Non-Christians Should Be Barred From Public Office
So yes, I think a non-believer or an infidel can be a citizen in a Christian nation; I don’t think he can be an office holder.
In Douglas Wilson’s own words: 11 quotes from 2023 to 2026, from NPR Morning Edition, Mere Christendom and Canon Press, each cited to the source.
Fadel Could [non-Christians] serve in public office? Could they vote?
Wilson So if you had a Christian republic, the Constitution would be Christian. And an office holder would have to vow to uphold the Constitution. So everybody who holds public office...
Fadel ...Would have to be Christian?
Wilson Would have to vow to uphold the Christian Constitution. Yeah.
Fadel So technically they wouldn’t be in public office?
Wilson Technically, they would not be.
[...]
Fadel So for example, I’m a woman who’s not married, who doesn’t have children and who is Muslim. So in a future Christian theocracy, where the 19th Amendment is repealed, what is my role in public life? Do I get to vote? Do I get to run for office?
Wilson No, you wouldn’t hold office because you couldn’t vow to uphold the Christian Constitution.
In order for this to happen at all, the Church must be established, in the sense that the magistrate has the responsibility to recognize her, to convene synods and councils to seek her counsel, and to listen to her. The magistrate himself has the responsibility, as a public figure, in the discharge of his office, to believe in Jesus, Lord of Heaven and earth.
I don’t think he [a non-Christian] can be an office holder, because an office holder has to swear to uphold the Constitution, and if the Constitution is explicitly Christian, I can see non-Christians wanting to live in a Christian society, but I can’t see them vowing to uphold it and defend it, etc. So yes, I think a non-believer or an infidel can be a citizen in a Christian nation; I don’t think he can be an office holder.
If these are the tenets that hold our nation up, shouldn’t we require all office holders within our nation to hold to these standards personally? That means no atheists, by the way. Number two, that means no communists, by the way. Number three, that means no members of the Nation of Islam, by the way. Number one, no Darwinists, either.
[Phil Williams: "In the America that you would like to see, Jews would be deemed unfit to hold office."] Well, I would say there's a difference between disqualified and unfit. So for example, right now you can't— [PW: "You're essentially saying they're less than."] No. If a 30-year-old man is not qualified to run for president. But he might be way better qualified than many of the people we've had as presidents. So, it's just simply these are the boundaries. Now, when you're asking about holding political office, if we're talking about America 300 years from now and we're a Christian republic, okay? And it's represented in our Constitution and laws, I want nothing more than what we currently have. Our office holders vow to uphold the Constitution, right? And if the Constitution is Christian, and it would only get that way if it did so by democratic means, lawful means, then I would want our office holders to be able to vow to uphold this Constitution, which is Christian. [PW: "But isn't that inherently anti-Semitic if you're pushing for a constitution that says Jews cannot hold office?"] No.
[Cenk Uygur: "So do, okay, since I am not a Christian, if you got your way and we have Christian nationalism, do I have the same rights as you?"] There would be, yes, you'd have the same rights but you wouldn't have the same privileges. So for example... I mentioned earlier the ideal republic 500 years down the road, in a biblical republic that was explicitly Christian there would be religious tests for office holders, right? So if you came to America in 1800 and you were living in South Carolina, as a Muslim, or as an atheist actually, you wouldn't be allowed to hold public office. You couldn't be elected to the legislature. But you'd be allowed to live there... [Cenk Uygur: "But not equal because they wouldn't get to run for office... They could be ruled but they could not be part of the ruling class. Only Christians."] Correct. So, if I moved to Saudi Arabia, I wouldn't expect to be allowed to do anything in terms of governance.
What frequently the states would do is they prohibited public office to someone who didn't believe in God or a future state of rewards and punishments... If we're whiteboarding this and you're asking me to describe the ideal Christian republic 500 years from now, I would sketch out a number of things. We could talk about this Presbyterian utopia 500 years from now. If you ask me what my interest is right now, my interest right now is not to exclude atheists and Muslims right now. We've got bigger fish to fry in the moment.
Those people who inaugurated a high revolt against heaven and every form of natural law, right? So we're dealing— we are living in a generation of rebels... We're in the middle of a great apostasy. And that great apostasy says there is no God. Everything's chance, natural selection. We make our own rules and we have full authority to make our own rules. We don't answer to anybody. Now, consequently, I don't want those guys anywhere near the levers of power, right? ... And so consequently, I think the logical positivists and all their cousins have to be excluded from the conversation. They— their worldview cannot be given a seat at the table. Period.
We're in the middle of a great apostasy. And that great apostasy says there is no God. Everything's chance, natural selection. We make our own rules and we have full authority to make our own rules. We don't answer to anybody. Now, consequently, I don't want those guys anywhere near the levers of power, right? ... I want the Christians to tell Caesar to quit pointing his sword at decent, law-abiding, God-fearing people because the sword is inescapable... And so consequently, I think the logical positivists and all their cousins have to be excluded from the conversation. Their worldview cannot be given a seat at the table. Period.
There is no other way, no other option. If you will not have Christ-sons for rulers, then you have made your choice—you will have the Herod-apes for rulers.
[Leila Fadel: "So for example, I'm a woman who's not married, who doesn't have children and who is Muslim. So in a future Christian theocracy where the 19th Amendment is repealed, what is my role in public life? Do I get to vote? Do I get to run for office?"] No, you wouldn't hold office because you couldn't [vow to?] uphold the Christian constitution. And whether you voted or not would have nothing to do with whether you were a woman or not... [Leila Fadel: "If I'm the head of my household."] If you're the head of the household, if you were head of the household and Christian, you would vote. [Leila Fadel: "And if I'm head of the household and not Christian?"] Then that would depend probably on the state.
Transcribed from the video’s automatic captions. Words in [brackets?] are our best reading of unclear audio. Watch the clip to hear it for yourself.