By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers, a vocal Christian nationalist, views the separation of church and state as “blasphemous” and a belittlement of Jesus Christ’s authority. Deevers believes the government’s fundamental role is to convert people to Christianity and extend Christ’s dominion over all aspects of life. He has openly advocated for policies that reflect this belief, including abolishing abortion and outlawing same-sex marriage, as outlined in the “Statement on Christian Nationalism and the Gospel.” Deevers’ views and actions align him with other radical Christian nationalists, further solidifying his commitment to establishing a Christian theocracy.
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Dusty Deevers Says The Separation Of Church And State Is ‘Blasphemous’, and it’s a sentiment that sparks immediate thought.
Dusty Deevers, it seems, has a strong opinion about the separation of church and state. He considers it “blasphemous.” It’s worth unpacking that statement, because what it implies is a fundamental disagreement with the very foundations of the United States. This idea flies in the face of what the country was built on, the protection of individual freedoms, including the freedom *from* religion imposed by the state.
Deevers, a pastor and self-proclaimed Christian nationalist, clearly wants a government deeply intertwined with religious principles. He wants to use government to enforce his religious beliefs. This perspective, however, clashes directly with the Constitution. The separation of church and state was designed to protect the individual from governmental overreach and protect the government from the corrupting influence of religion. The framers, having witnessed centuries of religious conflict and oppression in Europe, sought to prevent similar outcomes in the newly formed nation.
The very notion of a Christian nationalist agenda is, in itself, a contradiction. Many sources show that the founders were not guided by Christian dogma but by Enlightenment principles of reason, rationality, and the pursuit of individual liberty. Thomas Jefferson’s metaphor of a “wall of separation” between church and state, and James Madison’s insistence on the “total separation of the church from the state” embody this intent. They understood that mixing the two was a recipe for tyranny and religious persecution. This is exactly what Dusty Deevers and his ilk are trying to establish.
This stance is not just a philosophical disagreement. It’s a rejection of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion *and* prevents the government from establishing a state religion. The Supreme Court has consistently interpreted this clause to mean that government actions must have a secular purpose, neither promote nor inhibit religion, and avoid excessive entanglement between the church and state. Deevers’s position seems to disregard these fundamental principles, advocating instead for a government that actively promotes a specific religious viewpoint.
It’s also important to note the hypocrisy inherent in his position. If Deevers truly believes in the ideals of Jesus Christ, one could question how that aligns with his political ideals. A truly religious person would advocate for the poor, outcast, and the immigrant, and not for the creation of a society that takes advantage of them, or devalues their worth. It is also hard to ignore the fact that the same people who want to impose their religious views on the rest of us, are the same people who can’t even decide on a single interpretation of their religion.
The separation of church and state is not just a legal principle; it’s a safeguard against tyranny and a guarantor of religious freedom. It ensures that no single religion can control the government, and that all citizens are free to practice – or not practice – their faith without fear of governmental coercion. Dusty Deevers’s “blasphemous” assessment reveals a disregard for these fundamental principles and a vision of government that would threaten the very freedoms the Constitution was designed to protect. The separation of church and state is a fundamental principle meant to protect the American citizens from the very kind of governmental overreach that Deevers is supporting. In doing so, the American ideals of freedom and equality are protected.