Randy Forbes, Representating the Fourth District of Virginia, has introduced House Resolution 888 to declare the first week in May as “American Religious History Week.” Do read it. It’s supporting clauses (those beginning with “whereas”) contain many bold but unsourced assertions such as

Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed this self-evident fact in a unanimous ruling declaring `This is a religious people … From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation’;

or

Whereas in 1782, Congress pursued a plan to print a Bible that would be `a neat edition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of schools’ and therefore approved the production of the first English language Bible printed in America that contained the congressional endorsement that `the United States in Congress assembled … recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States’;

or

Whereas America’s first Presidential Inauguration incorporated 7 specific religious activities, including–

(1) the use of the Bible to administer the oath;

(2) affirming the religious nature of the oath by the adding the prayer `So help me God!’ to the oath;

(3) inaugural prayers offered by the President;

(4) religious content in the inaugural address;

(5) civil leaders calling the people to prayer or acknowledgement of God;

(6) inaugural worship services attended en masse by Congress as an official part of congressional activities; and

(7) clergy-led inaugural prayers, activities which have been replicated in whole or part by every subsequent President;

It is an interesting read. The supporting clauses go on for six or seven pages, printed out. It does present a case– by example only, no legal or constitutional principles invoked– that most of the politicos through most of the history of the country have been Christian and may have thought of this as a Christian land.

Into the fray, my lovelies. What answers do you have? Are we going to merely hold up copies of the frail Constitution, maybe flip on the spot that holds the First Amendment. Are you Christian living in a Christian land?

Ready for the religious wars to begin? I think that’s where Mr. Forbes is heading this.