Mike Johnson eviscerated for distorting the Founding Fathers’ words to justify his extreme beliefs

Princeton historian Kevin M. Kruse has written a scathing condemnation of viciously House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) assertion that the Founding Fathers intended America to be a Christian nation.

Kruse wrote the piece in response to an interview Johnson did with the far-right Daily Signal in which the speaker repeatedly asserted that the Bible not only shapes his political philosophy but also that “God invented civil government” and the Founders always intended America to be rooted in religion.

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“If you come for me, you best not miss,” he wrote on an image of himself wearing a golden crown.

Kruse accuses Johnson of “cherry-picking a few select quotations from the Founders to imply that they basically wanted a theocratic government, and ignoring the many other quotations from them making clear that these Enlightenment figures absolutely did not want that.”

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“When the Religious Right tries to engage us in a game of ‘quote/counterquote,”‘ Kruse continued, “we should look past the varied and often contradictory words of the Founding Fathers – who were often said contradictory things because they were, you know, arguing with each other – and instead focus on the actual deeds they accomplished as one.”

He emphasizes that these “cherry-picked” quotes are nothing compared to what the founders actually agreed upon as one body: “no religious tests for office holders, no establishment of a national religion, no interference with individuals’ rights to worship or not as they saw fit.”

Using an example of two different quotes from John Adams, Kruse shows what he means.

The first is one he says Johnson “leans on heavily” and mentions in the Daily Signal interview: “Our Constitution is made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”

But Kruse reminds us that Adams also signed the Treaty of Tripoli, which declared that the United States “is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” The former quote, he emphasizes, is a private, personal musing, whereas the latter “is an official government position in a binding treaty.”

He cites other instances where Johnson manipulates history to suit his own views and accuses him of “selling… snake oil.”

“As a historical, I can assure you that Mike Johnson isn’t doing what the Founders want,” he concluded, “And as a Christian, I’d personally argue he’s not actually doing what the Bible promotes.”

Johnson has long used religion to justify his extremist views – including wanting to criminalize sodomy and outlaw gay marriage. He once called gay marriage “the dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy that could doom even the strongest republic,” yet he recently told Fox News he couldn’t possibly be full of hate because he’s a Christian.

“If you truly believe in the Bible’s commands and you seek to follow those, it is impossible to be a hateful person!” he continued. “It’s the greatest command in the Bible that you love God with everything you have and you love your neighbor as yourself.”

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