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Defeat House Resolution 888
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.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , I am very troubled by proposed House Resolution 888, which designates the first week of May as "American Religious History Week," and I respectfully ask that you vote against this resolution when it comes up for consideration. This resolution contains misleading statements about our country's history. It uses selective quotes from some of our founders to create the false picture that religion, and in particular Christianity, provided the basis for our country's laws and institutions. To the contrary, our country was founded as a secular republic, with a separation between church and state and with equal rights for believers and nonbelievers alike. At a time when we are urging other countries such as Iraq to put aside sectarian differences and establish secular institutions, it is saddening that a measure such as H.Res. 888 would even be considered. Please vote against this resolution, which distorts rather than commemorates our nation's heritage.
Sincerely, |
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| Background Information |
“It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties.” - James Madison, 1785
Last month, shortly before the Congressional holiday recess, Rep. Forbes of Virginia introduced for consideration House Resolution 888, which designates the first week in May as “American Religious History Week.” Although the resolution would not have the force of law even if adopted, it nevertheless poses a serious threat to our core values of separation of church and state and freedom of conscience, as well as to the fundamental principle that public policy should be based on secular considerations and not religious dogma.
The resolution is intended to express the official view of the House of Representatives about our nation’s history and will be cited by all those who try to impose religious values on the rest of the country, whether through litigation, legislation, or otherwise. The resolution specifically states that our “educational resources” should reflect the supposed “fact” that religion provides “the inseparable foundation” for this country’s “legal systems and societal structures,” so you can be sure that those on the religious right will fight to have this misrepresentation of history taught in our schools. It will also provide a basis for arguing that the Ten Commandments should be displayed in public places and that we should “acknowledge” our religious foundations with officially sponsored prayer and religious ceremonies such as the Pledge of Allegiance.
The resolution should not be considered in isolation. The proposed resolution forms part of the strategy that the religious right has followed in recent years of trying to give a veneer of validity to government-sponsored religious practices by arguing that these practices simply reflect our heritage rather than advance religion. Obviously, to the extent that the religious right can cite support for their distorted version of history in official proclamations of Congress, their claim gains more credibility.
This resolution distorts U.S. history and shamelessly attempts to portray religion as the foundation for our government and institutions. If we ignore this resolution and allow it to be adopted, this historical fantasy may become current reality. The resolution contains pages of misleading references to the views of our founders. If you have trouble deciding whether to take action against the proposed resolution, please consider the following accurate quotation from one of our founders, James Madison: In his famous Memorial and Remonstrance to the Virginia Assembly in 1785, in which he urged the Assembly to reject a bill that would provide funding for teachers of Christianity, Madison stated that “it is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties.” CSH agrees. House Resolution 888 would set a dangerous precedent and it must be rejected.
