[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 130 (Tuesday, October 2, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1766]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROBLEM FACING LAWMAKERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, SOCIAL, CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS 
                                LEADERS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ZACH WAMP

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 2, 2001

  Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the critical 
problems facing lawmakers, law enforcers, and social, civil, and 
religious leaders in our nation. These problems are being addressed by 
the International Bible Reading Association, as well as by Senators, 
Representatives, and civic, religious, and national statesmen who are 
confident that the Bible contains the answers to our nation's dilemma.
  The great American scholar Noah Webster wrote: ``All the miseries and 
evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, 
oppression, slavery, and war proceed from their despising or neglecting 
the precepts contained in the Bible.'' Noah Webster stated the facts 
over 150 years ago; but, because of the increased pace of our society 
over just the past 50 years, reading the Bible has declined and 
violence and immorality have accelerated.
  The Bible has had a monumental impact upon the development of our 
Western civilization, whose literature, art, and music are filled with 
images and inspiration that can be traced to its pages. More 
importantly, our laws, our sense of justice, our charity, and our moral 
standards all find their origin in the Bible. Bible reading impresses 
upon the minds of readers the principles of morality, truth, justice, 
and respect for the sacredness of human life.
  The Bible, which is a fundamental part of our national heritage, has 
had a more profound affect on the moral fabric of American society than 
any other document. It was the basis for our Founding Fathers' belief 
in the inalienable rights of the individual--rights which they found 
explicit in the Bible. This same sense of individual freedom and 
justice permeates the ideals set forth in the Declaration of 
Independence and the Constitution. The influence of both the Old and 
New Testaments has formed the basis of our laws, our national 
character, and our system of values. It was the biblical view of man--
affirming the dignity and worth of the human person made in the image 
of our Creator--which inspired the principles upon which the United 
States is founded. Many historians credit George Washington with 
identifying the United States as ``One Nation Under God''; therefore, 
today we inscribe In God We Trust on our coins.
  Responding to a Joint Resolution of the House and Senate, in a 1990 
Proclamation, President George Bush wrote: ``I invite all Americans to 
discover the great inspiration and knowledge that can be obtained 
through thoughtful reading of the Bible.''
  The Bible has not only influenced the development of our nation's 
values and institutions, but has also enriched the daily lives of 
millions of men and women who have looked to it for comfort, hope, and 
guidance.
  Mr. Speaker, because of the overwhelming acceptance of the Bible in 
the history of our nation, I invite my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to join me in commending the International Bible 
Reading Association for its request to George W. Bush, President of the 
United States, to proclaim 2002 as the Year for all America to read 
through the Bible.

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