A new University of Maryland poll finds that 61% of Republicans supported declaring the United States a Christian nation — even though 57% of them also believe such a move would be unconstitutional.
U.S. Christian Majority Likely to Fade
“The United States has long prided itself on people’s freedom to choose whatever religion they like. The majority has long chosen Christianity,” the Washington Post reports.
“By 2070, that may no longer be the case, according to the Pew Research Center. If current trends continue, Christians could make up less than half of the population — and as little as a third — in 50 years.”
“Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated — or ‘nones’ — could make up close to half the population. And the percentage of Americans who identify as Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and adherents of other non-Christian faiths could double.”
Ron DeSantis Using ‘Full Armor of God’ Rhetoric
Miami Herald: “The Republican governor, a strategic politician who is up for reelection in November, is increasingly using biblical references in speeches that cater to those who see policy fights through a morality lens and flirting with those who embrace nationalist ideas that see the true identity of the nation as Christian.”
“He and other Republicans on the campaign trail are blending elements of Christianity with being American and portraying their battle against their political opponents as one between good and evil.”
Said DeSantis: “Put on the full armor of God. Stand firm against the left’s schemes. You will face flaming arrows, but if you have the shield of faith, you will overcome them, and in Florida we walk the line here. And I can tell you this, I have only begun to fight.”
Lauren Boebert Wants ‘Biblical Citizenship’ Test
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) proposed a “biblical citizenship” test in the United States.
Quote of the Day
“When I said that I’m a Christian nationalist, I have nothing to be ashamed of, because that’s what most Americans are.”
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), speaking at CPAC.
The God Gap Helps Explain a ‘Seismic Shift’ in U.S. Politics
David French: “Hispanic Americans also tend to possess strong religious values… That’s exactly why a politics focused on mobilizing by race/ethnicity will not reach them, especially when identity politics is paired with hard-left cultural positions and hostility for traditional religion. Hispanic voters will find a religious connection with many, many white Republicans, and that religious connection can prove far more culturally and politically consequential than any effort to create a politics based on ethnic or racial identity.”
“The disproportionate secularization of white Democrats represents a danger for the Democratic Party, for the country, and for American religion. The danger for the Democrats is clear. America may be more secular than it’s been in generations, but it is still a quite religious country. It’s far more religious than any European nation. It’s far more religious than Canada or the rest of the anglosphere nations. And it’s going to remain extraordinarily religious for the foreseeable future.”
“A party that’s culturally disconnected from (or perhaps even scornful of) traditional religious faith is going to alienate itself from tens of millions of voters it could otherwise reach.”
GOP Candidate Says He’s Running Against the Antichrist
Arizona congressional candidate Jerone Davison (R) declared on a right-wing television show that he is running for office because the Antichrist is “being birthed and manifested through the Democrat Party.”
The Far-Right Christian Quest for Power
New York Times: “Mr. Mastriano’s ascension in Pennsylvania is perhaps the most prominent example of right-wing candidates for public office who explicitly aim to promote Christian power in America. The religious right has long supported conservative causes, but this current wave seeks more: a nation that actively prioritizes their particular set of Christian beliefs and far-right views and that more openly embraces Christianity as a bedrock identity.”
“Many dismiss the historic American principle of the separation of church and state. They say they do not advocate a theocracy, but argue for a foundational role for their faith in government. Their rise coincides with significant backing among like-minded grass-roots supporters, especially as some voters and politicians blend their Christian faith with election fraud conspiracy theories, QAnon ideology, gun rights and lingering anger over Covid-related restrictions.”
Georgia Monument Destroyed in Explosion
A rural Georgia monument that some conservative Christians criticized as satanic and others dubbed “America’s Stonehenge” was demolished Wednesday after a predawn bombing turned one of its four granite panels into rubble, NPR reports.
Pope Francis Denies He’s Planning to Resign
“Pope Francis has dismissed reports that he plans to resign in the near future, saying he is on track to visit Canada this month and hopes to be able to go to Moscow and Kyiv as soon as possible after that,” Reuters reports.
Florida Tells Teachers Religion Belongs in Schools
A new civics training program for public school teachers in Florida says it is a “misconception” that “the founders desired strict separation of church and state,” the Washington Post reports.
FBI Opens Sweeping Probe of Clergy Sex Abuse
“The FBI has opened a widening investigation into sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans going back decades, a rare federal foray into such cases looking specifically at whether priests took children across state lines to molest them,” the AP reports.
Lauren Boebert Blasts Separation of Church and State
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) told worshipers at a religious service: “The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church. That is not how our Founding Fathers intended it.”
She added: “I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk that’s not in the Constitution. It was in a stinking letter, and it means nothing like what they say it does.” Her comments were first reported by the Denver Post.
Supreme Court Sides With Coach Over Prayers
“The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a high school football coach had a constitutional right to pray at the 50-yard line after his team’s games,” the New York Times reports.
“The vote was 6 to 3, with the court’s three liberal members in dissent.”
“The case pitted the rights of government workers to free speech and the free exercise of their faith against the Constitution’s prohibition of government endorsement of religion and the ability of public employers to regulate speech in the workplace. The decision was in tension with decades of Supreme Court precedents that forbade pressuring students to participate in religious activities.”
Josh Hawley Thinks Abortion Ruling Will Strengthen GOP
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) predicted that people will base where they live on whether abortion is allowed, the Kansas City Star reports.
Said Hawley: “I would predict that the effect is going to be that more and more red states are going to become more red, purple states are going to become red and the blue states are going to get a lot bluer.”
He added: “And I would look for Republicans as a result of this to extend their strength in the Electoral College. And that’s very good news.”
A Pro-Religion Court
Ian Prasad Philbrick: “The Supreme Court has become the most pro-religion it’s been since at least the 1950s, and it appears to include the six most pro-religion justices since at least World War II.”
“Yesterday’s ruling striking down a Maine law that blocked taxpayer dollars from funding religious school tuition furthered a transformation decades in the making. Since John Roberts became chief justice in 2005, the court has ruled in favor of religious organizations in orally argued cases 83 percent of the time. That is far more than any court in the past seven decades — all of which were led by chief justices who, like Roberts, were appointed by Republican presidents.”
Justices Reject Maine’s Ban on Aid to Religious Schools
“The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Maine may not exclude religious schools from a state tuition program,” the New York Times reports.
“The decision, from a court that has grown exceptionally receptive to claims from religious people and groups in a variety of settings, was the latest in a series of rulings requiring the government to aid religious institutions on the same terms as other private organizations.”
“The vote was 6 to 3, with the court’s three liberal justices in dissent.”
Washington Post: “The case involves an unusual program in a small state that affects only a few thousand students. But it could have greater implications as the more conservative court relaxes the constitutional line between church and state.”
Herschel Walker Cheered by Evangelicals
“Herschel Walker received resounding applause from evangelical Christian activists on Saturday, following revelations he had fathered three children he had not previously discussed publicly,” Politico reports.
“The reception Walker received at the conference is an early indication that self-identified religious conservatives will give him a pass for a biographical detail at odds with their stated mission.”
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