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Mike Johnson
James Michael Johnson (born January 30, 1972) is an American politician serving as the 56th speaker of the United States House of Representatives since October 25, 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Johnson is in his fourth House term, having represented Louisiana's 4th congressional district since 2017. Johnson is a devoted Southern Baptist and conservative Christian whose worldview heavily influences his politics. He advocates a biblical worldview, which he says guides his political stance. His views are socially conservative, focusing on opposing abortion and same-sex marriage, and he holds to, for example, creationism. Johnson has said that his political ideology is entirely shaped by the Bible, telling reporters to "go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it" when asked about his views. He is identified as a fundamentalist Christian who holds, for instance, creationist views (believing the Earth was created 6,000 years ago) and opposes the separation of church and state, holding the belief that the U.S. is a Christian nation, say Mother Jones and U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman (.gov). Johnson is deeply rooted in conservative evangelicalism, opposing abortion—which he has called a "holocaust"—and same-sex marriage. He formerly worked for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal group that opposes LGBTQ+ rights, say NPR and CBS News. His rise to speaker was applauded by many conservative Christian activists. He has been described as having ties to, for example, the Christian nationalism movement, which asserts that the U.S. is a Christian nation. Johnson sees no distinction between his faith and his public life, saying they are inseparable. However, upon becoming speaker, he has stated that he respects the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage as settled law. His strict, bible-based approach to policy has been described as "scriptural originalism," aiming to infuse Christian principles into law, according to The Guardian and U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman.
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Catholic and Baptist Scholars Critique Christian Nationalism at Villanova Conference During a recent appearance on Fox News, Speaker Mike Johnson was asked to respond to a comment that he’s aiding a “Christian Nationalist crusade” to undermine the United States’ heritage of church-state separation. He responded with the tired claim of suggesting that those who oppose him are just godless (and thus apparently shouldn’t be listened to). “The people who are the naysayers and who have created this new term of ‘Christian Nationalism’ as a pejorative, a derogatory term, are trying to silence the influence and the voices of Christians, and I think that’s wildly inappropriate,” he declared on the morning of the so-called “Rededicate 250” event that pushed Christian Nationalist myths about U.S. history. Let’s put aside his absurd claim that the term “Christian Nationalism” is new (simply because he’s just learned about something doesn’t make it new). The even more inaccurate allegation is that those who critique Christian Nationalism just want to silence Christians. Johnson’s either lying or isn’t paying attention because many who challenge Christian Nationalism, like me, do so as Christians who remain deeply concerned about the integrity of the Christian witness. (Word & Way 6.4.26)READMORE>>>>>> Pastors Say House Speaker Urged Churches to Mobilize for Upcoming Midterm Elections The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) announced in a press release that it is investigating reports that House Speaker Mike Johnson has been engaging pastors ahead of the upcoming U.S. House of Representatives midterm elections. FFRF is a nonprofit organization that advocates for church-state separation and educates the public on matters relating to nontheism. As The Wild Hunt reported last month, Rededicate 250 was promoted by organizers as a “National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving” in advance of the United States’ 250th anniversary. Organized through the Freedom 250 initiative in coordination with the White House Task Force 250, the event drew criticism from church-state separation advocates and interfaith organizations who argued that it blurred the line between religion and government. Critics pointed to the combination of Christian worship, nationalist imagery, and participation by senior government officials as evidence of growing Christian nationalist influence in American public life. (The Wild Hunt 6.2.26)READMORE>>>>>> Americans want to rebuild the wall between church and state The gathering, ostensibly to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, was dominated by Christian nationalist leaders, and included some Trump Cabinet members, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is the subject of religious discrimination complaints from active troops for his constant invocation of Jesus Christ, and for Hegseth’s “voluntary” monthly prayer meetings at the Pentagon. House Speaker Mike Johnson also attended the rally, as did the Rev. Franklin Graham and the Rev. Robert Jeffress, who has embraced the label “Christian nationalist.” “If being a Christian nationalist means loving Jesus Christ and loving America,” Jeffress said, “count me in.” (Actually, that is not what it means at all. More on that in a moment.) (LA Times 5.31.26)READMORE>>>>>> Trump Begins Branding America’s 250th Anniversary as a Christian Celebration Speakers at the event, which I checked out on Sunday, included House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who controversially used a prayer service to ask God for “overwhelming violence against enemies” in the US war against Iran. Trump also addressed attendees via video.(Mother Jones 5.17.26)READMORE>>>>> Reading scripture with Augustine Interestingly, one of the most helpful people in our historical quiver is St. Augustine—the very same bishop that Vice President Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson are fond of quoting. Early in the administration, Vance claimed that Augustine teaches us to order our loves with the foundation of family first, neighbor next, and immigrant last. Augustine taught no such thing, as the pope clarified. More recently Augustine’s just war theory has been invoked to legitimate a campaign that the administration hesitates to call a war, and that by no evaluation against the criteria of the theory could possibly be said to be just. Augustine gets a bad rap in my neck of the Christian woods too. He’s dismissed as one of those old church fathers, presumed to be White—despite the fact that he was a North African with Berber Indigenous roots on his mother’s side, one whose first language was Punic. Justo González charts this history well in The Mestizo Augustine. And add to your Augustine reading list Catherine Conybeare’s beautiful new Augustine the African. (Christian Century 5.15.26)READMORE>>>>> Trump administration will join a prayer gathering criticized for promoting Christian nationalism Organizers expect thousands of people to attend Rededicate 250, which will include worship music, prayers and speeches from Cabinet heads and other Republican officials, along with religious leaders and others. Trump and several other speakers are addressing the crowd by video, while others will speak in person. The scheduled participants include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “Our founders knew two simple truths,” Hegseth said in a promotional video for the event featuring a montage of Cabinet secretaries. “Our rights don’t come from government, they come from God. And a nation is only as strong as its faith,” added Hegseth, whose use of Christian rhetoric to justify the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran and in other official settings has drawn scrutiny. (Fox21 5.14.26)READMORE>>>>> House speaker defends role of religion in public life at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended the role of religion in public life during comments March 19 at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington. "Religion in the public sphere happens to be one of my favorite topics," Johnson, who is an evangelical Christian, said, adding, "I'm convinced it's one of the most misunderstood issues in American public life." Citing Thomas Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists that refers to "a wall of separation between Church & State," Johnson argued some "take that phrase and they turn it around." "Jefferson clearly did not mean at all to keep religion from influencing our government," Johnson said, arguing that "the founders wanted to protect the Church and the religious practice of citizens from an encroaching state, not the other way around." (National Catholic Registry 4.20.26)READMORE>>>>>> Johnson says he told Trump to take down image of president-as-Jesus Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Tuesday he asked that President Donald Trump take down an AI-generated image he’d posted on social media depicting himself as Jesus. “I did ask him to delete it,” Johnson said.The picture Trump posted late Sunday featured him in flowing robes touching his hand to the forehead of a sick man in a hospital bed, flanked by a nurse, a soldier and a Trump supporter looking toward him with reverence. It came the same day Trump blasted the Pope as being “WEAK on crime.” (Politico; 4.12.26)READMORE>>>>>> Marjorie Taylor Greene questions Mike Johnson’s Christianity as she calls GOP leaders 'terrified cowards' The former Georgia Congresswoman appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown to talk about the ceasefire deal in Iran and why the president's behavior is "absolute madness."Blitzer said to Greene, “We really didn't hear the Republican leadership respond to President Trump’s threat to eliminate an entire civilization. We did, however, see many democrats join you in calling for President Trump’s removal from office.” He then asked what she made of the situation. (Irish Star; 4.9.26)READMORE>>>>>> Christian nationalism versus actual Christianity But the question to Christian nationalists should be this: Which Christianity do you want to endorse? Which Bible do we teach? The Catholic one or the Protestant one? Is Christianity the Catholic faith of Vice President JD Vance, which tells us to pray to Mother Mary and venerate the saints? Is Christianity the Protestant faith of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) which tells us that a personal relationship with God is all we need for salvation? What do we teach children about denominations? Which one is right? Why are the others wrong? (The Hill; 4.7.26)READMORE>>>>>> 
It is, of course, a central premise of Judeo-Christian teaching that strangers should be treated with kindness and hospitality. We are each called to love God first and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Deut. 6:5, Lev. 19:18, Matt. 22:36-40, KJV). However, that “Greatest Commandment” was never directed to the government, but to INDIVIDUAL believers.
