John Hostettler is the former U.S. Representative forIndiana’s 8^th district (from 1995 to 2007, when he lost hisreelection bill) and theocracy sympathizer.He is not particularly fond of the Consitution,either, in particular the separation of powers: In 2004, for instance, he atleast suggested that when courts make decisions Congress (i.e. he) disagreewith, then Congress should simply not enforce them: “Federal courts have no army or navy… The court can opine, decide, talkabout, sing, whatever it wants to do. We’re not saying they can’t do that. Atthe end of the day, we’re saying the court can’t enforce its opinions.” He wasalso responsible for introducing the Marriage Protection Act that deniedfederal courts the right to hear cases challenging the Defense of Marriage Act,which used to ban same-sex marriage (it passed).

Of course, although he demonstrably and intensely dislikesthe Constitution, he is very insistent aboutclaimingotherwise (not unlike very many other people who also liketo thump the Constitution). As current president of the Constitution Institute,for instance, his works to provide state legislators and others with “a greater understanding of the United StatesConstitution,” which of course doesn’t mean the Constitution but whatHostettler thinks it ought to have said (which, since he is evidently crazy, isequivalent towhat he thinks it actually did say).Like what? Well, Hostettler has for instancecomplained that the “church has extracted itself fromgovernment,” creating a vacuum filled by “those adversarial to biblical truth,” and also the education systemis currently controlled by “those whoreally don’t want our kids to understand what the Constitution has to say,”which, once again, doesn’t meanwhat theConstitution has to say, but what Hostettler thinks it ought to have saidbut demonstrably doesn’t, such as that “governmentis an institution that is not just a God-centered one, but it was ordained byGod.” In 2008, Hostettler endorsedChuck Baldwin,theConstitution Party’s nominee for the presidential election.

While in Congress Hostettler introduced legislation(multiple times) to preventorganizations such as the ACLU from collecting attorneys’ fees when they winlawsuits challenging religious symbols on public land or religious groups’ useof government property. Hostettler said the bill would “restore legal balance in this country, and it will protect us frombeing the victims of this assault on our religious liberties.” In practice,of course, it would guarantee that violations of the First Amendment – forinstance teachers forcing students to pray to their particular deity – wouldhave no actual consequences and allow only those able to pay in full for theirown legal fees to challenge such practices in court. Wonder if that was anunintended consequence? But of course, it is Hostettler andhis fellow Christians who are persecuted:“Like a moth to a flame the Democratscan’t help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians,”said Hostettler when Congress debated complaints from cadets at the US Air Force Academy over“coercive proselytizing” from evangelical superior officers who had tried topressure them about their religious beliefs.

Hehas also been involved in some brouhaha around theutterly discredited abortion-breast cancer link.