this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2023
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Rep. Mike Johnson, the newly elected Republican House speaker, used to conduct a seminar in churches premised on the idea that the United States is a “Christian nation.” This ministry, as he has referred to it, is yet more evidence that Johnson is committed to a hardcore Christian fundamentalism that shapes his views of politics and government.

The seminar, titled “Answers for Our Times: Government, Culture, and Christianity,” was organized by Onward Christian Education Services, Inc., a company owned by his wife, Kelly Johnson, a Christian counselor and anti-abortion activist who calls herself a “leader in the pro-family movement.” The website for her counseling service—which was taken down shortly after Johnson became speaker—described the seminar, which featured both her and Johnson, as exploring several questions, such as, “What is happening in America and how do we fix it?” The list includes this query: “Can our heritage as a Christian nation be preserved?” There were different versions of the seminar running from two-hour-long lectures to retreats lasting two days.

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[–] Motavader@lemmy.world 80 points 10 months ago (3 children)

So much for the Constitution, eh, Mike? Can you point to any historical basis for the US being a "Christian nation" or nation of any religion?

Just like the Bible, the guys only cite the Constitution when it suits them, but ignore the rest.

[–] brezel@kbin.social 28 points 10 months ago (2 children)

it says "in god we trust" on the dollar...oh! you mean the actual constitution?

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 41 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Which was added in the 50s in response to us shitting our pants over "godless communists." Even that has no real history

[–] mxcory@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I prefer "E pluribus unum." Why can't I have that on my license plate? I think it should be a better descriptor of what the US is.

Also, "In God we trust," isn't a religious endorsement, if you go with court ruling.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-religion-motto-idUSKCN1LD24K

I personally believe it is, unless you look at "God" in this instance being the money itself. Which could actually track if you wanted.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

The cons want to have it both ways, naturally. Having it on currency provides "proof" that this is an xtian nation and it's also TOTE LEGITZ and doesn't violate the First Amendment!

I've often seen people say that GOD = "Gold, Oil and Diamonds/Drugs" when it comes to it being on currency.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

What's most amusing is that the Christopaths are in general so provincial that when they make such arguments for putting "in god we trust" on our currency, it not only violates a key tenant of their supposed scriptures, but they also fail to realize the "god" in question is not even spelled out.

They just assume the term "god" is equivalent to the Yahweh/Jehovah/Allah of the Abrahamic faiths. That may be the case for their pea-sized brains, I guess...

[–] SpezBroughtMeHere@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

What do you think the reasoning was to put it on our coins in the mid 1800s?

[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Bending the knee to Christians same as now.

[–] SpezBroughtMeHere@lemmy.world -1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Were godless communists a concern then? Or do you think the majority of the population was Christian, so it was widely accepted?

[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 2 points 10 months ago

Are you trying to make a point?

[–] brezel@kbin.social 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

didn't know that, that's interesting.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's about as "historic" as most of those stupid statues put up to honor their Confederate traitors.

The rocket surgeons on the right probably think we should learn about the Constitution from a slogan on currency and history from statues put up to racist traitors.

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 0 points 10 months ago

Or the “under God” they added to the pledge and divided one nation, indivisible

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Also, it doesn't even spell out which god it is. Is it Pan? Zeus? Odin? Shiva?

[–] brezel@kbin.social 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

Sure, why not. Could set up a randomizer and select one from here....

https://www.godchecker.com/search/

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Yep. Not one mention of their favorite character from "the" bible. If anything, the First Amendment DIRECTLY contradicts the so-called "first commandment".

[–] TechyDad@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

The most they get is "endowed by their Creator" in the Declaration of Independence. One word in one document that isn't even an official part of our laws and doesn't refer to a specific "Creator." But they're ready to spin that into "this is really a Christian nation and anyone who isn't Christian or our flavor of Christianity isn't really a citizen!"

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 55 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I find it really weird that they are now walking back all this stuff about his christofascism. When Johnson was asked about some of this directly, he claimed to not remember many of the things he wrote. And here, when they realized all the attention it was getting they took it down.

They're doing damage control over some of his core beliefs, which can never be good for someone who has a political job with a National profile.

[–] Stretch2m@lemm.ee 49 points 10 months ago

I'm already sick of seeing his punchable face in my feed.

[–] Daisyifyoudo@lemmy.world 44 points 10 months ago (3 children)

FUCK THIS GUY AND FUCK THE GOP

Mike Johnson is...

