The Freedom From Religion Foundation is castigating Vice President JD Vance for his recent false and alarming statements dismissing the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.
At a Turning Point USA event a few days ago, a student asked Vance what he thought about the idea that “requiring Christianity in public schools goes against the Founding Fathers’ wish of freedom of religion.” Vance responded that he makes “no apologies” for promoting Christian values in government and claimed that those who believe the Constitution requires separation of church and state are “lying.” Vance further argued that the Supreme Court made a “terrible mistake” by enforcing this foundational protection.
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor sharply disagrees.
“Vance’s comments show a reprehensible disregard for one of our nation’s most essential founding principles,” she says. “The United States was first among nations to deliberately and purposefully adopt a godless constitution and found a secular government predicated not on a deity or religion, but on ‘We the People.’ It is this wise and all-American principle of separation between religion and government that guarantees true religious freedom for believers and nonbelievers alike.”
The Supreme Court historically did not, as Vance claims, “throw the church out of every public place.” Landmark rulings upholding the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause have ensured that students are not subjected to indoctrination or religious coercion in our public schools. These decisions protect the rights of everyone, including Christians and other believers, to practice their religion voluntarily rather than through a state mandate. They also protect parental rights to determine religious instruction for their children.
“Vance has it exactly backward,” adds FFRF legal counsel Chris Line. “The Establishment Clause exists to keep the government neutral on matters of religion. That neutrality is what allows religious liberty to flourish. When the government sides with one faith, freedom suffers for everyone else.”
FFRF emphasizes that America’s Founders intentionally built a secular government rooted in reason.
The U.S. Constitution’s only references to religion in government are exclusionary, such as mandating “no religious test shall ever be required” for public office (Article VI). In our nation, citizens can be of any religion they like or none at all. Non-Christians and nonbelievers are not second-class citizens, and our government and its representatives may not take sides on religious matters.
“Separation of church and state is not a mistake — it’s one of America’s greatest achievements,” says Gaylor. “Public officials like Vance who want to tear down that wall are attacking the very freedom they claim to defend.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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