Republican lawmakers in Oklahoma are trying to pass a bill, HB 3817, that would require all state-run buildings (including public schools) to display the words “In God We Trust.” While the bill specifies that this isn’t meant to “[favor] any particular religion or denomination thereof over others,” of course that’s the point. It’s a generic promotion of Christianity.

The bill has already passed through a committee on a 5-2 vote and it’ll likely sail through the legislature without much difficulty.

In fact, the resistance is so futile that one lawmaker is just openly admitting this has nothing to do with church/state separation, that such a concept is impossible, and that we shouldn’t even bother with it.

“Our government is based on the idea that our inalienable rights are granted to us by our creator,” said Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon. “It is impossible to separate church from state. And our founders said we should not do that, actually.” The proof, he said, was on the money in everyone’s pockets and purses.

Good god, this man is stupid.

The phrase is on paper money because politicians just like him wanted to promote Christianity in the 1950s. That’s not proof of anything other than Christians always using the government to advance their religion in a way they would oppose if anyone else tried the same tactic.

It’s not impossible to separate church and state. Other nations do it all the time. We’re the idiots who treat the Bible as a substitute Constitution and pass policy based on what would make right-wing Christians happy instead of what’s best for the entire nation.

(Screenshot via YouTube. Thanks to Brian for the link)