The Bible teaches that God ordained and created four distinct spheres of authority— (1) the individual, (2) the family, (3) the church, and (4) civil government—and each of these spheres is given different responsibilities. For example, while each INDIVIDUAL is accountable for his or her own behavior (e.g., Exodus 20), the FAMILY is commanded to “bring up children in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4) and “provide for their relatives” (1 Tim. 5:8). The CHURCH is commanded to make disciples and equip people for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-13), and the CIVIL GOVERNMENT is established to faithfully uphold and enforce the law so that order can be maintained in this fallen world, crime can be kept at bay, and people can live peacefully (Rom. 13, 1 Tim. 2:1-2). To be properly understood, anytime a command is given in Scripture, one must first determine to WHOM that command is directed. For example, when Jesus taught us as His followers to practice mercy and forgiveness and to “turn the other cheek” (Matt. 5:38-40, KJV), He was not giving that command to the government. To the contrary, when government officials ignore crime, they are directly VIOLATING their responsibilities before God. Indeed, the civil authorities are specifically charged to do justice, to ”bear the sword,” and to serve as “the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” (Rom. 13:1-4, KJV). As the Bible warns: “When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.” (Ecc. 8:11, TLB) Read in its context, the passage in Leviticus 19 makes perfect sense. Showing love and kindness to a stranger was not a command given to civil government, but instead to individual believers. That same principle is emphasized in the New Testament. When Jesus spoke of embracing, caring, and providing for “the least of these” (E.g., Matt. 25:31-40), His instruction was given to His disciples, and not the local authorities. The Bible is clear that Christians should practice personal charity—but also insist upon the enforcement of laws (like our federal immigration statutes) so that “every person is subject to the governing authorities” and “those who resist incur judgment” (Rom. 13:1-2). --Rep Mike Johnson Facebook Post 2.3.26 How to housebreak an elephant: Christian nationalism, the Iran War, and the art of truth-telling Naming the elephants: Christian nationalism and holy war. To illustrate, I want to momentarily explore Christian nationalism and the Iran War. (I really don’t mean to use the elephant symbol as a substitute for anything MAGA. Though in this case, it seems to turn out that way. “Elephant in the room” is really non-partisan!) So many MAGA leaders directly or indirectly embrace the tenets of the elephant called Christian nationalism: Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s nominee for DHS Secretary, Speaker Mike Johnson, to name four. For many, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is one of the toxic organizations behind a fierce determination to make the Iran War into a “Holy War,” another elephant. (Favs News; 3.23.26)READMORE>>>>>> House speaker defends role of religion in public life at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast "Religion in the public sphere happens to be one of my favorite topics," Johnson, who is an evangelical Christian, said, adding, "I'm convinced it's one of the most misunderstood issues in American public life." Citing Thomas Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists that refers to "a wall of separation between Church & State," Johnson argued some "take that phrase and they turn it around." "Jefferson clearly did not mean at all to keep religion from influencing our government," Johnson said, arguing that "the founders wanted to protect the Church and the religious practice of citizens from an encroaching state, not the other way around." "Our founders understood that a free society and a healthy republic depend upon religious and moral virtue; not only because these things help prevent the abuse of power, but also because those convictions make it possible to preserve our central freedom," he said. (NCR; 3.20.26)READMORE>>>>>> Why America needs evangelicals on the Supreme Court — and more Evangelicals are 23 percent of U.S. adults and one of the most loyal Republican voting blocs, with 81 percent backing Donald Trump in 2024. Yet despite six of the nine Supreme Court justices being appointed by Republican presidents, there are no evangelicals on the Supreme Court.This is just one of the many elite institutions in which evangelicals are absent or underrepresented. Evangelicals have excelled in politics, producing figures such as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). They are also prominent in well-run and profitable businesses with relatively low cultural impact, such as food processing (Tyson Foods) and retail (Hobby Lobby). But they are all but absent from the leadership of prestigious universities, major foundations, Big Tech companies, leading financial firms and large media companies. (Washington Post; 3.7.26)READMORE>>>>>> 400 Christian leaders urge resistance to Trump administration on Ash Wednesday The letter also appears to make a thinly veiled critique of House Speaker Speaker Mike Johnson, a Southern Baptist who published a theological defense of Trump’s mass deportation efforts earlier this month. Whereas Johnson argues that the biblical call to welcome the stranger is directed to individual Christians instead of governments, the signers of the letter say otherwise. “Jesus gives His final test of discipleship in Matthew 25:31-46, making clear that the measure of our faith is revealed in how we treat those who are hungry, thirsty, sick, strangers, or imprisoned,” the letter reads. “To say, as some do, that this passage is only about taking care of fellow Christians is an incorrect theological interpretation. It is for the nations, ethnoi, for all peoples.” (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>> Catholic congressional Dems rebuke Mike Johnson's biblical defense of ICE Some 40-plus Catholic Democrats in Congress have issued what amounts to a theological rebuke of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s scriptural defense for President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, outlining a series of religious principles as a deadline looms for lawmakers to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The group’s Friday (Feb. 13) statement, led by Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and shared first with Religion News Service, lists a series of ideals drawn from Catholic social teaching that the lawmakers say they consider when approaching immigration issues. “First, we affirm that people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families,” the statement reads. “Sacred Scripture consistently reminds us of our obligation toward the vulnerable and displaced. Jesus himself identifies with the migrant when he says, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’” (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>> Disciples of Colorado Christian-Right Leader in Congress Handed Power to Trump Last Year In January 2025, Republicans enjoyed a unified government with the White House, Senate and House under GOP control, but leaders were far from unified in a year that included a 43-day government shutdown, the longest in history. House Speaker Mike Johnson then continued to keep the House on an extended hiatus. Meanwhile, the Senate took 659 votes, the most in modern history, according to Scripps News. Under Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the chamber approved 417 Trump nominees in record time. Both Johnson and Thune are evangelical Christians and disciples of James Dobson, the politically active Focus on the Family founder who died in August 2025. Johnson worked under Dobson as one of the first attorneys for legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, which Dobson helped found in 1984. Johnson called Dobson “a personal hero of mine” and “a singular figure in my life” who “did more for our cause than arguably anyone in generation” at Dobson’s October memorial service. Thune was elected in 2004 after Dobson used his platform at Focus on the Family and a new political organization called Focus on the Family Action to support Thune and five other GOP Senate candidates, all of whom won. (Colorado Times Recorder; 1.30.26) READMORE>>>>> 2025 in Review At the start of this year — on Jan. 3 — I broke the story about Speaker Mike Johnson falsely claiming from the podium of the U.S. House of Representatives to have a prayer that Thomas Jefferson “recited every day during his presidency and each day afterward until he died.” That would’ve been quite a feat for Jefferson since the prayer that Johnson then read wasn’t written until decades after Jefferson’s death. A few days later, I unpacked the previously untold story of this prayer and how it was erroneously tied to Jefferson. Earlier this month, I broke the story about who has preached so far at each of the monthly Christian prayer services at the Pentagon this year. Then I broke the story about what was said at the first monthly prayer service at the Department of Labor. While MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and CNN later reported on the Labor service, they did so based only on what others said about it (including me). The only report based on actually watching the service didn’t come from national TV networks but from this newsletter. .(Word & Way; 12.30.25) READMORE>>>>> 'See no evil': How Mike Johnson is repeatedly 'playing dumb' to protect Trump When MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) tried to oust Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) as House speaker in May 2024, she got a backlash not only from fellow Republicans, but also, from Democrats. The House voted 359-43 to keep Johnson as speaker, and many House Democrats — policy differences and all — helped save him from the fate that ousted ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) suffered. But much has changed since then. Joe Biden is no longer president, Donald Trump has been back in the White House for 11 months, and Greene's argument that Trump has betrayed the America First agenda has made her persona non grata among his unwavering loyalists — one of whom is Johnson. (AlterNet; 12.25.25)READMORE>>>>>> |
 Timothy Head
“Speaker Johnson has demonstrated his commitment to defending freedom, protecting life, and promoting limited government. We look forward to seeing the House get back to serving the American people under his leadership.” --Timothy Head; Executive director of Faith & Freedom Coalition 10/25/23
 Jen Psaki
"The Bible doesn't just inform his worldview, it is his worldview.....In fact, during his first speech in his new job, Johnson suggested that his election as speaker was an act of God. (His policy positions) as "essentially what you'd expect from a religious fundamentalist; they're more divisive than they are divine."
