H. Con. Res. 121--The Year of the Bible

For those of you who may want to write your Congresscritters.



Sponsor:
Rep. Paul Broun [R-GA]

Cosponsors [as of 2009-05-08]

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland [R-GA]
Rep. John Carter [R-TX]
Rep. James Forbes [R-VA]
Rep. John Gingrey [R-GA]
Rep. Zach Wamp [R-TN]
Rep. Todd Akin [R-MO]
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter [R-MI]
Rep. Mike Pence [R-IN]
Rep. Louis Gohmert [R-TX]
Rep. Trent Franks [R-AZ]
Rep. Jim Jordan [R-OH]
Rep. Doug Lamborn [R-CO]
Rep. Kenny Marchant [R-TX]


My own Representative, Rep. Trent Franks got this letter this evening. I thought I'd share. I encourage everyone who has Representatives who are on this committee or have sponsored this divisive piece of legislation to write them.

Congressman Franks,

I am concerned about your co-sponsorship of H.Con. Res 121.

I am concerned as a Republican, and as a member of your district. The freedom of religion in this country is of the utmost importance. It was so important that it was listed in the very first of our Bill of Rights.

While I can appreciate a love of Bible, and one's faith, part of the freedom of religion, is a freedom to practice one's faith freely. When the state endorses one faith over another, it creates a climate that endangers that. The state endorsing one faith over another, even if it is your own, is a tenuous thing. It sets precedence for the state to promote one faith over another. And while it may seem like a good thing now, it's a dangerous precedent to set.

The freedom of religion is the freedom to practice a faith that is not popular. It is the freedom to practice freely, and without fear. By endorsing one faith over another, we create an environment that infringes on every other faith--and if the political winds change, it creates a precedent for meddling with faiths by the government.

The freedom of religion is not the freedom to promote one faith over another. It is designed to protect faiths from interference. I urge you to remove your support of this bill in order to bolster the freedom of religion, and to send a bold statement of that support of the 1st Amendment.

As a nation, and as a party, we need to promote unity as Americans, not as slices of the population. Not just Christians. Not just Jews. Not just Buddhists. Not just Muslims. Not just Catholics. Not just Wiccans. But Americans. This resolution only emphasizes divides, it does nothing to promote our unity. It is the antithesis of the spirit of the 1st Amendment, and it is a terribly un-American resolution. It shames me as a Republican to have to remind my own Representative of this. And it shames our nation as well. I hope that you will do the right thing, and remove your support of this resolution, and that you will take steps to reinforce our Constitution, and bring unity back to the nation, instead of divisive resolutions to placate those who are so insecure in their faith, that they want the bolstering of the state, even if it means putting their own freedom of religion in peril, because they are so short sighted to understand the potential consequences. As Conservatives, we are supposed to be able to take the long view. Please, take that long view and remove your support of this divisive and ultimately  ill-conceived resolution.


Originally posted on Mon May 11, 2009 at 02:44:14 AM EDT at The Motley Moose