The Fascism of Faith Month in the US Congress

U.S. Representative Mary Miller led a cadre of Christian Nationalists in Congress to observe Faith Month on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives this April. At times, the group claimed simply to want to promote the general principle of faith, but it quickly became apparent that the politicians were advocating for political power for Christians only, marginalizing Americans of other faiths.

Congressman Andrew Clyde made the Christian Nationalist character of Faith Month plain, saying, "During Faith Month, we celebrate the enduring power of the Bible as god’s revelation to his creation" . There were no Muslims celebrating the Koran, no Buddhists celebrating the Baghavad Gita. The supposedly generic Ceremonial Deist notion of faith was a term to be used by Christians only, for the sake of Christian power.

Mary Miller herself limited Faith Month to "Judeo-Christian" religion, but there were no Jews involved. Faith Month in Congress was a Christians-only event. Progressive Christian members of Congress were also not to be seen. One after another, the Christian Nationalists attacked the idea that the USA should have a government of the people, advocating instead for a theocratic government controlled by Christian preachers acting in lieu of the always-invisible, always-silent Christian god.

U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger demanded that all members of Congress obey the god of Christian Nationalism, saying, "We are to believe what the Bible says and we are to obey it."

U.S. Representative Rick Allen argued that only Christians should enjoy the freedoms of the U.S. Constitution, because "you cannot have virtue without faith." Then, Congressman Allen quoted a parable about Jesus having the magical power to control the weather as justification for his policy of obstructing all legislation to deal with the crisis of climate change.

Representative Miller extended Allen's regressive Christian Nationalist platform by arguing that American children should be taught Creationism rather than chemistry and physics, and demanding that same-sex marriages be outlawed.

Over and over again, the Christian Nationalist members of Congress insisted that the federal government be made subject to archaic Christian religious laws, and declared that the government should no longer be under the control of American citizens, but be made a tool of totalitarian Christian power.

There was no secular response to the Christian Nationalist Faith Month in either house of Congress because, although about 35% of Americans are non-religious, fewer than 4% of members of Congress are non-religious. Gerrymandering, the unrepresentative structure of the Senate, and corrupt political campaigning by Christian Nationalist churches give Christians power in Congress far beyond their prevalence in American society as a whole.

To hear more about the Christian Fascist messages made in Congress during Faith Month, listen to the latest episode of the podcast Stop Christian Nationalism.