Republican Delegate Henry Dillon recently introduced legislation aiming to elevate the Bible and give the Old and New Testaments prominence in the state’s public buildings, educational institutions and even the legal system.
Dillon, the son of a Baptist pastor who ran on a platform of aligning public policy with biblical principles, did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. The resolution faces steep odds in the legislature, but it is yet another sign of rising Christian nationalism — the belief that America was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed accordingly.
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In Texas, new legislation requires public schools to teach biblical lessons with a strong emphasis on Christianity. The state has also approved unlicensed religious chaplains in public schools. Oklahoma is pushing for the Bible to be a required part of the curriculum. The trend reflects a growing anxiety among conservative Christians who see America’s increasing secularization as a threat.
Parallel to this movement is a growing resistance. “There’s this idea, that I think is false, that Christianity or even religion has a monopoly on values and morality,” said Amanda Tyler, the organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism.
Clash of faith and freedom
The West Virginia proposal has sparked pushback — not just from secular groups, but also from religious leaders who argue it misrepresents what has allowed faith to flourish in America.
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But Lief argues that when the government elevates one faith above others, it often stifles rather than strengthens religious life. “Ironically, the fact that the United States has never had an official religion is actually why religion flourishes,” Lief said. “Freedom is a West Virginia value. It is literally in our motto: ‘Mountaineers are always free.’ This amendment takes away people’s freedom.”
And then there is the question of which Bible would be enshrined in law. Bishop Mark Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston pointed out that the legislation’s language endorses the Protestant canon of 66 books, but the Catholic Bible contains 72.
“We don’t want the state endorsing a particular form of religious faith to the exclusion of others,” Brennan said, noting, for example, some Muslim-majority countries where Islam is the state religion.
Political theater or serious policy?
If Dillon’s bill sounds like a political stunt, it wouldn’t be the first this legislative session. Earlier this year, the same West Virginia House of Delegates entertained a resolution to rename Spruce Knob, the state’s highest point, “Trump Mountain.”
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Despite its long odds, even in a legislature that has a supermajority of Republicans, Rabbi Lief isn’t taking chances. “There is a clock,” he said, “and it’s ticking.”
Living biblically
A.J. Jacobs, the journalist who wrote the bestselling A Year of Living Biblically about his quest to follow every single rule in the Bible, sees humor in Dillon’s efforts.
“If this passes, I hope West Virginia is ready for some changes,” Jacobs told me. “The state will have to make polygamy legal, since it is perfectly fine in the Bible. Solomon had 700 wives, for instance.”
Jacobs also flagged another problem. “All calendars will have to get rid of the names of the days of the week, since it’s forbidden to utter the names of pagan gods like Thor, after whom Thursday is named.”
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If the state passes the amendment, Christians might need to start wearing tzitzit, observing Shabbat and brushing up on arcane laws. “They’ll have to hire inspectors to make sure there are no clothes made of mixed fabrics, as it is forbidden in Leviticus,” Jacobs said.
“On the upside,”Jacobs added, “that’s job creation.”
* Original Article:
https://forward.com/news/702856/west-virginia-bible-christian-nationalism/