Republican-dominated Oklahoma House OKs resolution declaring ‘Christ is King’
Democratic opponent raises concerns about state heading toward theocracy
Solidifying Oklahoma’s reputation as a hotbed of Christian nationalism, its House of Representatives yesterday overwhelmingly proclaimed that “Christ is King.”
The vote for the declaration, House Concurrent Resolution 1013, was approved with a party-line vote of 71-16, with Republicans in support and Democrats in opposition. It next goes to the Oklahoma Senate.
As a concurrent resolution, the bill if it passes the Senate will not have the force of law. The resolution states that it “is not intended to establish any religion or infringe upon the rights of any individual, but rather to celebrate the voluntary expression of belief that has shaped communities across the state.”
But it clearly is intended to send a message that lawmakers are friendly to a type of Christian nationalism that would infuse certain Christian beliefs with government action. A recently published analysis by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 51 percent of adult Oklahomans are adherents of Christian nationalism, tying Mississippi as the most Christian nationalist state.
Oklahoma has also been in forefront of developments supportive of Christian nationalist tenets, such as the push by the state’s school superintendent to infuse the Bible in public education curriculum. And attorneys representing a statewide school board will be before the U.S. Supreme Court later this month defending a plan that would use tax revenues to fully fund a virtual Catholic charter school. Although Catholics haven’t been in the forefront of the Christian nationalist movement, the charter school plan is widely seen as the precursor to creating other types of government-funded Christian schools throughout the country.
Statements issued by lawmakers on the Legislature’s website showed strong divisions over the appropriateness of the resolution.
Rep. Jim Olsen, who authored the resolution, said it was designed to affirm “Oklahoma’s deep-rooted spiritual heritage and the enduring faith that unites communities” and that passing the resolution demonstrates the state’s commitment to faith.
Olson also said:
During Holy Week, we honor the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and reaffirm the principles that guide our state. I’m proud to lead this effort to declare “Christ is King” and call upon the help of the “Supreme Judge of the World.”
Democrats, meanwhile, complained that the resolution elevates one religion above others. One of them, Mickey Dollins, wrote:
I want to amplify the voices of Christians who recognize this resolution as rooted in Christian nationalism which is not a religion but a political ideology rooted in power, control, and exclusion. I want to amplify the voices of all Oklahomans with different religious beliefs, as well as atheists and agnostics. What we are doing here today elevates one religion over another. It sends a message to all other religions recognized by the IRS that they are not as important as Christians. We are not a theocracy, but that is where we are headed with legislation such as this. This is the opposite of religious freedom.