-Jen Psaki  Franklin Graham
“Congratulations to Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana who was just elected as Speaker of the House! He had unanimous Republican support. Last night after he was elected, he asked the entire GOP to stop and bow their heads and pray with him. That is so great to see.....Johnson is “God’s man for this job,” calling on people “to stop right now and pray for him—that God would protect him and his family and God would use him to help lead our nation through these troubled times.” --Franklin Graham
“I don’t believe there are any coincidences. I believe that the Bible is very clear that God has ordained and allowed each one us to be brought here for this specific moment and this time.” -Rep Mike Johnson 10/25/23
 Tony Perkins
“Mike has been a friend for a long time, and I believe God has answered our prayers with his election. Mike will be the America First Speaker we need and will lead with spiritual insight and political courage. Join me in giving thanks to God and covering our new Speaker in prayer.”
--Tony Perkins; Twitter 10/25/23 October 25, 2023: Nebraska Examiner reported: Before a relatively short time in elected office, new U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana was a constitutional lawyer deeply involved in religious causes.
Prior to a short stint in the Louisiana Legislature, Johnson spent two decades as a public interest lawyer mainly representing clients in so-called religious liberty litigation, he said in an interview with C-SPAN shortly after joining Congress in 2017. He worked in private practice for the Kitchens Law Firm in North Louisiana, and also did work for the conservative Christian group Alliance Defending Freedom, according to a 2015 article in the New Orleans Time-Picayune. "He raised up each of you, all of us," Johnson said to his Republican and Democrat colleagues. "I believe that God has ordained and allowed each one of us to be brought here for this specific moment and this time."
"This is my belief. I believe that each one of us has a huge responsibility today to use the gifts that God has given us to serve the extraordinary people of this great country and they deserve it." -- Mike Johnson on his first day at official House leader 10/26/23  Amanda Tyler
"In his first act as speaker, Johnson claimed God gave each member of the U.S. House authority. As a Christian, I reject Christian lawmakers using language that alienates and excludes lawmakers and Americans of different faiths from the political process. While it is common for people of faith to feel called to their vocations, Americans dedicated to religious freedom for all are understandably alarmed by elected officials claiming to be God's chosen. A growing number of Christians, and I am one of them, feel a religious imperative to stand against Christian nationalism...Conflating religious authority with political authority is idolatrous. In his (Rep Mike Johnsons)first act as speaker, Johnson claimed God gave each member of the U.S. House authority. As a Christian, I reject Christian lawmakers using language that alienates and excludes lawmakers and Americans of different faiths from the political process. While it is common for people of faith to feel called to their vocations, Americans dedicated to religious freedom for all are understandably alarmed by elected officials claiming to be God's chosen."
--Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism; Oct 2023  Richard G Lee
“Finally, an Evangelical Christian becomes speaker of the house. In spite of all the complaining it seems that the wait for a new speaker was a wise thing to do. When Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson stepped to the podium of the U.S. House of Representatives with the Bible cradled in his hand, and spoke boldly about how ‘the best days of America’ could be ahead, it seemed not to be an empty campaign promise, but a word of hope for the future of all Americans.”
--Richard Lee, President and speaker for There’s Hope America broadcasting media. 10.26.23  Jen Psaki
“Another deeply religious conservative Republican just ascended to the speakership… The problem with Johnson isn’t at all his faith. He is entitled to his personal beliefs as everyone is…even if they come from the 18th century.” -Jen Psaki 10/28/23
 Andrew Seidel
“The goal is to move away from the words carved into the Supreme Court building, ‘equal justice under law’ and towards legal supremacy for the ‘right’ kind of conservative Christian. The goal of Johnson’s Christian Nationalism is to rewrite or redefine the Constitution so that it creates two classes of people: the right kind of conservative Christian, and everyone else. Conservative, White, heteronormative, Christian men will become the favored in-group that the law protects, but does not bind. Everyone else will be the disfavored out-group, the others, which the law binds, but does not protect.....(Johnson) sends an alarming signal to the country. Amy Coney Barrett taught ADF fellowships and was promoted to the Supreme Court. Josh Hawley did the same and is now a US Senator. Now Mike Johnson, who worked for this same group, is in the presidential line of succession. It’s terrifying.”
-Andrew Seidel; Vice President of Strategic Communications for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. 11/5/23 
"Obviously, this is an increasingly hostile culture. We all know that. We need to understand why that is, and we need to commit to do our part to confront it. The kingdom of God allows aggression. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. We are a people of hope...A real question for us and not a rhetorical one is, how should Christians respond to all of this? Let me ask it directly: In the face of all this chaos, how should a 21st-century follower of Christ respond? Should a Christian fight? There's a lot of misunderstanding about this principle, right? Wait, I thought we were just supposed to turn the other cheek. Well, there's a time to every purpose under heaven; there's a time for war. There is a time when you must stand up and contend for the faith. You have to defend. You have to fight for the truth, you have to fight for your families, and we need to understand how we're supposed to fight. But first, we have to ask this preliminary question: Should we? Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. There's nothing on Earth that is a greater threat to the principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this world than a bunch of well-equipped, well-prepared, highly motivated Christian soldiers who are charging forward with their blazing lights for the Kingdom." --Rep Mike Johnson; Truth Be Told podcast hosted by Johnson and his wife, Kelly, was recorded just before Easter Sunday in 2022 at the "Answers for Women Conference" in Kentucky
“I would say because the fact is very simple: There is not an open effort to silence and censor the viewpoints of other religions, It is only and always the Christian viewpoint that is getting censored. The fact is the left is always trying to shut down the voices of the Christians.” --Rep Mike Johnson on his podcast “Pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.” --Rep Mike Johnson to Sean Hannity
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Mike Johnson Doesn’t Know ... Church-State Edition
One would think Speaker Mike Johnson has a lot of extra time these days to learn about what’s happening in the world. After all, he’s kept the House of Representatives in recess since Sept. 19. He and other lawmakers are still getting paid while not working during this record-longest government shutdown, even as other government employees — like air traffic controllers — are working but not getting paid.
