2010: Year of the Bible (WTF)

Seriously WTF!!

2010: Year of the Bible « An Apostate’s Chapel

No, you don’t need to check you calendars. It really isn’t April 1 and this really isn’t an April Fool’s prank. Rep. Paul Broun (R- GA) wants President Obama to designate 2010 as “The National Year of the Bible.” Here’s the text of the resolution:

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Encouraging the President to designate 2010 as ‘The National Year of the Bible’.

Whereas the Bible has had a profound impact in shaping America into a great Nation;

Whereas deep religious beliefs stemming from the Old and New Testament of the Bible have inspired Americans from all walks of life, especially the early settlers, whose faith, spiritual courage, and moral strength enabled them to endure intense hardships in this new land;

Whereas many of our Presidents have recognized the importance of God and the Bible, including George Washington; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Harry Truman; John F. Kennedy; Ronald Reagan, who declared 1983 as ‘The National Year of the Bible’; and especially Abraham Lincoln, whose 200th Birthday Celebration in 2009 highlighted freedom for the slaves;

Whereas shared Biblical beliefs unified the colonists and gave our early leaders the wisdom to write the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, both of which recognized the inherent worth, dignity, and inalienable rights of each individual, thus unifying a diverse people with the right to vote, and the freedoms of speech and vast religious freedoms, which inspired courageous men like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to lead the Civil Rights Movement;

Whereas the Bible has been the world’s best selling book since it was first published in English in 1526, and has influenced more people than any other book;

Whereas the Bible has been a cornerstone in the development of Western civilization, influencing the nations in the areas of history, law, politics, culture, music, literature, art, drama, and especially moral philosophy;

Whereas the Bible, used as a moral guide, has inspired compassion, love for our neighbor, and the preciousness of life and marriage, and has stimulated many benevolent, faith-based community initiatives and neighborhood partnerships that have healed and blessed our families, communities, and our entire Nation, especially in times of war, tragedy, and economic and social crisis;

Whereas the Bible has inspired acts of patriotism that have unified Americans, commemorated through shared celebrations such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas; and

Whereas 2010 is an appropriate year to designate as ‘The National Year of the Bible’: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the President is encouraged–

(1) to designate an appropriate year as ‘The National Year of the Bible’; and

(2) 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, as well as its rich spiritual heritage, and which has unified, healed, and strengthened its people for over 200 years.

I find it astonishing – actually, I can’t fathom it at all – that, in the midst of substantial domestic and global turmoil, this idiot believes that this resolution is worthwhile. He didn’t introduce a resolution (it’s probably far too much to expect actual legislation!) on education, health care, veteran’s medical benefits, economic measures, American global military commitments or any number of other significant issues. Nope. He appears to believe that the most pressing matter this country faces, having just completed a National Day of Prayer less than a week ago, is the need to have a National Year (a YEAR! Not a day, or a week, or a month – an entire fucking YEAR!) of the Bible. Presumably, the reason for this is that we are a Christian Nation, by God, and we’re not going to let any of those stubborn, wrong-headed adherents of other religions and especially those damned godless atheists (all of whom are going to roast in hell, all praise and glory be to the Christian God for his mysterious love, mercy and grace) forget it!

AARRGGHHH! Every time I resolve to start writing less about religion and more about positive aspects of non-belief, shit like this gets thrown in my face and I’m reminded of why religion matters, even – perhaps especially – to the non-religious. If Christians want to proclaim 2010 a National Year of the Bible within their denominations, and even across denominations, they should do it. They don’t need my blessing, nor do they need President Obama’s signature on fancy parchment. But, no, some of them aren’t satisfied with keeping their religion to themselves. They want to induce “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.” Citizens who profess faiths other than Christianity are expected to have special reverence for Christianity even though they don’t believe it, and citizens of no faith are not given any consideration at all. That’s not surprising, of course. After all, President George H.W. Bush said “I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots.” As long as elected leaders like Rep. Broun continue believing that they can impose their religious beliefs on Americans at large, and as long as elected leaders like President George H.W. Bush continue using my lack of faith as grounds to deny my citizenship and the rights which accompany that citizenship, I will have no choice but to continue opposing the insertion of religious faith into public life.

If this resolution annoys you as much as it annoys me, you can contact President Obama and encourage him not to sign this resolution. You may also want to contact your Congressperson and your senators to let them know how you feel about this resolution. It would be a good thing for all of us to remind them to keep focused on things that matter; a National Year of the Bible is not one of them.

H/T to PZ Myers

– the chaplain