Americans United denounces Trump’s ‘National Jubilee of Prayer’ as Christian Nationalism

Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s declaration of a “National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving” on Sunday, May 17, in Washington, D.C.:

“If President Trump and his allies truly cared about America’s legacy of religious freedom, they would be celebrating church-state separation as the unique American invention that has allowed religious diversity to flourish in our country. Instead, they continue to threaten this foundational principle by advancing a Christian Nationalist crusade to impose one narrow version of Christianity on all Americans. As far as we can tell, of the 29 individual speakers and performers on the schedule sent out by Mike Johnson, every single one is Christian. This is a government-sponsored event on public property that combines only Christian faith leaders and government officials; it’s less a ‘Jubilee of Prayer’ than a ‘Jubilee of Christian Nationalism.’

“We proudly celebrate 250 years of American independence from kings who ruled over both church and state. For 250 years, America has been marching toward the promise of a country where all people can be free to live as themselves and believe as they choose, as long as they don’t harm others. Christian Nationalists threaten that promise by undermining church-state separation, a pillar of our democracy.

“As we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, I urge everyone to recommit to church-state separation, which enables us to come together as equals and build a stronger democracy.”

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Founded in 1947, Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious freedom advocacy organization that educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.