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 ā€œChristian nation.ā€ 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 ā€œAnswers for Our Times: Government, Culture, and Christianity,ā€ 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 ā€œleader in the pro-family movement.ā€ The website for her counseling serviceā€”which was taken down shortly after Johnson became speakerā€”described the seminar, which featured both her and Johnson, as exploring several questions, such as, ā€œWhat is happening in America and how do we fix it?ā€ The list includes this query: ā€œCan our heritage as a Christian nation be preserved?ā€ There were different versions of the seminar running from two-hour-long lectures to retreats lasting two days.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    Ā·
    1 year ago

    Yeah, something like ~30% are unaffiliated or outright unbelievers. I look forward to the day when the sum total of xtians is under 50% and all the pandering to xtians can finally just stop. So sick of it. They are welcome to have their faith and practice it in their house or place of worship, but Iā€™m sick of pols that wear it on their sleeves, or worse, assume it is the governmentā€™s role to create more xtians.

    I would say the same thing if Buddhists were >50% and all the pandering was just nonstop to them. Weā€™ll all be better off if no group has a majority and no pol feels compelled to cater to them.

    By the way, itā€™s interesting that ā€œjust Christianā€, Catholicism, Protestantism, and ā€œMormonismā€ are broken out differently - they are all xtians. I mean Protestants have many sub-sects within them, and hardly agree on all the finer points of doctrine.

    • BlanketsWithSmallpox@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      Ā·
      1 year ago

      I remember my mind being blown the first time that I learned China was a largely Atheist country. They have tons of their own issues but even in our media we presume every other nation must be largely god-driven with religious dogma often being one of their defining characteristics.

      Chinese? Must be buddhist! India? Must be Taoist! Japanese? Better have them praying at a shrine with secret christians in the mix.

      I also canā€™t wait. Honestly a lot of the ā€˜Just Christiansā€™ Iā€™ve met are just secret atheists who donā€™t want to upset family too. Or those who managed to brainwash themselves so they donā€™t have to be so scared of oblivion lol. The one part about religion Iā€™m envious of.