastor Peterson pushed back, asserting that Christianity is not about race but about spirit. “Christianity is a result of Judaism. Once you return to the Father, you see that it never had anything to do about color. It’s of the spirit—and in the spirit, there is no color,” he said.
Mo’Nique’s views reflect a growing number of Black Americans who are questioning inherited religious beliefs and seeking more culturally relevant or personalized spiritual experiences.
Her comments are sparking wide debate online, with some praising her honesty and others challenging her interpretation of faith.
Whether you agree or not, one thing is certain—Mo’Nique isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions and challenge the status quo.