Monday, March 06, 2006

The Religious Wrong Strikes Missouri

The Religious Wrong Strikes Missouri


Unbelievable.
A couple Missouri lawmakers have put forth a resolution that would declare Christianity the “majority religion” of the state.
From KMOV:
Missouri legislators in Jefferson City considered a bill that would name Christianity the state’s official “majority” religion.
[…]
The resolution would recognize “a Christian god,” and it would not protect minority religions, but “protect the majority’s right to express their religious beliefs.
The resolution also recognizes that, “a greater power exists,” and only Christianity receives what the resolution calls, “justified recognition.”
State representative David Sater of Cassville in southwestern Missouri, sponsored the resolution, but he has refused to talk about it on camera or over the phone.
As many of you know, Missouri is where I live and have lived for pretty much my entire life. It’s also widely known as the “Show-Me” state.
In that spirit, I’d like for the sponsor of this bill, Rep. David Sater, and the co-sponsor, Rep. Barney Joe Fisher, to show me exactly how this resolution is going to help Missouri. And guys, I want details…quickly.
Thankfully, some religious leaders in the state are pretty upset by this blatant attempt to mix church and state:
Some religious leaders on Friday blasted a proposed Missouri House resolution that supports prayer in schools and recognizes a “Christian God,” saying legislators are pushing Christianity as a state religion.
“It’s an atrocity,” said the Rev. Timothy L. Carson, senior minister at Webster Groves Christian Church. “Thomas Jefferson would be rolling in his grave. It’s indicative of a movement within one segment of activist Christianity that wants to dominate the rest with their views.”
One note here, I believe the KMOV story that I cited in the first quote got the facts mixed up. This isn’t a bill. It’s a resolution. The difference is a bill could become law, while a resolution is more of a politically charged statement that bears the approval of at least some of the legislature, therefore giving this idea legitimacy.
However, I think this guy sums it up the best…
The Rev. David M. Greenhaw, president of Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, said he found the resolution “offensive as a Christian. I don’t want the state defining my Christianity.”
Exactly.

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