The new House speaker called for “Biblically-sanctioned government.”

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.

  • Daisyifyoudo@lemmy.world
    49·
    1 year ago

    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)