Toxic Religiosity

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A buddhist, a priest, and a rabbi walk into the United States Congress in 1789. They are unceremoniously escorted out as the first twelve amendments to the Constitution of the United States are adopted, the first of which very clearly states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Notice the part in bold. That’s the part we’re talking about during this podcast episode. You know who directly opposes that clause in the constitution? Anyone who says that they need to bring the United States government under the Bible. Like the person who said this:

“the founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around.” - Mike Johnson, as quoted in the New York Times

As you can see with the two phrases here, they are in direct opposition to each other. “No law respecting an establishment of religion” means exactly that. Think deeply. What does “an encroaching church” look like in national politics? It looks like bending the will of the people to the dictates of a specific church. And with Mike Johnson’s Southern Baptist views, what does that church look like? Well, it sure isn’t the Church of Satan.

Think about this when you elect your representative. Anyone who puts religion first is out to gut our collective rights. Period.