Word has it that Rep Paul Broun (GA) has introduced new legislation called National Year of the Bible Resolution a.k.a. the Bible Bill making the year 2010 the Year of the Bible.   The Bible Bill panders to Rep. Broun’s bible base, but it isn’t really an American endeavor.  Since the beginning, our country has been intently pluralistic (not atheist mind you, but pluralist) and celebrating the Bible would be fine if we were to have the Bhagavad Gita Bill in 2012. 

A few years ago, I wrote an op-ed that ecouraged an interfaith caucus in the congreess. In Rep. Broun’s misguided bill there might be something that would work.  There is a new movement of people of different religious traditions reading one another’s sacred texts as a means of better understanding the tradition, the moral principles and world vew held within. Even Evangelicals are getting involved.  If Rep Brown were to team up with other members of congress from different faiths (Keith Elison of Minnisota comes to mind) to declare a year of sacred texts then this might be more American, and would be a very worthwhile bill.

But my guess is that he is not interested in a true recognition of the plurality of sacred traditoins in America and that this is just a small ploy in the “America is a Christian Nation” effort.  I’m sure it will die a timely death.