Year of the Bible

I read an interesting piece on Yahoo! this morning and I must say it is comforting and a little disturbing. Republican Congressman Paul Broun has proposed a congressional resolution aimed at honoring the Bible. He said that it seeks to recognize that the Bible played an integral role in the building of the United States, including providing the basis for our freedom of religion that allows Muslims, Hindus and even atheists to vocalize their own beliefs. The resolution specifically asks the president “to issue a proclamation calling upon citizens of all faiths to rediscover and apply the priceless, timeless message of the Holy Scripture which has profoundly influenced and shaped the United States and its great democratic form of government.” Sounds pretty good to me! I say it's about time someone in the government stand up for the Bible instead of passing legislation than bans it from the public.

However, you would be silly to think that was going to get passed without a bunch of people criticizing him AND the Bible. Critics are dismissing it as either unconstitutional or a waste of time. Jews in Congress and atheist activists are dismissing the resolution. One critic said "Republican lawmakers with apparently too much time on their hands and no solutions to offer the country are pushing a resolution that will not address the nation’s problems or advance prosperity or even untangle their previous governing mistakes." Other members of Congress have said that the federal government should not be imposing religious viewpoints. The point that took me by surprise, which really shouldn't have, was that atheism is on the rise. "We are seeing Christianity on such a dramatic decline that we’re not particularly worried about it. We’re thinking that this kind of old-style George W. Bush Republicanism is about to go away,” David Silverman said.

We should know that something that would actually be good for our country would get some of the hottest controversies. There are atheist rights activist groups, Jewish rights groups, and of course Muslim. How about a Christian group? Or would that be stepping over a line because it is Christianity and not any other religion? Our laws for this country were based on the Bible, but the Bible itself is not allowed in government buildings, but the Quran can be? Government officials say they have to keep a separation of church and state to protect the government, but I say what about the church? By "protecting" the government they are crippling the church and going against the law that gives everyone the right to freedom of religion. How can you separate church and state? I really don't think you can or should. Even the the congress has men and women of different religions and that is what sways where they place their votes. No one can put aside their religions views when voting on topics like they do and they shouldn't have to. That is what the freedom of religion gives us along with being able to practice that religion freely, which apparently Christians won't be allowed to do for much longer.

"The moral and religious system which Jesus Christ transmitted to us is the best the world has ever seen, or can see" Benjamin Franklin

"That I am not a member of any Christian Church, is true; but I have never denied the truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional disrespect of religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular." Abraham Lincoln