[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 28, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9678-H9685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL BIBLE WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2017, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the topic of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to come before 
the House and be on the floor tonight to commemorate National Bible 
Week. This is an opportunity to celebrate the tremendous influence of 
the Bible on the freedoms we enjoy today in America.
  We are truly blessed to live in a nation where we are free to worship 
and read the Holy Scriptures without fear of persecution. There are 
many places throughout the world where such freedoms do not exist.
  Americans have the right, under our wonderful system of government, 
to respect and study the Bible or any other system of belief if they so 
choose, or even none at all. That is the beauty of the American way, 
and I believe it all does go back to the Bible.
  In 1941, as it says on the poster here, President Franklin Delano 
Roosevelt declared the week of Thanksgiving to be National Bible Week.
  The National Bible Association and the U.S. Conference of Bishops 
have designated the specific days of November 18-24, this year, as 
National Bible Week. This is the week set aside to recognize the Bible 
as a foundational building block of American and Western civilization, 
the Judeo-Christian heritage, and the legacy that motivated and shaped 
the founding of the United States.
  In this hour, we will hear from some of my colleagues here in 
Congress from various faith traditions and denominations speak about 
what the Bible means to them. We are here in keeping with tradition to 
recognize National Bible Week.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative 
Lamborn, and I appreciate his intentionality in bringing us together 
each year to talk about this, having had that opportunity, now into my 
fifth term, each year to remind ourselves of the impact of the Bible.
  It has had a rich heritage in this country, a country that is free, a 
country that offers liberty for all who would have personal beliefs, 
religious and otherwise. It even allows freedom in this country, a 
country that was truly established on Biblical principles, but, 
nonetheless, it allows freedom for people to not even have a belief or 
a religion.
  I think that is the beauty of my understanding of the Bible in that 
it is a book that offers freedom to people to come to understand it, to 
read it, to have it impact their lives.
  I can say for a fact that the Bible is more than just a book, a 
historical book, a book of tradition, a book of writings of religious 
perspective and spiritual nature; but, rather, it is a book that has 
changed my life. It is a book that I believe, and I believe the facts 
would bear it out as sincere people test it and search into the Bible 
to see that it is truly a book that is God-given.
  I remember the inscription in one of the earliest Bibles that I ever 
had in my possession as a young boy. It was a book, as I recollect, a 
Bible that was given as a reward for attendance in Sunday school, given 
by my teacher. I had had other Bibles that I had gotten from my family, 
hand-me-down Bibles that I had carried, but this, I think, was my first 
Bible.
  In that Bible inscription, it said: ``This book will keep you from 
sin, or sin will keep you from this book.''
  My friend and colleague, I think that was given by my Sunday school 
teacher as, really, a point to encourage me from doing the normal thing 
as a young boy would do. And that I wouldn't call sin. I would call it 
bad behavior. But I know, ultimately, the Bible called it sin.
  I found it to be true, that as that book became part of my life, that 
it changed my life. While I have never achieved, to this very day--and 
I admit that to you--perfection yet, that Bible altered my existence. 
And when I did do those wrong things that the Bible calls sin, I was 
convicted of that and I was encouraged to change.
  An early verse that I remembered from the Bible came from Psalms, the 
Book of Psalms, Psalms 119:11, that said: ``Your word I have treasured 
in my heart, That I may not sin against You.''

  The Bible is a practical book that is meant to change lives, to alter 
the way we live, to impact others as well.
  I think John Witherspoon, who signed the Declaration of Independence, 
one of our earliest officials, government officials, who happened to be 
a minister as well, but served his country well, said: ``A republic 
once equally poised must either preserve its virtue or lose its 
liberty.''

[[Page H9679]]

