Pending before the House of Representatives is H. Res. 888, which proposes to designate the first week of May as “American Religious History Week.”  The title is ironic because the resolution distorts the history of religion in the United States by citing various events out of context in order to create the misleading impression that this country’s foundation was religious in nature.  

For example, the resolution mentions the fact that the constitutions of the various states refer to God, while neglecting to point out that the United States Constitution contains no reference to God and expressly forbids any religious test for public office.  After pages of misleading statements about our history, the resolution then proposes that the House of Representatives expressly recognize “that the religious foundations of faith on which America was built form the inseparable foundation for America’s representative processes, legal systems, and societal structures.” The resolution thus repudiates the secular foundation for our nation.

Moreover, the resolution states that its distorted version of history should be reflected in “our Nation’s public buildings and educational resources.”  Although the resolution will not have the force of law, it will undoubtedly be cited by those who are continually seeking to undermine the separation of church and state and to suppress the rights of the nonreligious.

Paul Kurtz, Chair of the Council for Secular Humanism, has stated that “House Resolution 888, through its Orwellian rewriting of history, represents another effort by religious fundamentalists to subvert religious freedom and deny equal status to nonbelievers.  It provides official recognition for the falsehood that law and society are based on religion.  This resolution would set a dangerous precedent.”

We urge you to contact your representative and ask him/her to vote NO on this religiously-inspired measure.