In recent events in this country, some see a democratic political system influenced by religion. I see an extreme form of such influence, a government moving toward a fullfledged theocracy.
Would that alarm you? It alarms me.
I believe in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which clearly establish the separation of church and state.
The Founding Fathers understood the danger of religion controlling government—they had just left that behind and fought against that happening in this new country. They secured not only the freedom to practice one’s faith, but also the freedom to choose none at all.
There is no clearer demonstration of the danger of religion controlling government than the memorial service for Charlie Kirk, the popular right-wing leader and founder of Turning Point USA. Several of the speakers fused religion and right-wing politics, as if they are, or should be, one (Elizabeth Dias, “At Kirk Service, an Extraordinary Fusion of Government and Christianity/us/politics/kirk-memorial- service).
Mr. Kirk was part of an evangelical movement seeking to transform this country into a Christian Nationalist government —one where many hard-won rights, such as women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and those for people of color would be subjugated to the tight grip of Christian nationalism.
In this vision, belief in a single savior—Jesus Christ—would determine both one’s standing in government and, supposedly, one’s salvation. Frightening!
Religion has long dictated gender roles, for instance, and women are often the ones subjugated. Evangelicals already accept this. Are the rest of us prepared to do the same?
Leaders such as the Vice President and proponents of Project 2025, the 900-page right-wing plan for changes to the Federal government under Trump, openly claim that women’s rightful place is in the home—bearing and caring for children—and insist that they be excluded from other realms of society.
Is that the world you want?
In a healthy democracy, evangelical families are welcomed, even supported, but so are families and ways of life that don’t fit within the rigid template of “Christian happiness.”
A true democracy does not fear diversity; it welcomes it and thrives on the rich tapestry of cultures it creates.
Our founders didn’t create a perfect system of government—glitches like the electoral college still plague us from time to time—but they were right about stating in our Constitution that church and state should be separate. Both are important parts of American life—but not the same.