Since I am one of the nearly 80 percent of Americans who Gallup says identify themselves as Christians, I suggest we enjoy our status by having our way! Occasionally. Inked on our money, engraved on the walls of many government buildings and written even in our National Anthem is the resolution: “In God we trust.”
We applaud the action by Gov. Nathan Deal to return the Holy Bible to government-owned buildings, much as the Bible was approved and authorized by Congress in 1782. These replacement Bibles are free, perhaps supplied by The Gideons, which directs its resources only to quiet distribution of The Word.
Our opponents are atheists who claim their belief in no religion is itself a religion. We accept James Madison’s definition that religion is the duty which we owe our Creator. Because atheists say there is no Creator, their claim to be a religious organization falls on its own words.
Which begs a question. Why should we accept literature that belittles our God and allow it to be placed beside every Bible? The Declaration of Independence, a government publication, states our Creator, whom we know also as God, has endowed his people with inalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I have no idea where those who do not believe in God determine the source of any rights to them.
In Congress, a super majority is only 67 percent. This is more than 10 percentage points fewer than the citizens who say they are Christians. This two-thirds plus one mutes all opposition, yet we respect such legislation as the law of the land, even though it defeats the wishes of one-third of the members.
Yes, we know that the history of our nation has determined that it is the mutual duty to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other. But the key here is that forbearance is defined as a Christian duty and, in strict definition, such love and charity is required only from one Christian to another believer. This hopefully will deflect the attack of those who will say Christians when challenged by the enemy should, in love, accept any demand.
The future of the Bible has never been more assured. It is available to every cell phone in America, in many versions and voiced by a selection of readers. The free app is Bible Gateway. Atheists demanding that their material about the Bible and Christians be companions where Bibles go makes as much sense as their wanting to recall cell phones because their harangue against God is not included.
There is a positive result from media coverage of atheists who object to Bibles in Georgia-owned buildings. We now know of more locations for the Bible. Hopefully, we will read it more.
Jerry Luquire is president of the Christian Coalition of Georgia.