  I think he had the context there that virtue came from something 
beyond humanity. It came from, in his mind, I am certain from other 
readings I have read of John Whitherspoon, from his understanding of 
the Word of God, the Bible, that ``a republic once equally poised must 
either preserve its virtue,'' that virtue that comes from something 
outside of ourselves, greater than ourselves, and given to God, 
Himself, or else, without that virtue, we would lose our liberty.
  He probably understood the principle found in Proverbs 14:34 that 
said: ``Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any 
people.'' That was written in the context of a great nation. 
Righteousness built it up; sin tore it down.
  John Adams, another one of our great leaders who understood Scripture 
very well--and you just need to read his letters to his wife and his 
wife's letters back to him, let alone his writings in relationship to 
our government and our Constitution--said: ``Our Constitution is 
designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate 
for any other.'' And John Adams, in writing about what it meant to be a 
holy and religious people, referred his life very clearly to the Bible, 
God's Word.
  The Bible is an amazing book. It is a controversial book, to say the 
least. It is a comforting book. It is a challenging book. It is a 
timeless book. And I have found it to be a book that is true, without 
error, and it has changed my life.
  Voltaire fought against the Bible in many different ways, writings 
and otherwise, and he said it would be out of existence within 100 
years of his life. Yet, in approximately 50 years after Voltaire's 
death, the Gutenberg Bible was printed on Voltaire's printing press.
  Isaiah 40:8 says: ``The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word 
of our God''--the Bible--``stands forever.''
  The truth of the Bible, God's Word, can never be forced on anyone; 
but when it is honestly and sincerely considered, it changes lives. It 
changed my life, and it continues to change my imperfect life.
  The Bible says, in Psalms 119, the psalmist David wrote that--the 
longest passage of Scripture in the entire Bible, an entire passage of 
Scripture, the longest, written about his love for the Bible and the 
Word of God. He says: ``Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to 
my path.''
  Ephesians 5, in the Bible, says: ``Therefore, be careful how you 
walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, 
because the days are evil.''
  My friend, we see that all over the world today, don't we? Evil, evil 
things are happening, evil people doing evil things, hateful things, 
hurtful things, horrific things. And none of those things are being 
done after the pattern of what we find in the Bible.
  It continues, in Ephesians, saying: ``So then do not be foolish, but 
understand what the will of the Lord is.'' And that will is found in 
His Word, the Bible.
  ``Trust in the Lord,'' Proverbs 3:5-6 says, ``with all your heart, 
and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, 
acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.''
  The Bible continues to hold itself out as a straightener of paths, 
pointing us to the source of life and the Savior who is the ultimate 
message of the Bible whom to know personally is life eternal.
  I thank God for the Bible. I thank God for the opportunity even 
tonight to talk about the Bible in this august Chamber with my 
colleagues and to remember the impact that the Bible, the Scripture, 
has had on this great Nation and, I trust, will continue to have on 
this Nation; and I offer it to any who would dare to consider its life-
changing message.
  I thank God for the Bible.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, my friend from Michigan mentioned a few 
things about the founding of our country, and so I would like to 
mention this: Many of the early American settlers came to the New World 
with the express purpose of following the Bible according to the 
convictions of their own consciences.

                              {time}  1730

  One of the first acts of Congress during the tumultuous beginning of 
our Nation was the authorization of an American-published Bible.
  The war with the British had cut off any supply of Bibles from 
England. Our Founding Fathers understood how important it was for the 
American people to have Bibles.
  Robert Aitken, a private citizen, brought this need to the attention 
of Congress. He wrote a letter and he said: `` . . . this work is an 
object worthy the attention of the Congress of the United States of 
America, who will not neglect spiritual security, while they are 
virtuously contending for temporal blessings.''
  In 1782, Congress reviewed, approved, and authorized the first known 
English language Bible to be printed in America, and that Congressional 
Resolution read: ``RESOLVED, THAT the United States in Congress 
assembled, highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. 
Aitken, as subservient to the interest of religion, as well as an 
instance of the progress of arts in this country, and being satisfied 
from the above report, of his care and accuracy in the execution of the 
work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of 
the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish this 
Recommendation in the manner he shall think proper.''
  Boy, what a great thing for Congress to do back in the 1700s. I 
wonder if the incoming Congress will recommend a Bible to the American 
people.
  But it was certainly an important part of the founding of our 
country, and I am so glad we have that heritage as a country.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield time to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Bergman), my colleague.
  Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman (Mr. Lamborn) for 
yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and truly a God-given pleasure to be here 
tonight to speak on the 77th anniversary of National Bible Week.
  When you are among colleagues like we are here, 435 of us in the 
House of Representatives, I feel as though I am among 434 other friends 
and colleagues who celebrate like we do.
  When I was 12 years old and was entering confirmation, my parents 
presented me with my first Bible. I still have it. It is white, it had 
a zipper. One of the most important memories I have that I can see 
every day when I open it up is the original signature of both my 
parents, who have since passed on, as they presented it to their son 
who was entering confirmation.
  The first thing I did, in the middle of the Bible there was a section 
where you could put in your family tree, because they wanted to do 
that, so I wrote in my own 12-year-old handwriting at that point the 
family tree. And, again, it is still in the Bible, so I get a chance 
not only to review the Word of God, but also remembering how that 
affected my family as they had persevered through the Great Depression 
and World War II.
  But when we think about what our parents and grandparents did, and 
our founders did to create the country that we live in today, it is 
important to remember that they did that. And we are blessed, so 
blessed, that we live in a country where we can study the Word of God 
and gather and worship freely without the threat of persecution.
  In a time where it seems that there is no ultimate truth, we can take 
comfort in knowing that the truth of the Bible is unchanging and 
eternal. These truths do not discriminate. They are for everyone 
everywhere, and today is a great example of this.
  Today we have Members of Congress from different regions and walks of 
life all coming together to celebrate the Bible as the very foundation 
upon which our Nation was built. This is something we must not just 
say, but we should live out.
  Micah 6:8 says: ``And what does the Lord require of you, but to act 
justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.''
  I pray that this is a scripture that I honor not only as a Member of 
Congress, but in every day of my life.
  The Bible has made an indelible mark on our Nation's history. From 
our founding to this very day, the Bible has helped guide, instruct, 
and inform those who have served in this great body.
  John Adams may have said it best when he said: ``The Bible contains 
the

