The most significant is the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. The ascension of these candidates comes amid a wave of action across the country that advances cultural priorities for many conservative Christians. “I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk.” Congregants rose to their feet in applause. “The church is supposed to direct the government, the government is not supposed to direct the church,” Representative Lauren Boebert, a Republican representing the western part of Colorado, said recently at Cornerstone Christian Center, a church near Aspen. Their presence reveals a fringe pushing into the mainstream. Their rise coincides with significant backing among like-minded grass-roots supporters, especially as some voters and politicians blend their Christian faith with election fraud conspiracy theories, QAnon ideology, gun rights and lingering anger over Covid-related restrictions. They say they do not advocate a theocracy, but argue for a foundational role for their faith in government. Many dismiss the historic American principle of the separation of church and state. The religious right has long supported conservative causes, but this current wave seeks more: a nation that actively prioritizes their particular set of Christian beliefs and far-right views and that more openly embraces Christianity as a bedrock identity. Mastriano’s ascension in Pennsylvania is perhaps the most prominent example of right-wing candidates for public office who explicitly aim to promote Christian power in America. “In November we are going to take our state back, my God will make it so.” The separation of church and state was a “myth,” he said.
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