Southern Baptist pastor and Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers recently sparred online with the Freedom From Religion Foundation about whether pornography is protected by the First Amendment.
Deevers, who pastors Grace Reformed Baptist Church of Elgin, Oklahoma, has made banning pornography a key aspect of his platform. Earlier this year, he introduced legislation instituting “criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison for production, distribution, or possession” of pornography.
“Few things have ravaged the spiritual health of our nation and our state like pornography,” says Deevers’ campaign website. “States like Arkansas, Utah, and Virginia passed laws this year causing major porn distributors to cease providing their filth in those states…I believe we can do even more to protect our families from degenerates who seek to push their smut even onto our kids.”
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is a nonprofit organization that seeks “to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.” FFRF has consistently advocated against open displays of religion in public schools and other institutions that receive public funding, as well as against open political displays in religious institutions that benefit from tax-exempt status.
Deevers, on the other hand, continues to express sympathy for Christian nationalism.
On Wednesday (Aug. 6), Deevers wrote in a post on X, “Pornography must be banned.”
“Everyone knows children, families, and society would be healthier without it,” he added. “It is only ever degenerate filth with no redeeming qualities. There is no excuse not to act.”
In response, FFRF wrote, “The First Amendment doesn’t disappear just because Dusty Deevers wants to play morality police. You don’t get to legislate your version of ‘purity’ onto everyone else.”
In a lengthy thread, Deevers responded with the reasoning behind his belief that pornography “is not speech” protected by the First Amendment.