[[Page H9680]]

most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most 
refined policy that ever was conceived upon Earth.''
  As families in the First District of Michigan and all throughout the 
country gather together for the holidays, let's give thanks for our 
loved ones, the freedoms we have in the United States of America, and 
the truths of the Bible upon which our Nation was founded.
  And in the finest traditions of the Lutheran religion, at this point 
I would just like to thank the Speaker for the time and pass the peace.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for being here tonight 
and for all of his work in Congress. We are honored to have him as one 
of our colleagues. I appreciate his service as a veteran for many years 
in the U.S. Marine Corps.
  Mr. Speaker, I am going to talk for a few minutes about an experience 
I had when I was younger, and then turn it over to another one of my 
colleagues.
  When I was 18 years old and a freshman at the University of Kansas, 
someone asked me if I knew what the Bible was about, and I said, yeah, 
I know what it was about. But then I thought about it and I realized 
that my answer was really pretty presumptuous, because I had never 
actually read any of it.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I wonder if this might be true for anyone who is 
listening today. The only honest thing I could do at that point was to 
read the Bible for myself. So I started by reading for myself in the 
Gospel of John in the New Testament. When I read it, I discovered that 
I hadn't known at all what the Bible was about.
  In that Gospel, Jesus says: ``I am the way, the truth, and the life. 
No one comes to the Father except through Me.''
  And I ended up discovering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 
who became my Lord and savior.

