Congressman Jared Huffman, the only current member of Congress to publicly declare his lack of belief in God, has published a book arguing that Christian nationalism represents the most significant danger to American democracy. In his work, Huffman contends that the United States maintains a substantial blind spot regarding theocratic movements and their influence on the country’s political landscape.
Huffman’s perspective on these issues stems from his personal religious journey. Raised in a devout household within the Community of Christ, an offshoot of Mormonism, Huffman was ordained into its priesthood. His faith underwent a significant transformation during his college years following his father’s death, ultimately leading him to adopt what he describes as a humanist worldview. He explains that humanism, as he understands it, emphasizes moral and ethical living grounded in science, reason, and facts rather than supernatural beliefs or religious doctrine.
For many years, Huffman maintained his secular beliefs privately, even participating in a Bible-holding ceremony during his first congressional swearing-in in 2013, an experience he later described as making him feel hypocritical. The decision to publicly acknowledge his non-belief came in 2017, following his mother’s death and amid what he characterizes as an escalation of religious extremism in government under the Trump administration. Despite warnings from colleagues and advisers that such a disclosure would damage his political career, Huffman chose to make his views public.
Huffman received support from various congressional figures, including then-House minority leader Nancy Pelosi and Representative Jamie Raskin, with whom he co-founded the Congressional Freethought Caucus. He has since encountered both backing and criticism, including from fellow Democratic members who identify as devout Christians. Huffman attributes some resistance to what he terms “Christian privilege,” which he defines as cultural protections that shield domestic religious movements from the scrutiny applied to minority or foreign faiths.
The congressman points to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack as a significant example of how the religious dimensions of political movements have been overlooked or understated. He argues that the religious imagery and rhetoric present during that event went largely unexamined by many officials and that the House January 6 select committee’s final report deliberately omitted discussion of Christian nationalism as a motivating factor.
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