Hoosiers United for Separation of Church and State
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Perspective Section
Calvinism on the rise
4/5/2026
Here we are in the second quarter of the 21st century and Americans are still wrestling with the question of whether we should be ruled by people who say they represent human beings or by people who say they represent God.
You might have thought ten years ago that question had been resolved in favor of human beings, but that was before Donald Trump was first elected, largely with the support of Christian nationalists. And it was well before most of us had even heard of Doug Wilson, the Idaho-based Calvinist preacher who has risen to celebrity status with Trump’s second coming.
If you are not familiar with Calvinism, it is a strict form of Christianity that includes the notion of predestination — that God decided long ago whether you will go to Heaven or Hell. Its origin is the theocratic rule of John Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland during the early years of the Reformation. One of Calvin’s most infamous acts was promoting the prosecution of Michael Servetus for heresy, which led to the latter being burned at the stake.
Wilson asserts that he prefers divine rule over rule by human beings, but, of course, “divine rule” always means rule by human beings who say they are following divine orders. If Wilson and those like him ever gain the kind of power held by Iranian mullahs, their similarities will be more important than their differences.
Speaking of Iran, Wilson’s most prominent follower is Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense (self-styed secretary of war) who urged Americans to pray for victory in the war against Iran “in the name of Jesus Christ.” His 2020 book American Crusade includes harsh attacks on Islam along with many other groups, including American “leftists.”
Here is a quote from the Wikipedia article about Hegseth’s book: “Hegseth says he believes there are ‘irreconcilable differences between the Left and the Right in America leading to perpetual conflict that cannot be resolved through the political process’. He furthermore calls for an ‘American crusade’; he says the ‘hour is late for America. Beyond political success, her fate relies on exorcising the leftist specter dominating education, religion, and culture – a 360-degree holy war for the righteous cause of human freedom”. There they are — a preacher who would rule in God’s name and his crusading acolyte who runs the most powerful military force that has ever existed. Maybe you never imagined such a combination of zealotry and power in the United States, but now you don’t have to. It already exists.
Evan Davis
Member, Hoosiers United Board
Religious beliefs vs. civil rights
3/9/2026
The Brownsburg, Indiana school corporation is the latest victim of the notion that “religious liberty” means you may be at liberty to ignore public laws and regulations, as long as you can persuade a court that you are doing it because of your sincerely held religious belief.
Last week, the news broke that the school district agreed to pay $650,000 to one of its former teachers who had resigned after refusing to address a transgender student by the student’s self-chosen name. The teacher, John Kluge, sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits, among other things, religious discrimination against employees. He was supported by Alliance Defending Freedom, which has made itself a big name by asserting religious exemptions to public policies.
Note that the school district had not restricted Kluge because of his religious beliefs — it attempted to limit what he could do with his religious beliefs in regard to students.
Another federal law, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, was cited 12 years ago to let Hobby Lobby deny insurance coverage for an abortifacient contraceptive because of the company owners’ religious beliefs.
So, in both cases, religious freedom was interpreted to exempt one party from legally established expectations of behavior to another party
The United States Constitution protects free exercise of religion, and the crunch word there is “exercise.” Earlier courts ruled that people cannot exercise their religious beliefs to legally use cannabis or peyote in religious rituals, even though such use is not violating the rights of anyone else. In other situations, men have been able to exercise their religious beliefs as conscientious objectors to not be drafted into the military but have been required to do public service instead.
It seems to me that cases like Brownsburg and Hobby Lobby are moving America away from a concept of equality under the law. When one party can persuade the court that their religious beliefs are more important than the civil rights of the other parties, then that is not equality. Refusing to address a child by the child’s chosen name because of a religious belief sounds pretty close to refusing to serve a customer because he is boasting a devilish tattoo or because she is wearing a hijab — or, as we know all too well, because of “the curse of Ham.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but my belief is that this recent trans-bashing phenomenon is based much more in contemporary politics than in established religious tenets. Richly endowed groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom are using religious notions to exert political power, and like women seeking emergency abortions, trans children are easy targets.
If using the convenient weapon of theology to mistreat another person is allowed to become the norm, then it defiles the traditional American concept of religious liberty.
Evan Davis
Member, Hoosiers United Board
Christian Values
by Jim Boeglin
January 21, 2026
Hoosiers United for Separation of Church and State respects and appreciates traditional Christian values that are based on the teachings of Jesus. Working to maintain separate roles for church and state does not make us an “anti-Christian” organization. We are, however,
opposed to the politically-motivated attempts of some Christian nationals to forcibly impose their conservative interpretation of Christianity upon all Americans and every aspect of American life.
What are the Christian values in which we believe?
- We believe America is a pluralistic society made up of diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds, all of which are deserving of the Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, including freedom of religion;
- We believe all Americans, regardless of skin color, ethnicity, religion, or gender expression are entitled to equality, and that no group, class, race, gender, or religion is “privileged”;
- We believe the very concept of white supremacy is anti-Christian;
- We believe “Justice for all” is not just an etching on the facade of the Supreme Court building;
- We believe a democratic form of government “of and for the people” is a more just option than an authoritarian state, oligarchy, or theocracy;
- We believe everyone in America is entitled to the protections of due process, and that citizens and non-citizens alike are entitled to respect and kindness;
- We believe the military, and federal, state, and local law enforcement officials are public servants and fellow citizens, rather than weapons for government oppression;
- We believe openly welcoming strangers and loving kindness are hallmarks of Christianity;
- We believe helping one another is what Jesus modeled and expected from his followers;
- We believe until all are free, none of us are free;
- We believe decency, civility, honesty and integrity are the foundation on which a just society are built; and
- We believe fear, greed, violence, cruelty, lust for power and control over others, are the antithesis of Christian values.
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