Johnson seems to be keeping the House out so he can use that as an excuse to not swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat who won a special election in Arizona on Sept. 23. She now holds the record for the longest wait to be sworn in. Once she’s officially a member, she’ll be the last signature needed for a bipartisan effort to force a vote on releasing the files of late sex trafficker (and Donald Trump friend) Jeffrey Epstein. But even with all that free time, Johnson seems quite ignorant during his daily press conferences and interviews. He frequently responds to questions about big things in the news by claiming he doesn’t know anything about it and hasn’t seen it before. Multiple videos have been going viral that are just clips of Johnson answering various questions by insisting he doesn’t know anything. Either he’s hiding in a cave all day except during his media appearances, or the politician who claims the Bible informs his politics is repeatedly lying to avoid answering tough questions. (Public Witness 11/6/25) READMORE>>>>
One would think Speaker Mike Johnson has a lot of extra time these days to learn about what’s happening in the world. After all, he’s kept the House of Representatives in recess since Sept. 19. He and other lawmakers are still getting paid while not working during this record-longest government shutdown, even as other government employees — like air traffic controllers — are working but not getting paid.
Johnson seems to be keeping the House out so he can use that as an excuse to not swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat who won a special election in Arizona on Sept. 23. She now holds the record for the longest wait to be sworn in. Once she’s officially a member, she’ll be the last signature needed for a bipartisan effort to force a vote on releasing the files of late sex trafficker (and Donald Trump friend) Jeffrey Epstein. But even with all that free time, Johnson seems quite ignorant during his daily press conferences and interviews. He frequently responds to questions about big things in the news by claiming he doesn’t know anything about it and hasn’t seen it before. Multiple videos have been going viral that are just clips of Johnson answering various questions by insisting he doesn’t know anything. Either he’s hiding in a cave all day except during his media appearances, or the politician who claims the Bible informs his politics is repeatedly lying to avoid answering tough questions. (Public Witness 11/6/25) READMORE>>>>
Mike Johnson’s Christian Values: Children Starve, Pedophiles Skate
Saturday is November 1—the day open enrollment begins on the Obamacare exchanges, and thus the day that those 20 million people will start learning in specific terms how much their health care premiums are going to increase. It is also the day that the Trump administration will stop paying SNAP benefits, the nutritional assistance program that helps 42 million Americans buy food for themselves and their families, at an average of around $175 a month. It will do this despite the presence of a $6 billion reserve fund to cover food stamp emergencies, which the administration argued in court Thursday it couldn’t or wouldn’t spend because this is not an emergency. Or the right kind of emergency. Or something. In addition, it will be the thirty-second day of the current government shutdown (the longest was 35 days, during Donald Trump’s first term). It will also mark 51 days since the House of Representatives, under Speaker Mike Johnson, has cast a vote. And it will be 38 days since the election of Democrat Adelita Grijalva to the Arizona House seat held by her father without her yet being sworn in, a situation about which Johnson, who by law must perform the ceremony, has told lie after pathetic lie. He has kept the House out of session and delayed her swearing in for one reason alone, which everyone knows: She’ll be the 218th vote to release the files relating to Jeffrey Epstein.
(New Republic 11/1/25) READMORE>>>>
Saturday is November 1—the day open enrollment begins on the Obamacare exchanges, and thus the day that those 20 million people will start learning in specific terms how much their health care premiums are going to increase. It is also the day that the Trump administration will stop paying SNAP benefits, the nutritional assistance program that helps 42 million Americans buy food for themselves and their families, at an average of around $175 a month. It will do this despite the presence of a $6 billion reserve fund to cover food stamp emergencies, which the administration argued in court Thursday it couldn’t or wouldn’t spend because this is not an emergency. Or the right kind of emergency. Or something. In addition, it will be the thirty-second day of the current government shutdown (the longest was 35 days, during Donald Trump’s first term). It will also mark 51 days since the House of Representatives, under Speaker Mike Johnson, has cast a vote. And it will be 38 days since the election of Democrat Adelita Grijalva to the Arizona House seat held by her father without her yet being sworn in, a situation about which Johnson, who by law must perform the ceremony, has told lie after pathetic lie. He has kept the House out of session and delayed her swearing in for one reason alone, which everyone knows: She’ll be the 218th vote to release the files relating to Jeffrey Epstein.
(New Republic 11/1/25) READMORE>>>>
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The Radical Evangelicals Who Helped Push Jan. 6 to Wage War on “Demonic Influence”
It’s been three years since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and much of the initial public horror at the violence has faded, at least on the right. Polling has found Republicans less and less likely to view the Jan. 6 rioters as “violent”; most now think it’s “time to move on.” Some of the insurrectionists have even become martyrs or folk heroes. And, perhaps most tellingly, the new speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, was considered one of the primary architects behind the Stop the Steal movement. Johnson’s more genteel way of politics may not fit with the image of a rabid crowd storming the Capitol, but he does have something in common with many of the Jan. 6ers: a profound religious conviction in his own cause. In many ways, Johnson seems like a classic leader of the Christian right. His legal career focused on elevating protections for “religious liberty” over the rights of the LGBTQ community. At a more personal level, he hits the traditional cultural markers, taking, for example, his commitments to marriage and avoiding porn to extremes. Scholars of the Christian right have characterized him as a textbook Christian nationalist. (Molly Olmstead/Slate 1/6/24) READ MORE>>>>> |
Speaker Johnson himself resolved to “stand with Israel,” stating that “God has given us that opportunity. God is not done with America and God is not done with Israel.” This commitment has so far been borne out in his policy decisions, as the new Speaker pushed to uncouple the bill to send aid to Israel from that for Ukraine, signaling his greater commitment to Israel. This is crucial to understanding evangelical political theology: Speaker Johnson believes that aid for Israel is not merely a present-day political priority, but one which has eternal ramifications. |
Speaker Johnson, Evangelical Theology, and the End of the World
With the elevation of Louisiana Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) to the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, the political spotlight has returned to the evangelical Christian right. Much has been said about the prominence of evangelicals in US politics, but comparatively little attention has been paid to the group’s political theology, especially as it relates to the modern state of Israel and the prophesied “end of days.” Understanding evangelical eschatology is essential to a larger examination of the relationship between the Christian right and American foreign policy. But first, we must meet Johnson and the American evangelical movement. Mike Johnson was a relatively unknown figure in national politics before becoming Speaker of the House following a series of unsuccessful speaker nominations within the House Republican Caucus. A committed evangelical Christian, Johnson is conservative on social issues ranging from sexuality to LGBTQ+ rights to abortion. In a recent interview, Johnson told reporters, “Go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.” (William Loughridge/Brown Political Review 12/31/23) READ MORE>>>>> |
Mike Johnson's Christian Nationalism
Links between the new Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, and key Christian nationalist leaders have sparked fears the devout Louisiana congressman might seek to erode elements of the first amendment, which protects key US civil liberties including freedom of religion and the separation of church and state.
Long before the evangelical conservative Johnson became speaker, he had forged close ties with Christian nationalists like David Barton, whose writings claiming the country’s founders intended to create a Christian nation have been widely debunked by religion scholars.
(TheShortSwede/Daily Kos/12/23/23) READ MORE>>>>>
Links between the new Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, and key Christian nationalist leaders have sparked fears the devout Louisiana congressman might seek to erode elements of the first amendment, which protects key US civil liberties including freedom of religion and the separation of church and state.
Long before the evangelical conservative Johnson became speaker, he had forged close ties with Christian nationalists like David Barton, whose writings claiming the country’s founders intended to create a Christian nation have been widely debunked by religion scholars.