  • Part of the Regressive Religious Right with close ties to fundamentalist religious groups.
  • Early on in his career he was a senior attorney and spokesman for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Conservative christian legal advocacy group that wants to outlaw abortion and suppress the LGBTQ community. Alliance Defending Freedom is designated a hate group.
  • Supports nation wide abortion ban, and an end to legal same sex marriage through the overturning of Obergefell v. Hodges
  • Supports restrictions to medical marijuana and refers to it as a "gateway drug"
  • Like Emmer, he supported and signed on to Texas v Pennsylvania in an effort to challenge the election results
  • He voted to overturn those results in Pennsylvania.
  • Supports an end to military aid to Ukraine.
  • Johnson has remarked that his career is dedicated to "defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and biblical values, including the defense of traditional marriage, and other ideals like these when they’ve been under assault."
  • As a State Rep he sought to put forth legislation that protected people who discriminated against same sex marriage partners.
  • He voted to repeal the ACA
  • Proposed cuts to medicaid and social security
  • Voted for Trump's tax cut legislation that disproportionately benefitted the wealthy.
  • He was 1 out of 147 Republicans to vote to overturn the election results.
  • Voted against a January 6 commission
  • He reportedly does not even believe in climate change
  • One of his committees wrote a statement in support of books on conversion therapy that were recently taken down from Amazon. (So basically a supporter of conversion therapy)
  • He has opposed expanding medical marijuana access in his state and in his defense argued specifically that Marijuana can worsen some health conditions like epilepsy. (The context is important, his views on weed are outdated, he refers to weed as a "gateway drug". He went fishing for whatever he could find and take out of context to support his rigid stance. A study did find some adverse effects with epileptics, however, CBD/medical marijuana is also used in treatments for epilepsy)
  • He voted in favor of Trump's Muslim ban.
  • Has campaigned against LGBTQ rights and anti bullying legislation.
  • He has supported similar legislation to Florida's "don't say gay" bill.
  • Has referred to homosexuality as "unnatural" and a "dangerous lifestyle". He even argued in an editorial in his local Louisiana Newspaper that homosexuality would eventually lead to the destruction of "the entire Democratic system", and the legalization of pedophilia of course.
  • While working for the ADF, he supported criminalizing homosexuality.
  • He has argued in favor of including prayer and religious expression in public schools.

(not mine, but worth sharing and adding to)

[–] PeterPoopshit@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Keep pasting this. Raise awareness. Too many people have no idea how backwards this guy is. If he gets hos way in even some of that stuff it's going to be really bad.

[–] LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So, like, if being gay becomes illegal somehow, will they just round all us gay folks up and put us in jail? I wouldn't be opposed to going back into the closet if it would ensure my freedom.

[–] PizzaMan@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

None of us should ever have to go back. We need to vote them out of office like our lives depend on it. Because they very much may be if the right wing decides to go full Gilead.

[–] LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I'm trying my best and voting against the fuckers. I'm genuinely afraid for myself as a gay woman. I'm afraid for all of my LGBTQ+ friends and family and I'm afraid for every woman I know. I hope this country doesn't go full Gilead.

[–] andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months ago

One bullet-point is missing.

Can he eat a brick? I think he should.

[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 28 points 10 months ago (2 children)

That should instantly disqualify him for holding office.

[–] TimLovesTech@badatbeing.social 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Agreed. We need to start enforcing the separation of Church and State. A politician shouldn't be pushing policy based on some religious belief. Not everyone in the US is Christian, and then among those that do identify as such, you have a hundred branches of groups that didn't like something the trunk was doing and branched off to do their own thing. Basing any policy on something that sub group can't even agree upon seems insane.

Every time these people come out and say we need to do xyz because of some religious belief they have, that policy should be null and void on the spot and that person removed from office.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

To paraphrase many others....those religious rules are for the believers in that religion, not for others. If I'm not in their little book club, I simply don't care what their "god" says, nor do I ever have to be concerned with it, ever. Only they have to listen to their "god". But there is no fun in that for those afflicted with the authoritarian mindset - they want to busybody others and be full-time Karens for everyone in the nation, if not the world.

The freedom of others to not only outright ignore their little bookclub's rules, but also to mock their beliefs is exactly what the Christopaths hate and loathe about this country, though, since it was founded as a secular one. If anyone were to doubt this is not a thing with them, one only need to point out the phenomenon known as "fatwa envy". I think if they are that unhappy about it, they should move somewhere more receptive to their regressive views about ruling over others in the name of their "god".

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Well, Qbert said she's tired of hearing about separation of church and state, meaning she should be disqualified for the same reason, but even after the vaping and the groping on top of that, she's still in office, sadly.

[–] SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 10 months ago

Don't you know? Public indecency is only a crime for democrats.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If there is a certain type of Merrikan that is truly insufferable, it's those that claim this is a xtian country.

This is the first instance of a country that was spelled out as a secular one, in writing. Not one reference to any god or gods, including their Yahweh/Allah/Jehovah. And for the dingleberries that want to hang their argument on the mechanism of dating used (anno domini) - LOL.

[–] TechyDad@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

The closest America comes is in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

"Their Creator" is about as non-denominational as it gets. It's not like it's saying "endowed by Jesus God." It's more of a generic "men are born with these rights" statement than any statement of religion.

Yet the Christian Fundamentalists will point to that and say "See? That means God and clearly it refers to our God so that means it's a Christian country!"

Oh, and a big reason why the US is secular? We broke off from England where the king was the head of the Church. If you weren't part of the Church of England, you were persecuted against. The founding fathers were trying to avoid that in the US.

[–] affiliate@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

imagine my surprise

[–] blanketswithsmallpox@lemmy.world -4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Going off just the headline and not the dog whistling. We are.

Self-identified religious affiliation in the United States (2023)[1]

Protestantism (25%)

Catholicism (19%)

"Just Christian" (18%)

Nothing in particular (16%)

Agnostic (7%)

Atheist (7%)

Judaism (1%)

Buddhism (1%)

Hinduism (1%)

Mormonism (1%)

Islam (1%)

Other (2%)

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States

[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Would you also say the US is a white country? See how that sounds?

He definitely means it in the sense of a country run by and for the benefit of Christians, not just a country where most of the people happen to be Christian. Quit trying to let him off the hook.

[–] blanketswithsmallpox@lemmy.world -3 points 10 months ago

I just love how Lemmings are even better at making up imaginary arguments nobody mentioned just so they can be even more offended than Reddit ever was while completely ignoring any and all context lolcatnip.