There are a lot of people in this world who know God’s name but don’t know His heart. Sometimes the proudest of God’s flock don’t actually live out the word they preach, and as a recovering Catholic, it irks me to my core. Anyone who claims to speak on God’s behalf needs to be able to live up to His supposed values, and it seems that historically, many don’t.
The God I (and I believe most people) believe in, has love and respect for all beings and would never intentionally harm another living soul. And yet there are plenty who have His name on their lips but act against the things they preach. That level of hypocrisy is astounding.
Ryan Greenwood frequently posted about scripture and parenting but proved he couldn’t live up to his own standards.
Ryan and his wife, Tanya Greenwood, who live in Lincoln, Nebraska, had a baby girl in 2025. Just four months into her short life, Ryan dialed 911 to let authorities know his infant daughter was dead, according to True Crime News. He told dispatchers that he had been “playing rough” with the baby, and she began crying uncontrollably. He claimed to feed her a bottle and put her to bed, and the following morning, Tanya Greenwood found her in her crib, unresponsive.
During her interview with authorities, Tanya Greenwood told a slightly different story.
In her version, she came home from running an errand and heard her daughter wailing “the worst cry I had ever heard.”
Tanya Greenwood claims she wanted to seek medical attention for her daughter, but her husband refused, according to KOLN. An autopsy revealed the young girl died from a brain injury caused by being shaken way too hard. Worst of all, she also claims to have seen her husband shaking their baby before. Records also show that Ryan Greenwood researched “shaken baby syndrome” just days after his baby girl died.
Court records obtained by People show that Ryan Greenwood was arrested on August 26, 2025, on child abuse charges in with the death of his baby daughter, Elizabeth, and Tanya Greenwood was arrested on the same charges August 28, 2025.
Apparently, Ryan Greenwood used to routinely post parenting advice online that was Christian-centered.
“If you’re the one who takes care of your infant at night, clean the bottle after they’re done eating, because a clean vessel is ready for its next use. And that’s exactly what Jesus Christ does for us on the cross,” he reportedly shared in a post, per Law & Crime. “So you can trust him that every single time that you make a mistake, he will cleanse you from the inside out if you come to him with repentance, asking not just for forgiveness but a way to turn around and change your life.”
On May 8, 2026, Ryan Greenwood was sentenced to 65 to 80 years in prison for intentional child abuse resulting in death, while his wife was deemed not competent enough to stand trial. She had another competency hearing scheduled for May 14.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
