The many faces of Christian nationalism

This article is from the FFRF Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) lobbying entity which reimburses FFRF for the space in Freethought Today. For more information about the FFRF Action Fund, go to ffrfaction.org.

By Ryan Jayne and Ryan Dudley

As the dust settles on many states’ legislative sessions, and legislators across the country prepare for summer vacation, we must take stock of what has changed over the past five tumultuous months. While there have been some positive developments, the overall picture is decidedly grim: Christian nationalists managed to push their agenda in a wide variety of forms in state legislatures all over the country. Here are some of the biggest trends we’ve seen, and how they are related.

Abortion

The first shocking advancement of Christian nationalist ideology is the predictable assault on reproductive autonomy, especially abortion access, since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. So-called “trigger” bans sprang into effect in many states, including FFRF’s home state of Wisconsin, and many other states rushed to pass new bans. In these states, the terrifying reality is that anti-abortion legislators are only open to debate on whether the ban should be set at 12 weeks or six, or perhaps whether the ban should begin at conception or at fertilization. Oklahoma’s ban, for instance, is so sweeping that it may even include some forms of contraception.

Late-session bans passed in both North and South Carolina leave those in southern states particularly vulnerable, where individuals may have to travel thousands of miles to receive care. And this is all despite the fact that voters don’t want this. Nearly 60 percent of Kansas voters rejected a proposed anti-abortion constitutional amendment last fall, yet Kansas legislators still passed a 22-week abortion ban this legislative session. Legislators know their policies do not align with the will of the people. This is how you can tell it’s truly Christian nationalism at work: Theocratic legislators know that inserting their religious beliefs into state law is bad politics, but they’re doing it anyway. To them, the opportunity to regain dominance over women’s bodies and reproductive autonomy is too alluring to pass up.

LGBTQ rights

Another relentless assault from Christian nationalists is aimed at the LGBTQ community, and against trans individuals in particular. While last year’s obsession with banning trans athletes from public school sports has persisted, this year saw an increased focus on banning gender-affirming care, which is to say that even if a transgender patient, their parents and their doctor all agree that hormone therapy (for example) would be beneficial, the state is inserting itself into that medical discussion and prohibiting that type of care. 

Currently, 19 states restrict best practice medical care for at least some transgender people, and another 20 have considered such bills recently. As with abortion restrictions, we see lawmakers, who often claim to champion individual freedoms and “small government,” butting into individual medical decisions.

And for what? It’s certainly not for the well-being of patients involved. It is beyond dispute that failing to provide gender-affirming care is seriously dangerous to trans kids, and the whole point of medical autonomy is that patients and doctors can weigh benefits and risks based on the latest research. The real motivation is obvious if you listen to legislators behind these bills, and it’s the same reason they have always opposed same-sex marriage: They believe in a binary world where the notion of gender deviating from one’s sex assigned at birth, such as same-sex attraction, is unacceptable. And the root of this anti-scientific view is, of course, religious. 

Vouchers

One threat to Christian nationalists is a well-educated populace that can see through their vacuous rhetoric and vote them out of office. It’s thus only logical that they seek to undermine secular public education and to promote religious indoctrination. Vouchers are a perfect fit. They divert taxpayer money from public schools into the bank accounts of private religious schools, under the unassuming banner of “school choice.” 

In addition to the obvious state/church implications of forcing taxpayers to pay for sectarian religious education, we have no convincing evidence that vouchers help students academically. But, we do know that existing voucher schemes primarily benefit students who already attended private schools and are susceptible to fraud and abuse, enriching private schools and lawmakers alike with taxpayer dollars. We also know that modern vouchers grew out of an attempt to maintain racial segregation in American schools. 

Still, many American voters fall for the warped perspective that voucher programs help low-income students escape failing public schools. That inaccurate sales pitch has led to new voucher programs, or expansions to existing programs, in at least nine states this year. In a transparent money grab, Catholic schools in Iowa instantly raised their tuition to match the amount of public funds made available under the new scheme.

Parental rights

Another assault on public schools is conducted under the false banner of “parental rights.” First championed in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” law, many other states have followed suit. The prohibition on discussing sexual orientation in any capacity has proven to be a winning idea in conservative states. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law an education overhaul bill that, among other awful provisions, prohibits classroom instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation before fifth grade. Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina and Oklahoma are just a few of the other states that have either passed, or introduced, similar bills this session. FFRF Action Fund warned of these bills earlier this year. 

Copycat laws, like Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, not only place a prohibition on classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, but they often allow for the censorship of books that are perceived to be inappropriate for students. The effects of the reckless law were seen recently in Florida when a mother, who admitted she hadn’t read the book she was attempting to ban, successfully petitioned a library to remove a book because of an objectively innocuous poem.

PEN America reports over 1,400 book bans, affecting 874 unique titles, implemented or introduced during the 2022–23 school year. According to the report, 74 percent are the result of organized efforts of advocacy groups, elected officials and/or enacted legislation. A group called Moms for Liberty is connected to 58 percent of all advocacy-led book bans around the country. PEN America says there is an expanded censorship of themes centered on race, history, sexual orientation and gender. Christian nationalists associated with groups like Moms for Liberty have become increasingly emboldened by state laws that tout parental rights. Make no mistake about it, however: So-called “parental rights” bills are detrimental to our public education system and do a disservice to our children.

Texas

And then there’s Texas. The only good thing about the Texas legislative session is that it’s over, and we don’t have to worry about it until 2025. Christian nationalists, such as Sens. Mayes Middleton and Brandon Creighton and Reps. Briscoe Cain, Cole Hefner and Steve Toth, were working hard this session to turn Texas into the Christian theocracy they so deeply desire. They tried to enact a law that would require a version of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom. They sought to allow public school employees the right to engage in religious speech or prayer while on duty. And they successfully passed a bill that would allow school districts to employ, or accept as volunteers, uncredentialed chaplains to take the place of school counselors and social workers.

Promising trends

The 2023 state legislative sessions weren’t all packed with doom and gloom. Legislators in some states decided to counter the Christian nationalist agenda by introducing or passing legislation that would do good things. Vermont became the eighth state to ban marriage for anyone under 18 years of age, and Michigan and Connecticut are on the verge of following suit. Nevada passed a medical-aid-in-dying bill, although it’s likely to be vetoed. These bills allow terminally ill patients to die on their own terms and with the dignity they deserve. Many other states are considering similar bills. 

In addition to supporting these legislative trends, FFRF Action Fund proactively took on the issue of secular recovery in Michigan. It worked closely with legislators in Michigan to draft a bill requiring judges to offer secular options alongside traditional 12-step substance abuse recovery programs. The bill was recently introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives. The Michigan Legislature is one of 10 full-time legislatures, so time is on our side in getting this bill passed.

Looking ahead

Christian nationalists know that demographic trends are against them, and they are scrambling to pass long-lasting bills that will allow them to cling to power and control other people’s lives. Secular voters and activists must stand at the vanguard of the opposition, and we must vigorously advance proactive legislation where we can. It’s going to be a long fight ahead, but it’s a fight worth the effort to win.

Ryan Jayne is FFRF’s senior policy counsel and Ryan Dudley is FFRF’s state advocacy specialist.