It seems like theocrats and other dominionists have just started to realize how unpopular their ancient purity codes are with the general American public.
They have found that trying to pass legislation, even at the state level, requires very tricky, “liberal” maneuvers like presenting an actual reasoned argument, entertaining some degree of bi-partisan support and gaining a majority vote. This has become, in many cases, an insurmountable political hill for them to climb. With public support for things like same-sex marriage hovering around 70%, the prospect of Evangelicals actually legislating Levitical sexual purity codes in 2023, has quite simply become more and more remote.
Enter Jesus franchise CEO, Pastor Jack Hibbs.
He and his multi-level marketing company of about 10,000 at Calvary Chape Chino Valley have discovered that it’s far easier to infiltrate and control a small, local school board, than to try and get anti-LGBTQ legislation passed in the state of California. Of course, the whole “not ashamed of the gospel” one-upmanship within Evangelicalism means that Hibbs has been quick to telegraph and brag about this strategy at every opportunity he can find, so this isn’t exactly a cloak and dagger operation. It is, however, extraordinarily effective. Those who prefer a secular, constitutional republic over a pop-culture religious theocracy, do well to take notice.
Assembly Bill 1314, failed to even get a committee hearing among California legislators earlier in 2023. The bill would’ve required educators to ‘out’ a trans student to their parents, even in cases where the student didn’t feel comfortable coming out, potentially in the face of an unwelcoming or abusive situation at home. Pretending like this was entirely about “strengthening the family”, the bill’s true aim was to slowly introduce Evangelical purity doctrines into godless public education.
Hibbs explains matter-of-factly: “We read the bill (AB 1314). We took the verbiage from the bill. And then introduced it to our unified school district. And they voted and adopted the verbiage…We found out that the most powerful politics is local.”
Hibbs also openly confessed the secret of this theocratic victory: Four of the five Chino Valley school board members who voted for the anti-LGBTQ policy, are active members of Pastor Hibbs’ church.
The ace up his sleeve was Sonja Shaw, who was installed as the the head of the Chino Valley school board in November 2022. She has recently gone on the record as saying: “Today we stand here and declare in his almighty name that it’s only a matter of time before we take your seats and we be a God-fearing example to the nation, how God is using California to lead the way. We already know who has won this battle. You will be removed in Jesus’s name! You, Satan, are losing.”
All of this should be an active reminder that dominionists and theocrats are working overtime to insure the installation of ancient biblical purity codes within our public institutions, regardless of the Bill of Rights or the Constitutional barrier to State-endorsement of religious, sectarian dogma.
