Grad student essay contest 2024 — 9th place: Jo Lew

FFRF awarded Joie $400.

By Jo Lew

In 1797, John Adams stated, “the government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” Christian nationalism, at its core, is the belief that the United States is fundamentally a Christian nation, with certain Christian beliefs and values being privileged above others, and that our laws and policies should reflect this supposed divine mandate.

Our Founding Fathers wanted to avoid the entanglement of church and state because they recognized the harm that could arise if the two were intertwined, regardless of whether those beliefs were based on Christianity. Less than 250 years later, we are seeing the unfurling of an extreme wave of Christian nationalism taking over the country.

As a Texan who grew up in the public education system, I have seen how Texas legislators’ success at passing Senate Bill 763 in September 2023 undermined the very vision our forefathers had for our country. This law, among other things, prohibits public schools from teaching about critical race theory and the 1619 Project, while simultaneously mandating the teaching of “the moral, philosophical, and intellectual foundations of the United States and Texas.” By restricting the teaching of critical race theory and the 1619 Project, which examines the historical legacy of slavery and systemic racism in the United States, the law effectively whitewashes our nation’s history and perpetuates a sanitized version of the past.

Additionally, by mandating the teaching of “moral, philosophical, and intellectual foundations,” the law opens the door for the promotion of Judeo-Christian values and principles in public schools, at the expense of secularism and religious pluralism. This intrinsically marginalizes non-Christian students while reinforcing the notion that Christianity is the default faith of American society.

In addition, SB 763 also allows Texas schools to use funds to pay for unlicensed or volunteer chaplains to work in public school mental health roles. Many public schools already struggle to provide quality, secular mental health support for their students, and placing religion in schools is dangerous to the freedom and safety of America’s youth.

Employing predominantly white Christian beliefs to address diverse, secular, intersectional issues will violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and create an environment where non-Christian students and citizens feel like second-class citizens in their own country. Extending the use of Christian nationalism in all spheres of American life will only isolate and disparage non-Christians and create more turmoil for those who don’t subscribe to extreme Christian nationalist beliefs.

Moreover, the intertwining of Christian nationalism with political power can lead to discriminatory policies that harm marginalized communities, including LGBTQ-plus individuals like myself. So-called “religious freedom” laws effectively permit discrimination against LGBTQ-plus individuals under the moniker of individual religious freedom. For instance, businesses have cited religious beliefs as justification for refusing to provide goods or services for same-sex weddings or LGBTQ-plus events in some states. Adoption agencies have also sought to refuse services to LGBTQ-plus couples, prioritizing their organization’s religious beliefs over the interests of homeless children in need of loving families. This is not only a denial of LGBTQ-plus individuals access to essential services but also a denial of their worthiness and humanity.

I, as a queer atheist Texan, oppose Christian nationalism because it undermines the values of inclusivity, diversity and secularism that are an essential part of a thriving, modern democracy. The privileging of specific religious beliefs in the public sphere not only marginalizes non-Christian individuals but also erodes the foundations of our pluralistic society.

It is imperative that we resist the encroachment of Christian nationalism into our politics and actively work toward a society where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their religious beliefs (or lack thereof). If we are going to recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the line “with liberty and justice for all,” then we must reject Christian nationalism and ensure that we embrace the diversity and equality that embodies the American people.

Jo, 23, attends Columbia University and is working toward a degree in human rights studies. “As a SMU graduate with degrees in human rights, political science and public policy, I have dedicated my life to advocacy work and activism through work and education,” Jo writes. “I served in multiple leadership positions at SMU and created the ‘Queer Qollective,’ a collection of projects aimed at increasing the well-being of LGBTQ-plus students.”