Protect the separation of church and state

On may 2, 2022, the supreme court ruled that the city of boston had to fly the “christian flag” outside city hall at the request of a group called camp constitution. the group’s attempt to associate a civic holiday, constitution Day, with christianity was a clear example of christian Nationalism — the harmful and ahistorical belief that america is and should be a christian nation. two years later, the perils of this decision are clearer than ever.

The constitution is a secular document; to protect true religious freedom, it must be. this has been lost on us house speaker mike Johnson, who compared himself to moses and hung the christian Nationalist “appeal to heaven” flag outside his office. it is also lost on Donald trump, whose “god bless the usa” bible places scripture alongside our founding documents. a small subset of american christians are attempting to dictate what it means to be american.

For a few hours in 2022, a flag with a cross flew over boston. but the forces that put it there did not stop at the flagpole. i encourage everyone to join the fight to protect churchstate separation and make it clear that christian Nationalists don’t have a monopoly over the republic we share.

AIDAN SCULLY

Youth Organizing Fellow, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Cambridge