This Tuesday, the Wisconsin Assembly will consider A.R. 16, “recognizing Thanksgiving week as National bible Week.” Please take a moment to urge your state representative to oppose A.R. 16 and to stand up for the constitutional separation between state and church.
The resolution “encourages us to read the bible,” but why should the government promote the Christian bible? Why encourage citizens to read a book that condemns our LGBTQ brothers and sisters to death? Why ask citizens to peruse a book that promises eternal torture and torment for them if they happen to exercise their religious liberty and not worship Jesus?
This resolution nefariously conflates patriotism and theocracy to advance Christian Nationalism. Tell the Assembly to recognize that opposing theocratic declarations like a National Bible Week is patriotic. Tell them to stand up for our godless Constitution. Follow the red “Take Action!” link below and feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided.
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The bible week resolution resembles a mashup of two resolutions in the Christian Nationalist Project Blitz handbook, one recognizing “Christian Heritage Week” and the other recognizing the “importance of the bible in history,” (as if there’s any danger that Americans will forget about Christianity or the bible). But this particular resolution is actually part of an older Christian Nationalist push.
Like other opportunistic insertions of Christian Nationalism throughout American history, National Bible Week has its roots in a moment of national fear: Dec. 7, 1941, the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked. To stand up and challenge any resolution in the wake of such an attack would have been seen as unpatriotic. But in reality, dedicating a week to one particular religious book directly contradicts the fundamental American principle of keeping state and church separate.
Read FFRF’s full statement here.
