“Someone asked me today in the media, they said people are curious, what does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun? I said, Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview, that’s what I believe.” – Mike Johnson
Recently sworn-in Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, told rightwing propagandist Sean Hannity that his worldview is contained within the 66 books of the Protestant Bible, and that all one has to do is open the text to see what he believes. And if that isn’t the most vapid, meaningless, and dare I say, harmful idea I’ve heard all year, I don’t know what is.
Forget all the talk about the separation of church and state, which was supposed to be a tenet of the United States, can anyone tell me how picking up a Bible and reading it is supposed to give us a glimpse into one’s worldview?
For starters, the Bible was written, edited, redacted, rewritten, reedited, re-redacted, re-rewritten, re-reedited, and re-re-rewritten before finally coming to a place where Christians still can’t even agree on which books are supposed to be included. So, how can there be one worldview? If someone wants to inform Speaker Johnson that Protestants only have 66 books, while Catholics, Coptics, and Orthodox have up to 15 more, that would be dandy.
Second, the process of writing and compiling the books that would end up making it into the canon takes thousands of years. That means different biblical authors lived in different time periods, perhaps hundreds or even thousands of years apart, verifiably leading them all to have dissimilar worldviews than each other. I mean, are you really going to tell me that Moses had the same worldview as Paul? Or (putting aside the fact that Genesis is obvious mythology), that Adam and Eve had the same worldview as John the Revelator? Nonsense! That would be like suggesting we in the 21st century share worldviews with folks 2,000 years ago; and if you actually believe that, I’ve got oceanfront property in Kansas to sell you.
Third, how can a man with obvious intellectual chops like Johnson honestly believe that we should implement everything contained within the text of Scripture? How would that even work? Obviously, Speaker Johnson is vehemently anti-LGBTQ, and will point to the so-called clobber passages to justify his bigotry, so is he also suggesting we stone to death anyone not straight? Because that’s what he believes the Bible says, and I’m assuming he wants to be a good, Bible-based Christian.
Further, how about men who have sex with their wives while they are on their period (Leviticus 20:18)? Should they be removed from their community? If two men get into a quarrel, and the wife of one intervenes by grabbing the perpetrator’s genitals, should her hand be cut off as Deuteronomy 25:11-12 demands? Or, what about this one: A husband suspects that his wife has been fooling around (perhaps during a Beetlejuice performance) and has become pregnant … can he bring her to a priest to drink some bitter water that will potentially induce an abortion (Numbers 5:11-31)?
I’m guessing Speaker Johnson would like the first few, but maybe not that last one.
I’m also guessing MAGA Mike would also not enjoy the parts of the Bible that are a little too namby-pamby liberal. You know, the parts where Jesus tells people to turn the other cheek, to bless those who curse us, to view our own sin as a plank and the sins of others as a speck, and, if rich, to sell all our worldly possessions and give the money to the poor. Or, what about the Jewish Day of Jubilee, where every seven years all debts are to be forgiven? I wonder what Speaker Johnson’s thoughts are on Biden’s debt relief plan, because certainly, as a man who turns to the Bible for their worldview, I would assume he would support something at least similar.
No? He wouldn’t support any of these things? Consider me baffled!
Because here’s the rub: No one has a biblical worldview. I said as much nearly one year ago, long before I or anyone else for that matter ever heard of MAGA Mike. So, while the Speaker can say he has such a view, he is either lying, ignorant, or both. I’ve yet to meet someone who literally wants to employ every command found in the text. They all cherry pick, the most conservative opting to pick the more rotten cherries.
So, what’s the solution? We have to vote out every single member of government who attempts to blend the church and state. There are no two ways about it. Extremists such as Johnson have no place in policymaking, because when they say they have a so-called biblical worldview, we know what they mean and what they don’t. For some odd reason, it means they are anti-gay, anti-abortion, pro-death penalty, pro-Israel’s atrocities, and just about every other rightwing talking point. While on the flipside, they reject other biblical commands like welcoming in the immigrant, blessing those who curse you, and wholesale debt forgiveness.
Which brings me to my final thought: Christians like Johnson are nothing if not hypocrites. And given how tough the Bible is on hypocrites, that makes this whole thing quite ironic. I would say “funny,” but there is too much at stake to find any humor in an election-denying, homophobic bigot securing the second spot in line to become POTUS, should the worst happen.
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