The Freedom From Religion Foundation strongly condemns House Joint Resolution 3020, a blatant attempt to enshrine Christian nationalism into West Virginia’s Constitution by falsely declaring the bible as the “divinely inspired, inerrant foundational document for our society and government.” This resolution directly attacks religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
“This resolution is a shocking and brazen violation of the Establishment Clause,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “West Virginia lawmakers are attempting to rewrite history and subvert our nation’s foundational principles by imposing a sectarian religious belief onto every citizen of the state.”
HJR 3020 seeks to add a section to the West Virginia Constitution that would grant the bible — specifically, the 66-book Protestant version — an official status above all other religious or secular texts. This not only disregards West Virginians’ religious diversity but also amounts to government advancement of a specific religious doctrine. It directly contradicts the fact that the U.S. Constitution — not any religious scripture — is the foundation of the American government.
West Virginia is home to individuals of many faiths and none. According to Pew Research, only 64 percent of West Virginians identify as Christian, and even among them, beliefs about the bible’s authority vary widely. And 31 percent of West Virginians are religiously unaffiliated. By adopting language that claims the bible is an “accurate historical record of human and natural history” and the “utmost authority for human moral behavior,” the resolution disregards scientific and historical realities while also excluding and marginalizing non-Christians, atheists and even Christians who interpret their faith differently.
Not only is this proposal unconstitutional, but it is also a strategic maneuver by lawmakers to justify future Christian nationalist policies. If passed, this amendment could be used as a basis for pushing through other unconstitutional measures, such as mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools, using taxpayer funds to support private Christian schools or revising history curricula to promote a distorted, Christian-centric version of American history.
“This is not about religious freedom — it’s about religious coercion,” says FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott. “By declaring one religious text as supreme, the government would be trampling on the rights of every citizen who does not share this belief.”
The resolution still faces significant hurdles. Amending the state constitution requires a two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers before being put to a public vote. And FFRF plans to challenge this law if that happens.
FFRF urges West Virginians who value true religious liberty and the secular foundations of American democracy to speak out against this resolution. Lawmakers should focus on addressing the state’s real issues, not pushing divisive and unconstitutional religious mandates.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with more than 40,000 members nationwide, including members in West Virginia. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