(TheShortSwede/Daily Kos/12/23/23) READ MORE>>>>>
As U.S. House opens impeachment probe against Biden, religious leaders are silent
The Southern Baptist speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is leading an effort to impeach President Joe Biden with no evidence of wrongdoing, and religious leaders are largely silent about this turn of events 11 months before the next election. Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, and his MAGA-supporting tribe are notoriously open about their religious beliefs and how their Christian faith guides their policy decisions. Johnson and his allies have said they believe God placed him in the speaker’s chair “for such a time as this,” quoting the Old Testament book of Esther. (Mark Wingfield/Baptist News Global 12/13/23) READ MORE>>>>>
The Southern Baptist speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is leading an effort to impeach President Joe Biden with no evidence of wrongdoing, and religious leaders are largely silent about this turn of events 11 months before the next election. Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, and his MAGA-supporting tribe are notoriously open about their religious beliefs and how their Christian faith guides their policy decisions. Johnson and his allies have said they believe God placed him in the speaker’s chair “for such a time as this,” quoting the Old Testament book of Esther. (Mark Wingfield/Baptist News Global 12/13/23) READ MORE>>>>>
America engaged in ‘battle of worldviews,’ Mike Johnson tells Christian lawmakers group
Mike Johnson, newly elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, warned conservative Christian lawmakers Dec. 5 the nation is engaged in a battle of worldviews. “What we’re engaged in right now is a battle between worldviews. It’s a great struggle for the future of the republic,” Johnson told members of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers at the organization’s awards gala at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. (Steve Rabey/Mark Wingfield/Baptist News Global 12/7/23) READ MORE>>>>>
Mike Johnson, newly elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, warned conservative Christian lawmakers Dec. 5 the nation is engaged in a battle of worldviews. “What we’re engaged in right now is a battle between worldviews. It’s a great struggle for the future of the republic,” Johnson told members of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers at the organization’s awards gala at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. (Steve Rabey/Mark Wingfield/Baptist News Global 12/7/23) READ MORE>>>>>
Dem Strategist Says Christians More Dangerous Than Terrorists
In a recent interview on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Democratic strategist James Carville, the “Ragin’ Cajun,” sparked controversy by asserting that Christian Republicans pose a greater threat to the United States than Islamic terrorists. Carville specifically targeted U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, alleging that his beliefs and affiliations are a fundamental danger to the nation. During the interview, Carville declared, “Mike Johnson and what he believes is one of the greatest threats we have today to the United States. This is a bigger threat than al-Qaeda to this country.” He went on to describe his perceived threat as ‘Christian nationalists,’ as a significant peril, claiming they have infiltrated key positions, including the Supreme Court.
(James Lasher/Charisma 12/5/23) READ MORE>>>>>
In a recent interview on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Democratic strategist James Carville, the “Ragin’ Cajun,” sparked controversy by asserting that Christian Republicans pose a greater threat to the United States than Islamic terrorists. Carville specifically targeted U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, alleging that his beliefs and affiliations are a fundamental danger to the nation. During the interview, Carville declared, “Mike Johnson and what he believes is one of the greatest threats we have today to the United States. This is a bigger threat than al-Qaeda to this country.” He went on to describe his perceived threat as ‘Christian nationalists,’ as a significant peril, claiming they have infiltrated key positions, including the Supreme Court.
(James Lasher/Charisma 12/5/23) READ MORE>>>>>
Political Strategist's Dire Warning About Mike Johnson
Democratic political strategist James Carville issued a dire warning on Friday about House Speaker Mike Johnson and what Christian nationalism could do to the United States. After Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, was elected as speaker in late October, questions arose about his political past. He has been accused of having strong ties to Christian nationalism, a movement that believes the United States is a solely Christian nation and that its laws and government should be focused on the religion's values. (Rachel Dobkin/Newsweek 12.2.23)
READ MORE>>>>>
Democratic political strategist James Carville issued a dire warning on Friday about House Speaker Mike Johnson and what Christian nationalism could do to the United States. After Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, was elected as speaker in late October, questions arose about his political past. He has been accused of having strong ties to Christian nationalism, a movement that believes the United States is a solely Christian nation and that its laws and government should be focused on the religion's values. (Rachel Dobkin/Newsweek 12.2.23)
READ MORE>>>>>
New speaker of the House releases select January 6 footage to allow Christians and conservatives to change the narrative
Days after House speaker Mike Johnson, a conservative Christian who says he is guided by the Bible, started releasing security camera footage from the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, Trump supporters are using the release to rewrite the narrative of what happened that day. “The show is over,” said “Trump prophet” and Christian entrepreneur Lance Wallnau on a recent episode of “FlashPoint” airing on The Victory Channel, which says its mission is “truth and news, all in the spirit of faith.” (Steve Rabey/Baptist News Global 12/4/23) Read More>>>>>
Days after House speaker Mike Johnson, a conservative Christian who says he is guided by the Bible, started releasing security camera footage from the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, Trump supporters are using the release to rewrite the narrative of what happened that day. “The show is over,” said “Trump prophet” and Christian entrepreneur Lance Wallnau on a recent episode of “FlashPoint” airing on The Victory Channel, which says its mission is “truth and news, all in the spirit of faith.” (Steve Rabey/Baptist News Global 12/4/23) Read More>>>>>
Speaker Johnson's close ties to Christian right — both mainstream and fringe
Mike Johnson's surprise rise to the speakership after weeks of bitter party infighting was cause for celebration for Pastor Dutch Sheets. "God has given us a miracle in the election of Congressman Michael Johnson to this position. He's a godly man, raised up for such a time as this," Sheets said in his Oct. 27 "Give Him 15" daily prayer broadcast. "I do not know him, but have several friends who do, who attest to his qualifications, integrity and heart for the Lord." (Susan Davis/NPR 11/15/23) READ MORE>>>>>
Mike Johnson's surprise rise to the speakership after weeks of bitter party infighting was cause for celebration for Pastor Dutch Sheets. "God has given us a miracle in the election of Congressman Michael Johnson to this position. He's a godly man, raised up for such a time as this," Sheets said in his Oct. 27 "Give Him 15" daily prayer broadcast. "I do not know him, but have several friends who do, who attest to his qualifications, integrity and heart for the Lord." (Susan Davis/NPR 11/15/23) READ MORE>>>>>
MIKE JOHNSON’S PORN-MONITORING ISN’T JUST ‘CREEPY’ — IT’S A WINDOW TO THE FASCIST DESIRE DRIVING THE WHITE EVANGELICAL WILL TO POWER
When the news broke that the recently elected Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (R-La), used a Christian technology service called Covenant Eyes to monitor his online habits for porn, reactions varied. The fact that his then-17-year-old son Jack served as his “accountability partner,” receiving updates of his father’s internet activity (and vice versa) sounded particularly sordid and strange. “I’m proud to tell ya, my son has got a clean slate,” Johnson announced at the War on Technology conference hosted by Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, Louisiana. Some pronounced Johnson’s use of a porn detection service creepy, weird, and a potential security breach given his office; while others saw it as normal, common, and even admirable. Where people fell on the spectrum of judgment depended on how much they understood, approved of, and lived with evangelical Christians’ views on porn. Despite the initial news coverage and subsequent outrage, Johnson’s pronouncements on porn and Covenant Eyes haven’t received as much attention as reports documenting and raising the alarm about his anti-democratic promotion of 2020 election lies in an effort to overturn the results and keep Trump president. (Jessica Johnson/Religion Dispatches 11/15/23) READ MORE>>>>>
