House Preparing Unconstitutional Recognition of Billy Graham
The Constitution is very clear about the relationship that Congress is supposed to have with religion: Hands off neutrality. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” the first sentence of the first amendment in the Bill of Rights states. That means that Congress isn’t only prohibited from establishing religion, but that it can’t even make a law with regard to the establishment of religion.
Yet H.RES.1358, introduced on Monday by Democratic Congressman Heath Shuler into the House of Representatives, is clearly such a law. The law is a resolution with an active clause that reads,
“Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life of the Reverend Billy Graham on the occasion of his 90th birthday and recognizes his decades of public service and his commitment to furthering the faith of Christians around the world.”
To support this clause, the resolution praises Reverend Billy Graham’s religious work:
- “Whereas Billy Graham has provided religious advice and counsel to Presidents…”
- “Whereas Billy Graham has personally reached more people through his evangelism than any other preacher in history…”
- “Whereas Billy Graham embodies the message conveyed in scripture in Mark 16:15, `Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature’…”
- “Whereas Billy Graham committed himself to Jesus Christ at the age of 16 and was ordained in 1939…”
If H. RES. 1358 merely gave official congressional recognition to Billy Graham’s public works, there wouldn’t be a constitutional problem (although there still would be good reason to question whether the resolution were worthwhile – the resolution doesn’t mention questionable parts of Billy Graham’s work, like how he preached anti-semitism to President Richard Nixon, for example). There is nothing inherently wrong in Congress recognizing the secular public works of peple who happen to be religious.
The problem is in the way that this resolution provides the official recognition and sanction of Congress for Billy Graham’s religious practice and promotion of Christianity. Congress has no place passing legislation respecting that kind of activity. Americans ought to judge for themselves whether one religion is worthwhile, not have Congress lecture them on the subject.
The members of the House of Representatives who support this unconstitutional resolution along with Congressman Shuler are Democrats and Republicans, bipartisan in their lack of wisdom and disregard for the Constitution. Their names are:
Sanford Bishop
Dan Boren
Leonard Boswell
Allen Boyd
Ken Calvert
Dennis Cardoza
Travis Childers
Robert Cramer
David Davis
Lincoln Davis
Donna Edwards
Vernon Ehlers
Brad Ellsworth
Mary Fallin
Gabrielle Giffords
Robin Hayes
Walter Jones
Jim McDermott
James McGovern
Mike McIntyre
Mike Ross
Zachary Space
John Tanner
Zach Wamp
Frank Wolf
[...] Boren is being criticized for violating the radical Left-Wing’s alternate interpretation of the first amendme…. The folks that are seeking a nation free from religion, reject the literal interpretation of the [...]
[...] This week, however, Donna Edwards disappoints, with her cosponsorship of H. Res. 1358, a resolution to give official congressional recognition and approval of Billy Graham’s promotion…. [...]
Is this all you people have to do? Sorry, but that is unconstitutional. I’m sure Billy Graham will have plenty of memorials without you wasting our tax money and time on this. Now, get back to real work and try to keep Bush from Bombing India- Uh-Oh, I think he already did. Thanks for nothing.
You people need to get a life. Or, maybe we should just refer to you as comrade.
… because everyone who disagrees with you, Gunter, is clearly a communist.
This is an unconstitutional proposal and as such should be denied