Newly-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, is facing scrutiny but remains unapologetic about his Christian faith and past comments on gay marriage.
Johnson, who took office this Wednesday, immediately found himself under the media spotlight, particularly for his views that were formed during his tenure as an attorney in the mid-2000s with a conservative Christian group known today as the Alliance Defending Freedom.
During that time, Johnson defended traditional Christian beliefs about marriage and made comments that were critical of homosexuality.
It’s crucial to note that his remarks were made in a different social and political climate.
Most politicians then did not openly support gay marriage, and many states had laws against it.
CNN resurrected these past comments but did not provide this important context, labeling Johnson’s views as “harsh.”
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In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Johnson stood his ground.
He said, “I am a rule-of-law guy. I made a career defending the rule of law. I respect the rule of law. When the Supreme Court issued the Obergefell opinion, that became the law of the land.”
Johnson was referencing the landmark 2015 Supreme Court decision, Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
Johnson also emphasized his Christian beliefs, stating, “I also genuinely love all people regardless of their lifestyle choices. This is not about the people themselves. I am a Bible-believing Christian.”
The Speaker went further to clarify that his faith shapes his personal views, not his policy decisions.
“Someone asked me today in the media, they said, ‘It’s curious, people are curious. What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?’ I said, ‘Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it — that’s my worldview.’ That’s what I believe, and so I make no apologies for it,” he declared.
Johnson added that his only agenda as Speaker is “to do what’s best for the American people and to defend the rule of law.”
