Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and has been connected to Iowa’s public schools for 38 years. He taught for eleven years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association regional director for 27 years until retiring. He can be reached at BruceLear2419@gmail.com
There’s nothing wrong with politicians discussing their religious faith and beliefs. Religion is often a huge part of what makes a person who they are. There is, however, something terribly wrong when a candidate or office holder condemns all other religious beliefs by implying everyone in the United States should believe the way they do, and the country should make policy based on his beliefs. That’s religious nationalism.
Religious nationalism is the belief that “a country’s historically predominant religion should be a central part of its national identity and drive policymaking.” It is linked to policies that promote one religion over others. It’s really just old-fashioned religious bigotry.
Chris Prosch, the Republican candidate in the upcoming August 26 special election for Iowa Senate district 1, embraces religious nationalism. In 2022, Prosch’s firm “helped produce and distribute” a video called “Enemies Within the Church.” That video claimed mainline Christian denominations were corrupting Christianity because some leaders have become “woke.”
Neither the trailer or the film ever defines “woke.” I guess “woke” is anything they disagree with. I’m certainly not criticizing Prosch’s religion, but he seems to be throwing shade on mine and a lot of other people’s beliefs. I’m a proud United Methodist, and that’s one of the denominations criticized in the movie and a podcast interview Prosch filmed with Reverend William Cook.
Mainline denominations like Presbyterians, United Methodists, Catholics, and some Baptist denominations are described as having “woke” pastors.
Cook is the same pastor who asserted in January 2024 that anyone “involved in election fraud” will be “struck dead by God.”
Prosch also promoted “Enemies of the Church” when Jim Minnery interviewed him in 2022 for his podcast “I’m Glad you Said That.” During that podcast, Minnery introduced Prosch as the “publicist” for the film. And Prosch was specific about “woke” enemies of the church. You can listen here.
If he disses other religions, because they don’t agree with his beliefs, how will he react when one of his constituents from the “woke” Christian denominations tries to talk to him? Sioux City also has communities of Jewish and Muslim citizens. How will he react to them? Atheists also live in Senate district 1. Will Prosch listen only to people who agree with his religious beliefs? Will he spend his time searching for enemies of the church in the Iowa Senate? Will he work across the aisle or are they automatically the enemy?
He has right to promote his ideas, but as an office holder, he has an obligation to represent even the people who don’t believe the way he does. We live in a country rooted in free speech and religious freedom.
Prosch doesn’t mention any of these ideas in his campaign literature. He ignored invitations from the League of Women Voters to participate in a candidate forum. Immediately upon being nominated at the Republican County convention he scrubbed his social media accounts.
Voters have a right to vote for whomever they choose, but they should be able to find out what each candidate really believes.
So far, Prosch has spent most of his limited campaign time issuing juvenile attacks on his opponent, Democrat Catelin Drey. Judging by GOP-funded mailings and advertising, Prosch believes once having pink hair disqualifies Catelin from being a senator. The ads falsely claim Drey wants to let illegal aliens vote, end deportation of illegal aliens, and stop funding for the border patrol. She advocates none of those positions.
Catelin Drey is a working mom and community leader. She has been transparent on what issues she’ll tackle, including fully funding public schools, making housing and child care more affordable, and putting more money in the pockets of hard-working Iowans. Catelin will also put people before pipelines. She clearly understands Iowans are struggling economically because of poor decision making in Des Moines.
Most of all, Catelin will listen to all her constituents in Senate District 1, even if she disagrees with them. Based on his campaign and his promotion of religious nationalism, will Chris Prosch?
Catelin doesn’t think people who disagree with her are the enemy. She’s open to working with Republicans when she can and confronting them when she can’t.
Please take a minute and follow the links provided in this article especially if you’re a Senate District 1 voter. If you’re outside the district, please be aware religious nationalism is alive and well in Iowa.