Letter to Speaker Johnson: Make Clear that All People are Welcome in the Halls of Congress

Earlier this month, Giani Surinder Singh, the head granthi of the Gurdwara South Jersey Sikh Society, delivered a prayer on the floor of the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) wrote in a since-deleted X post that it was "deeply troubling that a Sikh was allowed to lead prayer." She wrote that “America was founded as a Christian nation,” and that “our government should reflect that truth, not drift further from it." She originally posted that he was “Muslim” and then corrected it before deleting the post entirely. 

Interfaith Alliance partnered with the Sikh Coalition and Americans United for Separation of Church and State to write a letter to Speaker Johnson today. We were joined by 23 other interfaith, civil rights, and community-based organizations to call for Speaker Johnson to denounce Congresswoman Miller’s remarks and oppose this attack on religious freedom.

Here‘s some of the letter:

“Rep. Miller is wrong to claim that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. The Constitution, which derives its power from the people and forms our government, does not proclaim an official religion. Instead it protects religious freedom for all. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson explained that the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, the model for the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment, would ensure religious freedom for ‘the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo, the infidel of every denomination.’ Given our nation’s robust, longstanding commitment to the freedom of religion and belief, it is no surprise that the United States is among the most religious, and religiously diverse, nations in the world. This diversity should be celebrated, not denigrated.

This episode demonstrates how pernicious the Christian nation myth is. The mistelling of American history is designed to exclude and divide. Rep. Miller said that it is ‘deeply troubling’ that a Muslim or a Sikh person could be allowed to lead a prayer in the House of Representatives. This makes plain that when people invoke the Christian nation myth, they believe non-Christians are not full and equal members of our communities and citizens of our country. At its core, though, religious freedom is about equality because it ensures that all people are treated the same regardless of their beliefs.

We urge you to denounce Rep. Miller’s comments and to affirm that you believe people of all faiths and those who are non-religious are welcome in the halls of Congress. We appreciate in advance your prompt response and public courage on this matter.” 

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The views and beliefs expressed in this post and all Interfaith Alliance blogs are those held by the author of each respective piece. To learn more about the organizational views, policies, and positions of Interfaith Alliance on any issues, please contact [email protected].

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