When the news broke that the recently elected Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (R-La), used a Christian technology service called Covenant Eyes to monitor his online habits for porn, reactions varied. The fact that his then-17-year-old son Jack served as his “accountability partner,” receiving updates of his father’s internet activity (and vice versa) sounded particularly sordid and strange. “I’m proud to tell ya, my son has got a clean slate,” Johnson announced at the War on Technology conference hosted by Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, Louisiana. Some pronounced Johnson’s use of a porn detection service creepy, weird, and a potential security breach given his office; while others saw it as normal, common, and even admirable. Where people fell on the spectrum of judgment depended on how much they understood, approved of, and lived with evangelical Christians’ views on porn. Despite the initial news coverage and subsequent outrage, Johnson’s pronouncements on porn and Covenant Eyes haven’t received as much attention as reports documenting and raising the alarm about his anti-democratic promotion of 2020 election lies in an effort to overturn the results and keep Trump president. (Jessica Johnson/Religion Dispatches 11/15/23) READ MORE>>>>>
The Key to Mike Johnson’s Christian Extremism Hangs Outside His Office
The New Apostolic Reformation is a set of networks of Christian leaders that formed in the 1990s around a renegade evangelical seminary professor named C. Peter Wagner. These networks are part of the nondenominational charismatic segment of Christianity (“charismatic” here is a technical term of Christian theology and practice describing a spirituality built around miraculous manifestations and aiming to re-create the supernaturally imbued environment of the early Christian church). Wagner and his cohort believed that they were at the vanguard of a revolution in church leadership that Wagner often described as “the most radical change to the way of doing church since, at least, the Protestant Reformation.” The hundreds of leaders who joined Wagner’s movement and leadership-networking circles almost all identify as apostles (enterprising church builders) or prophets (who hear directly from God), though some identify as both. In the mid-2000s, these NAR networks collectively embraced a theological paradigm called the “Seven Mountain Mandate,” a prophecy that divides society into seven arenas — religion, family, government, education, arts and entertainment, media, and business. The “Mandate,” as they understand it, is given by God for Christians to “take dominion” and “conquer” the tops of all seven of these sectors and have Christian influence flow down into the rest of society. Drawn into American politics by this aggressive theological vision, many New Apostolic Reformation leaders became very active in right-wing political circles, including one of Wagner’s key disciples, an apostle-prophet named Dutch Sheets. Sheets is not a household name in Christian politics like Jerry Falwell or Ralph Reed or James Dobson, but he has real influence. Sheets has written more than 18 popular evangelical books, and his Intercessory Prayer has sold more than a million copies. He was an endorser and faith adviser to Newt Gingrinch’s short-lived candidacy for president in 2012, and he openly espoused the lie that Barack Obama was secretly a Muslim. (Bradley Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor/Yahoo News 11/10/23) READ MORE>>>>>
The New Apostolic Reformation is a set of networks of Christian leaders that formed in the 1990s around a renegade evangelical seminary professor named C. Peter Wagner. These networks are part of the nondenominational charismatic segment of Christianity (“charismatic” here is a technical term of Christian theology and practice describing a spirituality built around miraculous manifestations and aiming to re-create the supernaturally imbued environment of the early Christian church). Wagner and his cohort believed that they were at the vanguard of a revolution in church leadership that Wagner often described as “the most radical change to the way of doing church since, at least, the Protestant Reformation.” The hundreds of leaders who joined Wagner’s movement and leadership-networking circles almost all identify as apostles (enterprising church builders) or prophets (who hear directly from God), though some identify as both. In the mid-2000s, these NAR networks collectively embraced a theological paradigm called the “Seven Mountain Mandate,” a prophecy that divides society into seven arenas — religion, family, government, education, arts and entertainment, media, and business. The “Mandate,” as they understand it, is given by God for Christians to “take dominion” and “conquer” the tops of all seven of these sectors and have Christian influence flow down into the rest of society. Drawn into American politics by this aggressive theological vision, many New Apostolic Reformation leaders became very active in right-wing political circles, including one of Wagner’s key disciples, an apostle-prophet named Dutch Sheets. Sheets is not a household name in Christian politics like Jerry Falwell or Ralph Reed or James Dobson, but he has real influence. Sheets has written more than 18 popular evangelical books, and his Intercessory Prayer has sold more than a million copies. He was an endorser and faith adviser to Newt Gingrinch’s short-lived candidacy for president in 2012, and he openly espoused the lie that Barack Obama was secretly a Muslim. (Bradley Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor/Yahoo News 11/10/23) READ MORE>>>>>
October 23, 2023: Milwaukee Independent reported: On October 25, after three weeks of being unable to unite behind a speaker after extremists tossed out Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Republican conference coalesced behind Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) in part because he was obscure enough to have avoided scrutiny. Since then, his past has been unearthed, showing interviews in which he asserted that we do not live in a democracy but in a “Biblical republic.” He told a Fox News Channel interviewer that to discover his worldview, one simply had to “go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.”
Quips and Quotable: October 26, 2023:
Ronnie Floyd
“Speaker Mike Johnson is a constitutional scholar, a convictional and compassionate proven leader, but above all, he is a passionate, godly, and prayerful follower of Jesus Christ,” stated Floyd.
“Through the past few years, I have had the opportunity to pray and interact with him. Ever since I first met him, I knew he had God’s favor upon his life. As we have prayed with and for him since last weekend, we have watched God do a miracle this week in raising him up for this hour of leadership in America.” - Ronnie Floyd
“Through the past few years, I have had the opportunity to pray and interact with him. Ever since I first met him, I knew he had God’s favor upon his life. As we have prayed with and for him since last weekend, we have watched God do a miracle this week in raising him up for this hour of leadership in America.” - Ronnie Floyd
Samuel Rodriguez
“He reminds me of David in the book of 1 Samuel. He wasn’t the first choice or the second or the third, but when he emerged he took down a giant. Speaker Johnson has an opportunity to bring together the different factions of the Republican party. He has the intellectual bandwidth, the character, the integrity, and the reputation to build a viable and sustainable coalition that will advance, a pro-faith, family, and free enterprise agenda.” --Samuel Rodriguez; President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
Anthony Verdugo
“Speaker Johnson has done what no other speaker candidate could, which is to unite our party and get back to the people’s business of leading in these historic and perilous times,” Verudgo said.
“We pray that Speaker Johnson will lead clarity, boldness and vision as we set forth the course for our nation, we are heartened by the fact that he is a principled leader and follower of Jesus Christ for such a time as this.” --Anthony Verdugo, Founder of Christian Family Coalition of Florida
“We pray that Speaker Johnson will lead clarity, boldness and vision as we set forth the course for our nation, we are heartened by the fact that he is a principled leader and follower of Jesus Christ for such a time as this.” --Anthony Verdugo, Founder of Christian Family Coalition of Florida
October 25, 2023: Christian Post reported: The U.S. House of Representatives has elected a new speaker after weeks of Republican infighting delayed the replacement of ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The House elected Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., the new speaker in a 220-209 vote Wednesday afternoon. All Republicans present in the chamber supported Johnson, while all Democrats present supported House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Three Democrats and one Republican were absent.
October 27, 2023: New York Times reported: The new House speaker has put his faith at the center of his political career, and aligned himself with a newer cohort of conservative Christianity that some describe as Christian nationalism. In the moments before he was to face a vote on becoming speaker of the House this week, Representative Mike Johnson posted a photograph on social media of the inscription carved into marble atop the chamber’s rostrum: “In God We Trust.”
October 27, 2023: PBS reported: Evangelical Christian conservatives have long had allies in top Republican leadership in Congress. But never before have they had one so thoroughly embedded in their movement as new House Speaker Mike Johnson, a longtime culture warrior in the courthouse, in the classroom and in Congress. Religious conservatives cheered Johnson’s election Wednesday, after which he brought his Bible to the rostrum before taking the oath of office. “The Bible is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority … each of you, all of us,” he said.
