Recently, the House of Representatives of the 91st General Assembly of the state of Arkansas introduced HR 1047, a resolution supporting the designation of the Christian Bible, in any version, as the official state book of Arkansas. According to the resolution’s Sponsor, Representative Dwight Tosh, R-Jonesboro, the resolution passed without opposition. That was both surprising and typical to me. I know.
Although this resolution currently holds no legal weight as it was not jointly filed and is not currently being pushed for legal recognition, it is unconstitutional. It is a clear endorsement of one religion over another. To elevate their approval, the resolution and its sponsor makes the argument that the Bible is widely read across Arkansas, and that the state's constituents were in favor of it.Those reasons do not matter.The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States' Constitution clearly states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion," and Thomas Jefferson himself argued for a wall separating church and state.
There is not one kind of person in this country or in Arkansas. We all have different religious affiliations or lack thereof. We all have a right to them. What we have no right to do, what Congress has no right to do, is endorse one religion over another and tear down the wall that divides church and state. Even if all but one person in Arkansas was Christian, it still should not matter that the response to the resolution was positive. As a Representative, you represent your constituents no matter who they are, no matter how many there are and no matter how varied their views may be. A Representative who's won his seat, does not just represent those who voted for him. Politicians must start to realize that they serve the people, all the people. We must also keep reminding them.
While the resolution may be one page long, there are so many questionable things in there. From the argument that people consider the Bible to be "a book of truth," and that, "the Bible forms the basis upon which our modern civilization is structured, " there is so much to be debated upon. That’s a topic for another day.
America is not Christian nation. It would not matter if every Founding Father was Christian. The Constitution does not endorse it. Our cultural makeup does not endorse it either. I am absolutely in favor of the Free Exercise Clause that states that one may practice any religion they choose, but I will never support legislation that endorses one over another. This is not what our country is, and it is not what it should be.
Senate officials will not be able to vote on this resolution until the next legislative session. I really hope that they see sense and oppose it no matter how much they may be pulled towards it. Christians in Arkansas do not need this passed. They can freely practice their religion. I can't say that for everyone with other religious affiliations in this country.
