Speaker Johnson: Separation of church, state ‘a misnomer’

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) pushed back Tuesday on the belief that there should be separation between church and state on the U.S., arguing that the founding fathers wanted faith to be a “big part” of government. 

“Separation of church and state … is a misnomer. People misunderstand it,” Johnson said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” when asked about him praying on the House floor. “Of course, it comes from a phrase that was in a letter that Jefferson wrote is not in the Constitution.”

“And what he was explaining is they did not want the government to encroach upon the church, not that they didn’t want principles of faith to have influence on our public life. It’s exactly the opposite,” the Speaker added.

The letter that Johnson referred to is Thomas Jefferson’s 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists Association of Connecticut, who had expressed concerns about religious liberty. In his reply, Jefferson said that the First Amendment, which bars Congress from prohibiting free exercise of a religion, built “a wall of separation between Church & State.”

Johnson argued that “faith, our deep religious heritage and tradition is a big part of what it means to be an American” in his comments Tuesday. He further argued that “morality” must be kept among Americans “so that we have accountability.”

“That’s why I think we need more of that,” he said. “Not an establishment of any national religion, but we need everybody’s vibrant expression of faith, because it’s such an important part of who we are as a nation.”

He is not the only member of Congress who has who has suggested that faith should influence the government. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) faced backlash last year after she said she believes “the church is supposed to direct the government.”

“I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk — that’s not in the Constitution,” Boebert said at the Cornerstone Christian Center in Basalt, Colo. “It was in a stinking letter and it means nothing like they say it does.”

Johnson, who was elected as Speaker last month, faced criticism of his Christian faith. An op-ed in The New York Times published earlier this month claimed the Louisiana Republican’s election as Speaker “reflects the strength of white evangelical voters’ influence in the House Republican caucus.”

Before taking the oath of office last month, Johnson brought his Bible to the rostrum, saying, “The Bible is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority … each of you, all of us,” according to The Associated Press. 

Before serving in Congress, Johnson served as a professor at the government school of Liberty University in Virginia, a Christian school, according to AP. From 2004-12, Johnson also served on the board of the policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.