Religious doctrine having an outsized influence on the government has resulted in a worse outcome for Iowa by any of the measures that we find valuable and important to us.

Over the past dozen or so years, in the state of Iowa we have seen a new assault on the rights of its citizens that have put the future of our state in a precarious situation. It seems every other week there are reports and new sets of statistics tarnishing what was once a sterling record for Iowa on the well-being of its citizens.

We have seen Iowa lose its destination status for those looking for an excellent public education as well as a dearth of coverage for mental health care.  Iowa now ranks the worst in OBGYN coverage per capita in the US and is consistently cited as an example of what not to do when it comes to stewardship of our waterways. On top of these dire statistics, we are also seeing unprecedented assaults on the civil liberties of Iowans from banning books (and earning a slew of wasteful and costly lawsuits because of it) to banning transgender Iowans from participating in sports to restricting the right to privacy and health care for half of the state’s population.

Things aren’t going so great for many citizens in Iowa, and the future may actually look darker for our most vulnerable citizens. However, it should be noted that, while most of the policies that have led to these dire statistics do indeed come from one side of the political aisle, there is actually a more concrete and direct golden thread throughout the changes that have come to Iowa.

That golden thread is the erosion of the wall between church and state.

Time and again we have seen the rights of Iowans under assault, and the origins of these assaults are consistently backed, supported and framed in strictly religious terms by religious organizations.

This was true back when Iowa was among the first in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. The backlash against this decision was swift, with religious organizations marshaling large and eventually successful campaigns to unseat the justices that were up for retention after that particular decision.  The opposition was specifically worded in religious terms, with nearly all the resources being marshaled by both in and out-of-state religious groups such as the Iowa Christian Alliance and the Family Leader, both explicitly and exclusively sectarian Christian organizations.

History repeated itself in 2023 with Gov. Kim Reynolds signing the “fetal heartbeat bill” that replaces scientific medical reasoning and civil rights consideration with religious dogma and faith-based claims, marking another intrusion of church into the affairs of the state. 

Yet again we are seeing religious organizations and churches forming alliances with such groups as Moms for Liberty in order to replace access to information and science-based education with religious indoctrination and conspiracy theory misinformation. The trend continues with the “bathroom bill” that bars transgender Iowans from using a public bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. This is a more egregious example, as opposition to the bill came from professional medical, legal, civil rights, education, community, and yes, religious groups. The only folks in favor of taking away the rights of Iowans were religious groups, particularly groups that are demonstrating an outsized influence on government by using that same erosion of church and state to push religion — particularly sectarian Christian tenets and principles — into government.

This is not to say that all religious groups or religious people are responsible for the negative trajectory Iowa has been on. Far from it. There are champions for civil and human rights in every corner of the state and from every background.  There are sitting legislators who are religious or even members of clergy who stand in stark and direct opposition to these examples of bigotry above and are strong supporters of church-state separation.  They recognize that for every Iowan to have the most liberty and happiness possible, we cannot have church and state melded into one; theocracy is literally un-American and un-Iowan.  The actions of groups like the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and even entire denominations like the United Methodists (which has lost one-fifth of its membership over acceptance of LGBTQ+ people!) show that being religious doesn’t mean that you ought to be tarred with the same brush as Christian nationalists.

While it is crucial to highlight the negative consequences of the erosion of the separation between church and state, it is equally important to recognize the positive contributions that many religious groups and individuals bring to our communities. Throughout Iowa’s history, religious organizations have played pivotal roles in charitable work, community development, and providing support to those in need. Many individuals find solace, purpose, and a sense of belonging through their religious beliefs, fostering a rich tapestry of cultural diversity in our society. It is essential to distinguish between the actions of specific religious groups that contribute positively to our communities and the potential negatives of religious influence in the political sphere. Emphasizing the need for a robust separation between church and state does not diminish the positive impact of religion in individuals’ lives or the community. By fostering a respectful coexistence between religious and secular perspectives, we can work towards a society that upholds both individual freedoms and collective well-being. 

Secular groups are not looking to bar religion from the public arena. That would be as impossible as it would be un-American. Rather, they seek to keep the government secular in order to protect the rights of everyone. As the data and history demonstrate, the more the wall between church and state erodes, the worse it is for equality under the law, the worse it is for human rights, and the worse it is for an accountable and transparent government.

Religious doctrine having an outsized influence on the government has resulted in a worse outcome for Iowa by any of the measures that we find valuable and important to us.  Essentially, the more religion and faith-based reasoning we have in government, the worse off we all seem to be. The solution is to rebuild that wall of church-state separation, for Iowa to go back to its roots and lean on science, reason and empathy to build a better state and future for all of us.  This is going to take all of us, religious and non-religious alike, but it is also going to take some tough looks inside of ourselves and at what faith means to us in the public square. If we want to follow that golden thread back to where Iowa used to be regarding civil and human rights, it is going to mean repairing that wall. It is going to mean challenging many of our preconceived notions about religion and what it means to us to have a government that respects and represents us all. It will also mean unraveling a lot of religious beliefs and influence on our Legislature.

“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we shall maintain” means all Iowans. Not just Christian, not just atheist. Not just gay or straight. Not just black or white. It means ALL Iowans. If we want to live up to the motto of our state, we will need to keep in check the faith-based groups that are assaulting them while supporting secular groups that protect them.

Jason Benell of Des Moines is president of Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers. Contact: president@iowaatheists.org.