[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 188 (Thursday, November 16, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7279-S7280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Museum of the Bible

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, this week, after 3 years of planning and 
construction, we now will be dedicating tomorrow and officially opening 
the Museum of the Bible.
  This is led by Steve Green of Hobby Lobby. We all remember Hobby 
Lobby of Oklahoma. Steve has been a friend of mine and his parents have 
been friends of mine for a long period of time. He is the chairman of 
the board of directors for this long-awaited museum that will allow 
visitors from not just this country but from all over the world--they 
will be coming here to see what it is all about and how this plays a 
pivotal role in our country's history. There is no better place than 
Washington, DC, in our Nation's Capitol, to remind us of the scope of 
the Bible's impact on our history and our narrative. It has been long-
awaited.
  Indeed, one of our Founding Fathers, Patrick Henry, was renowned for 
his readings of the Bible. He said at the end of his life: ``This book 
is worth all the books that ever were printed, and it has been my 
misfortune that I never found time to read it with the proper attention 
and feeling till lately.''
  He is the one--and not many people are aware that historians are 
relooking at the history of this country, and they are saying we could 
not have won that war. I mean you have to sometimes close your eyes and 
envision the greatest army on the face of this Earth coming down with 
thundering marches, going through Boston, and going up to Lexington and 
Concord. There is no way in this world that a handful of trappers and 
hunters could have won that thing. Yet we know why, and he knew why, 
when you talk about Patrick Henry. They said: We are not strong enough. 
It can't be done.
  There is one thing they overlooked, and that is the strength that 
comes from God that we had, and they didn't have. He said:

       We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means 
     which the God of nature hath placed in our power. . . . armed 
     in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that 
     which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy 
     can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our 
     battles alone. There is a just God who [reigns] over the 
     destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight 
     our battles for us.

  And he did, and they fired that shot heard around the world.
  I think that is really important today to think about because people 
come to this country and they want to know what makes America work.
  I have been privileged to sponsor the African dinner every February, 
and people come in from all over Africa. They are always surprised when 
they come and they find out walking through the Capitol what real 
significance God and the Bible has to the history of this country. We 
are the largest Christian community in the world. We cannot and should 
not deny the role our Judeo-Christian values played in the formation of 
this country.
  Our first President, George Washington, was steadfast in his belief 
of God, His law, and that liberty is God's gift. Washington's 
leadership was based on the conviction that Americans are entrusted by 
God to preserve basic freedoms established in the Constitution.
  In a letter, Washington wrote, ``We should be very cautious of 
violating the rights of conscience in others, ever considering that God 
alone is the judge of the hearts of men and to Him only in this case 
they are answerable.''
  It is clear our Founding Fathers recognized and enshrined the 
importance of religious liberty, one of our most precious and 
foundational religious freedoms that allowed them to live their lives 
according to the teaching of the Bible.
  The Bible's role in the founding of America is just one remarkable 
example of how the Bible has profoundly shaped world history. It has 
influenced cultures in every corner of the globe, and the Museum of the 
Bible, which is going to be opening tomorrow, pays tribute to its 
impact and intersectionality with the world religions.
  Whether considering the Bible through a secular or faith-based lens, 
it is impossible to deny its impact on individuals, countries, and, 
indeed, all world history. The Museum of the

[[Page S7280]]

Bible is the first educational experience I have encountered that truly 
appreciates the full magnitude of the Bible's role throughout history.
  The six exhibits, curated by a panel of faith leaders that span 
religious and geographic divides, truly bring the Word of God to life 
in a way that positively educates, informs, and encourages people of 
all faiths and beliefs to learn more about the Bible
  General Washington reminded us in his Farewell Address: ``Let us with 
caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without 
religion.''
  Steve Green's father David founded Hobby Lobby. I remember this so 
well because I was in the State legislature at the time this happened. 
They started in their garage making frames for pictures. It turned out 
to be this giant, worldwide corporation, the largest arts and crafts 
retailer in the history of America, currently or in the past.
  Remember Hobby Lobby, when ObamaCare required that all employers 
provide free access to the pills that terminate pregnancies, David 
clearly recognized this as a violation of his faith. That is what 
America is all about. If you believe in it, you do it, you take a risk. 
He was risking millions of dollars, but the morality was so significant 
from the teachings of the Bible that he went ahead and did it. He took 
the challenge all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and won in a split 
decision. He successfully argued the importance to maintain the 
fundamental freedom of religion to apply his faith convictions to how 
he operates his private business.
  David won his case, but his family understood we needed to do more. 
So he started the Museum of the Bible. I actually was there last June, 
when it was under construction at the time, as we walked through and 
visualized what it was going to look like later on. It is magnificent.
  They have a stage, and you live on the stage. He is going to have 
performances there. I am so anxious to be there tonight, the night 
before the official opening, to see now what it looks like.
  I am so grateful David's son Steve and his entire family are leading 
this effort to make the Bible and its impact more accessible to the 
whole world. I am especially honored that the museum will open on my 
birthday tomorrow. I am not sure they really knew that when they made 
the decision, but somebody knew it.