“I congratulate Speaker Mike Johnson on his election. Today, he stated that our nation’s founding creed is that all people are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights. I sincerely hope that Speaker Johnson will honor those truths and work across the aisle to safeguard the freedom and human dignity of every person in this country.” --Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts 10.29.23
October 30, 2023: Only Sky reported: The challenge of Christian nationalism has resurfaced over the last week with a tale of two Mikes. The first concerns conservative Christian Mike Pence dropping out of the race for president. The charisma black hole that is the former vice president under Donald Trump never really stood a chance, even against the aging Joe Biden. Sometimes reality is unassailable. But while Pence was debating with himself whether to continue his campaign, another Mike was throwing his hat into the political ring. It got to a point where congressional Republicans were keenly aware of the embarrassing situation of not having a majority leader in the House of Representatives. After a number of potential candidates failed to get enough support, including the controversial Jim Jordan, it appears that the GOP lawmakers ran out of patience. The first person to come along who appeared to be a safe pair of hands would command quite an advantage.
October 30, 2023: Religion News Service reported: This past week the torch of evangelical political leadership passed from Pence to Johnson — from the Mike who was once first in line to the presidency to the Mike who is now second. The former vice president, 64, abandoned his feeble run for the Republican presidential nomination after failing to enlist any appreciable support from the evangelical base that he secured for Donald Trump in 2016. His unpardonable sin was that he refused to accede to Trump’s demand that he decline to certify the electoral result on Jan. 6, 2021.
Heather Cox Richardson
The rejection of democracy in favor of Christian authoritarianism at the highest levels of our government is an astonishing outcome of the attempt to prevent another Great Depression by creating a government that worked for ordinary Americans rather than a few wealthy men.
But here we are.
After Johnson’s election as speaker, extremist Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida spelled out what it meant for the party…and for the country: “MAGA is ascendant,” Gaetz told former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, “and if you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement, and where the power of the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention.” --Heather Cox Richardson; Milwaukee Independent 10/31/23
But here we are.
After Johnson’s election as speaker, extremist Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida spelled out what it meant for the party…and for the country: “MAGA is ascendant,” Gaetz told former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, “and if you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement, and where the power of the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention.” --Heather Cox Richardson; Milwaukee Independent 10/31/23
QUOTABLES: Rep Mike JOHnson REDux: November 1, 2023:
Mike Johnson
“It’s been rather jarring to see some of that, the way it’s been portrayed,” the fourth-term lawmaker said. “Anyone that they’ve been able to find who knows me or has ever worked with me … I’ve not seen one person who has actually interacted with me who says that I have a hateful bone in my body. I don’t go through life judging others or diminishing them in any way. It’s impossible, if one follows the commands of the Bible, to be a hateful person, because the greatest commandment in the Bible … is to love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul, and spirit, everything you have, and then you love your neighbor as yourself. And everything else is wrapped into those commands.” --Rep Mike Johnson
“Our Constitution is made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for government of any other. They were very clear. Subsequent presidents that followed them were very clear that that had to be a central part of our society or we would be in trouble. That explains a lot. I think it’s a root cause of a lot of societal ills.” --Rep Mike Johnson
"I just wish they would get to know me. I'm not trying to establish Christianity as the national religion or something. That's not what this is about at all. If you truly believe in the Bible's commands and you seek to follow those, it is impossible to be a hateful person because the greatest command in the Bible is that you love God with everything you have and you love your neighbor as yourself" --Rep Mike Johnson (R-La.)
“We live in an age of moral relativism, which has become postmodernism, which is gradually becoming nihilism, the idea that if there is no truth, then you can believe anything or everything or nothing. I think that in a sense, it sort of unties us from the moorings that have kept us in safe harbor as a nation.” -Rep Mike Johnson
“‘E pluribus unum,’ Latin for ‘out of many, one,’ is anchored in the premise that there will be a common consensus that we are one, that there is a truth, and as our nation’s motto articulates very clearly, that we are one nation under God." --Rep Mike Johnson
“We were built on the exact opposite premise, that there is a God and He’s the one that gives us our inalienable rights. Where you begin with either of those premises, you lead to very, very different results. And my contention is the same as what the Framers’ was … that the reason we are the extraordinary, exceptional nation that we are is because we begin with the truth. I think we deviate from that at our peril.” --Rep Mike Johnson
“I had a mentor of mine tell me a long time ago, when I was in ninth grade, ‘Mike, always remember this. What is popular isn’t always right. What is right isn’t always popular. And he said, ‘Always do the right thing. And then you let the chips fall where they may.’ So that’s what I’m trying to do.” -Rep Mike Johnson
“Amy Coney Barrett, by the way, is a friend of mine since high school. She’s a great friend. We were raised on similar values, and she’s deeply respected because of her intellect and her integrity and her consistency. We need more of that in public life. I’m trying to do the same.” --Rep Mike Johnson
“I’ve been in this lawmaking body for seven years. I’ve worked so well with colleagues on both sides of the aisle. We have our debates and our arguments in committee and all the rest. But everyone here will tell you that all I ever do to my colleagues is show dignity and respect.” -Rep Mike Johnson
“There is clearly, obviously, a biblical admonition, all Jews and Christians believe, it says clearly in the Bible ‘I will bless the nation that blesses Israel and curse the nation that curses Israel. And so this is pretty black and white in terms of our faith.” --Rep Mike Johnson
“They’re (Israel) the only democracy in that region of the world. They are greatly outnumbered and their neighbors want to wipe them off the face of the earth. So every American, regardless of their faith, has a direct interest in a stable and vibrant Israel, because of the values that Israel represents in that part of the world. It’s a stabilizing force there and has been since it became a nation again. And we have a direct interest in ensuring that that stability keeps its place. So, on a question like this, it’s always nice when your faith aligns with pragmatic public policy. It just so happens that it does in this case, and I’m not sure why anybody would ever question that.” --Rep Mike Johnson
“I love Psalm 37. I would call that my life’s passage. The whole psalm. It’s great, and it’s so applicable to these times. In fact, I was in the congressional chapel this morning, and there’s a big, thick Bible that’s sort of up on the altar there, in front of the stained glass, and I opened it to Psalm 37 to be open and rested there, because I’ve just found great solace in that.” --Rep Mike Johnson
“I’m still enamored with Ronald Reagan and just the way he did the job, his kind of happy warrior mentality … he had deep core convictions and principles he would never compromise. But he never wielded that as a weapon.”
“Mike Huckabee said it even simpler when he was running for governor of Arkansas one time. He said, ‘I’m a conservative, but I’m not mad at anybody about it.’ I’ve always loved that. That’s my position. I’m a conservative. I’m a principled conservative. I believe in these core convictions, but I’m just trying to share those truths and and spread them and not fight with anybody about it.” --Rep Mike Johnson
“Mike Huckabee said it even simpler when he was running for governor of Arkansas one time. He said, ‘I’m a conservative, but I’m not mad at anybody about it.’ I’ve always loved that. That’s my position. I’m a conservative. I’m a principled conservative. I believe in these core convictions, but I’m just trying to share those truths and and spread them and not fight with anybody about it.” --Rep Mike Johnson
November 3, 2023: Texas Tribune reported: Texas activist David Barton wants to end separation of church and state. He has the ear of the new U.S. House speaker. For nearly four decades, Texas activist David Barton has barnstormed statehouses and pulpits across the nation, arguing that the separation between church and state is a myth and that America should be run as a Christian nation. Now, he’s closer to power than perhaps ever before. One day after little-known Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected as the new House speaker last week, Barton said on a podcast that he was already discussing staffing with Johnson, his longtime ally in deeply conservative, Christian causes.
