To the editor:
These days, we see plenty of leaders who seem to make it up as they go. They say one thing today and something else tomorrow. That kind of unpredictability is troubling enough. But there’s another kind of danger in politics that’s even more serious and it doesn’t always make the headlines.
It’s the leader who believes he’s been chosen by God to make decisions for the rest of us. Not as a matter of personal faith but as a reason to turn his private religious beliefs into public law for everyone.
That’s the kind of leader we have right now in Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. And to be clear, this isn’t my opinion: this is how he describes himself.
When asked about his political views, he said: “Go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.” He has said God placed him in his position “for this specific moment in this time.” He calls the separation of church and state “a misnomer,” meaning he doesn’t believe religion and government should be kept separate.
Here in Vermont, and right here in Hardwick, we respect each other’s beliefs. We don’t all believe the same things, but we recognize that freedom means living alongside people who see the world differently.
Speaker Johnson has used his office to push laws that would take away freedoms based on his religious views. He introduced a national bill that would prevent schools from even mentioning LGBTQ families. He’s supported laws that could ban abortion, restrict fertility treatments, and allow businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples, all rooted in his personal interpretation of religion.
This isn’t about protecting religious freedom. It’s about using the government to enforce one set of religious rules on everyone else.
That’s exactly why the Founders created the separation of church and state: not to diminish faith, but to protect both faith and freedom. When one person’s religion becomes the law of the land, everyone’s freedom is at risk.
Leaders who don’t know what they’re doing are dangerous enough. But leaders who believe God gave them authority to rule others, those are the ones we really need to watch.
Freedom doesn’t protect itself. We need to stay alert and speak up. Right now, it matters.
Jeff Pierpont
Walden
Jeff Pierpont
Jeff Pierpont is the interim minister at the Greensboro United Church of Christ while Ed Sunday-Winters is away on sabbatical.
