A letter to my Representative
I’m confused and upset by the actions of the house in passing a resolution encouraging the violation of church and state. I just read about your (you voted for it) resolution encouraging schools to post ‘God Bless America’ signs. It can not be said that ‘God Bless America’ is a religiously neutral statement. It is clearly encouraging religion and attempting to tie our secular government to some sort of religious vision. A religious manifest destiny.
No one is confused about what or whose god you are referring to. You are not encouraging signs saying ‘Allah bless America’, ‘Goddess bless America’ or ‘May all the gods bless America’ forget about Buddha or the animistic spirits of the American Indians or Shintoism. You are clearly and unambiguously saying may the Christian God bless America. By saying that this is a patriotic statement (which it is not) all you do is separate out all of us who believe differently us unpatriotic. You create a divisiveness that can only come from the invocation of God.
To put it bluntly you just encouraged schools across the country to take the morally equivalent stance of saying ‘America is a White Nation’ and refusing to even recognize the diversity of racial groups we have in this country. When challenged the standard response is the equivalent of saying that some of the lighter colored other racial groups can be considered white. This is not acceptable behavior for my elected representatives.
I keep hearing how we’re supposed to stand together as one nation. If that is what you really want stop doing divisive things. If you want us to stand as one nation remove god as a divisive issue. Return our motto to ‘E Pluribus Unum’ (’Out of Many, One’) a truly uniting statement. Remove god from the pledge of allegiance so that all Americans can say all of it without reservation. Stop giving the power of the state in support religious pronouncements.
Remember that you aren’t my priest. Remember that as many as 15% of Americans don’t believe in any recognizable god. Remember that over half this country never step foot in a religious building except for weddings and funerals. Remember that government works best as a secular entity.
I was under the impression that separation of church and state and the first amendment mean something. At the very least they mean that in your official capacity as a governmental representative you are supposed to neither aid nor hinder religion, you (in your official capacity) are supposed to be religiously neutral. The action you took in encouraging schools posting ‘God Bless America’ failed that test.
I’m very disappointed and I hold you accountable for not having the courage to stand up for ALL your constituents. Unless I see different actions on your part my disappointment will be expressed in the voting booth.