November 3, 2023: Christian Post reported: A new report maintains that the wife of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has deleted her counseling website outlining biblical positions on marriage as a result of the criticism directed at her husband's views.
Johnson's Southern Baptist views have become the subject of much media coverage since he was elected last week, with The Huffington Post reporting Friday that his wife, Kelly, operates Onward Christian Counseling Services.
Johnson's Southern Baptist views have become the subject of much media coverage since he was elected last week, with The Huffington Post reporting Friday that his wife, Kelly, operates Onward Christian Counseling Services.
November 3, 2023: The Messenger reported: Trump redefined the Republican Party as a populist conservative party, the party of cultural conservatives, isolationists, evangelical Christians and angry white men. Johnson is a deeply religious evangelical Christian who has opposed abortion rights, a new gun law, gay rights, same-sex marriage and the Violence Against Women Act.
November 5, 2023: Religion Dispatches reported: Who is Mike Johnson, the man with horn-rimmed glasses who managed to become Speaker of the House—something Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan and Tom Emmer all failed to do? And what does he have that the other three didn’t? Johnson comes off as polite, speaking into microphones rather than shouting into them, and he’s considered affable and friendly. He was also widely unknown even in Washington political circles until recently (when asked about Johnson, Republican Senator Susan Collins said she didn’t know who he was and would have to Google him first). There are however a small handful of political commentators who don’t have to Google Johnson to know who he is and what he stands for: Those who’ve been writing about White Christian nationalism in the US for years. As many commentators have noted since his election as speaker, Mike Johnson has been an integral part of a movement that’s been sawing away at the democratic foundations of the country for decades: The Christian Right. But Johnson, like much of the Christian Right itself, is also profoundly influenced by fringe Christian thinkers and movements that few reporters and analysts of US politics are familiar with.
November 6, 2023: Religion News Service reported: Since Rep. Mike Johnson was elected speaker of the House of Representatives, much has been written about his evangelical Christian faith and its influence on his right-wing political views. He is, as Robert P. Jones wrote this week, “the embodiment of white Christian Nationalism in a tailored suit.” Less attention has been paid to an idea at the very center of his career and political theology: his contention that American Christians are being persecuted.
November 6, 2023: WBUR reported: Mike Johnson was once a little-known Republican from Louisiana. Now he's the newly elected Speaker of the House. Who Mike Johnson and what does his win tell us about the GOP now? Today, On Point: The Influence of Christian nationalism in American politics.
Thomas Knapp
I’m a fan of keeping the state separate from pretty much everything, especially religion. There’s pretty strong historical grounding for believing that’s what the people who created the system we live in intended. In addition to Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists, in which he posited a “wall of separation,” the 1796 Treaty of Tripoli is clear: “[T]the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”
On the other hand, if we’re going to allow the federal government to exist at all, I’m with those guys, who also ordered that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”
I’m not concerned with Johnson’s beliefs. In fact, since he’s a politician, I consider it foolish to assume that they bear any resemblance to his claims. For all I know he’s a closet Muslim, a secret atheist, or, most likely, a narcissist who sees God in the mirror when he shaves each morning.
His actions, however, are a different story.
When Johnson came to Congress, he swore an oath (in defiance of biblical command, by the way — Matthew 5:33-37) to “support and defend the Constitution.” That oath obligates him to certain things even if the Constitution contradicts his interpretation of scripture.
If it’s impossible to be true to both, he needs to pick one.
If he can’t bring himself to do the job as he swore to do it, he should resign rather than betray his oath, and certainly rather than seek and accept the position of Speaker.
Unfortunately, he seems to have missed 1st Corinthians 10:21: “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils.”
--Thomas Knapp; Richmond Observer; OPINION: Religion and politics and Mike Johnson 11/8/23
On the other hand, if we’re going to allow the federal government to exist at all, I’m with those guys, who also ordered that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”
I’m not concerned with Johnson’s beliefs. In fact, since he’s a politician, I consider it foolish to assume that they bear any resemblance to his claims. For all I know he’s a closet Muslim, a secret atheist, or, most likely, a narcissist who sees God in the mirror when he shaves each morning.
His actions, however, are a different story.
When Johnson came to Congress, he swore an oath (in defiance of biblical command, by the way — Matthew 5:33-37) to “support and defend the Constitution.” That oath obligates him to certain things even if the Constitution contradicts his interpretation of scripture.
If it’s impossible to be true to both, he needs to pick one.
If he can’t bring himself to do the job as he swore to do it, he should resign rather than betray his oath, and certainly rather than seek and accept the position of Speaker.
Unfortunately, he seems to have missed 1st Corinthians 10:21: “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils.”
--Thomas Knapp; Richmond Observer; OPINION: Religion and politics and Mike Johnson 11/8/23
November 8, 2023: Christian Post reported: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has been taking flak from some corporate media outlets for having used an accountability software to prevent himself and his teenage son from watching pornography. Johnson, a member of Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, Louisiana, explained to members of the congregation in 2022 during a panel about technology how both he and his teenage son at the time were using Covenant Eyes, a subscription-based software that can be downloaded on computers and mobile devices to monitor websites and alert an accountability partner to any questionable content.
November 11, 2023: Baptist News Global reported: Two weeks into his new job, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives already has made the list. Although it’s a list he might not want to be on.Mike Johnson is one of 12 “false prophets” highlighted this year by Faithful America, the organization behind the “False Prophets Don’t Speak for Me” campaign. The 12 new inductees into the hall of fame for promoting Christian nationalism join 20 “false prophets” named by the group last fall.
November 11, 2023: Newsweek reported: In response to Mike Johnson recently becoming the new House speaker, over 12,000 people have signed a Christian petition condemning the congressman as a "false prophet" among other Republican Party members.
Faithful America, an online Christian group that supports social justice causes, released their second-annual "False Prophets Don't Speak for Me" campaign featuring a list of top Christian-nationalist leaders in both church and politics along with a petition on Tuesday. The list, which in addition to Johnson, identifies former President Donald Trump, pastor Mark Burns, self-proclaimed prophet affiliated with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Julie Green, Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, conservative activist and radio talk show host Charlie Kirk, pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, Texas' Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Archbishop Carlo Viganò, self-proclaimed prophet affiliated with NAR Lance Wallnau, and co-founder of Moms for Liberty and school board chair in Sarasota, Florida, Bridget Ziegler as "false prophets."
Faithful America, an online Christian group that supports social justice causes, released their second-annual "False Prophets Don't Speak for Me" campaign featuring a list of top Christian-nationalist leaders in both church and politics along with a petition on Tuesday. The list, which in addition to Johnson, identifies former President Donald Trump, pastor Mark Burns, self-proclaimed prophet affiliated with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Julie Green, Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, conservative activist and radio talk show host Charlie Kirk, pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, Texas' Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Archbishop Carlo Viganò, self-proclaimed prophet affiliated with NAR Lance Wallnau, and co-founder of Moms for Liberty and school board chair in Sarasota, Florida, Bridget Ziegler as "false prophets."
“This sprawling alliance of anti-God enthusiasts has proven frighteningly efficient at remaking America in their own brutal, dehumanizing image...In the space of a few decades, they have managed to entrench abortion and homosexual behavior, objectify children into sexual objects, criminalize Christianity in the popular culture, and promote guilt and self-doubt as the foremost qualities of our national character.”
--Mike Johnson; 2006 Op/Ed for Townhall
--Mike Johnson; 2006 Op/Ed for Townhall