  So, Mr. Speaker, this is what I know from personal experience: it is 
better to read the Bible for oneself, and not just take someone else's 
word for what is in it, or something they might read on the Internet.
  For me, it made all of the difference in the world. My life has been 
totally different since then as a result.
  As King David says in Psalms: ``The unfolding of Your words gives 
light, it gives understanding to the simple.''
  As we celebrate National Bible Week, we remember the importance of 
faith in both our private and public lives; we recognize its powerful 
message of hope; and we cherish the wisdom of the Bible and we thank 
God for providing this Holy book that has truly been, as has been said 
already tonight, a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure to rise here tonight 
with my friends and colleagues in recognition of National Bible Week, 
which we celebrated last week during the Thanksgiving holiday.
  It is my privilege to stand in this chamber tonight, as God has led 
me to be here to tell you what the Bible means to me and the impact it 
has had on the history of this Nation.
  Throughout our country, we are seeing a distinct level of division 
that is evident in this very body and all across our land.
  In Exodus, God created the law, the Ten Commandments, and instituted 
a government to carry out the law, saying: ``Appoint judges and 
officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is 
giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly . . . Follow justice 
and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord 
your God is giving you.''
  Right now, I am looking at the face of Moses over the entry to this 
House chamber.
  Government was instituted by God for one purpose: to restrain evil 
and promote good.
  We must ensure that in this body and throughout our government, that 
we are always working toward this purpose.
  Mark 3:24 says: ``If a kingdom is divided against itself, that 
kingdom cannot stand.''
  During trying times and always, we must turn to the word of our God 
and trust that He will lead us on a path to righteousness, as the truth 
can always be found in our faith in Him. And, my fellow Americans, the 
truth shall set you free.
  One of the first Scriptures I memorized was Joshua 1:8. It says: 
``This book of the law,'' the Bible, ``shall not depart from your 
mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be 
careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will 
make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.''
  I have prayed over this scripture and believe all who pray and follow 
the word of the Lord will be granted all the wonderful promises God has 
made through His word, like He has done with me and as He did with 
Abraham in Genesis 15:6: ``Abraham believed the Lord and he credited it 
to Him as righteousness.''
  As I have traveled Georgia's 12th District, I remind folks that we 
are all just stewards of what God has given us and we must be obedient 
to God's word to keep it.
  Psalms 24:1 tells us: ``The Earth is the Lord's, and everything in 
it, the world, and all who live in it.''
  Everything belongs to God.
  We must ask for God's blessing and protection. It says that in the 
Bible.
  As we enter the Christmas season, we must all remember the importance 
of this day as we celebrate the birth of the savior of the world.
  Earlier this year, the late Billy Graham lay in honor in our Capitol. 
I have read his inaugural prayer as a reminder every week for the past 
16 years. I would like to share it with you now.
  ``Our Father and our God, Thou hast said, `Blessed is that Nation 
whose God is the Lord.' We recognize on this historic occasion that we 
are `a Nation under God.'
  ``We thank Thee for this torch of faith handed to us by our 
forefathers. May we never let it be extinguished. Thou alone hast given 
us our prosperity, our freedom and our power. This faith in God is our 
heritage and our foundation.
  ``Thou hast warned us in the Scriptures, `If the foundations be 
destroyed, what can the righteous do?'
  ``As George Washington reminded us in his farewell address, morality 
and faith are the pillars of our society.
  ``We confess these pillars are being eroded in an increasingly 
materialistic and permissive society.
  ``The whole world is watching to see if the faith of our fathers will 
stand the trials and tests of the hour.
  ``Too long we have neglected Thy word and ignored Thy laws. Too long 
we have tried to solve our problems without reference to Thee.
  ``Too long we have tried to live by bread alone. We have sown to the 
wind and are now reaping a whirlwind of crime, division, and rebellion.
  ``And now with the wages of our sins staring us in the face, we 
remember Thy words, `If my people who are called by my Name shall 
humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked 
ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will 
heal their land.'''
  My fellow Americans, this prayer was offered on the inauguration 49 
years ago.
  As I talk to you at this time, our Nation, many have told me that we 
are at a crossroads.
  My prayer is this: that God has given us His word, and as far as me 
and my household, we shall worship the Lord.
  Thank you and God bless you.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his 
contribution to tonight's Special Order.
  He mentioned a passage that was also referenced by Ronald Reagan, and 
let me highlight that with you, because throughout American history, 
many of our great leaders have turned to the Bible for guidance, hope, 
and faith.
  For instance, President Abraham Lincoln once said of the Bible, ``I 
have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good 
the savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But 
for it, we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable 
for man's welfare here and hereafter are found portrayed in it.''
  And another one of our greatest presidents, in my opinion, President 
Ronald Reagan, in his own National Bible Week declaration, which we are 
celebrating, wrote when he was in office: ``When I took the oath of 
office, I requested the Bible be opened to II Chronicles 7:14 . . . '' 
and we just heard

[[Page H9681]]

from that. And President Reagan went on: `` . . . which reads, `If my 
people, which are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray 
and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from 
heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land.'''
  The President also said: ``This passage expresses my hopes for the 
future of this Nation and the world.''

                              {time}  1745

  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway), 
chairman of the Agriculture Committee and a colleague of mine on the 
Armed Services Committee.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time and for 
leading this effort tonight to recognize National Bible Week and the 
importance of it.
  Mr. Speaker, above your head is emblazoned the national motto of our 
country, which says, ``In God we Trust.'' We all say that quite often, 
but, quite frankly, we have no idea of how to trust in a God that we 
don't know anything about. So the question is: How do we know God and 
we know we can trust Him?
  Mr. Speaker, we know God because the inspired Word of God is the 
Bible. Through the chapters of the Old Testament and the New Testament, 
those truths are laid out by which we can know God and understand His 
ways, or try to understand His ways, try to understand the fact that 
His Son came to this Earth and lived and died to save us from our sins, 
that we might rely on Him as our personal savior and the only gateway 
in which we can spend eternal life in Heaven, but is also here for us 
to live our daily lives day-to-day. In the truths of the Bible, we can 
live our lives, interact with each other, and do that in a way that is 
pleasing to God.
  John Adams wrote that only a moral and religious people can self-
govern. We have enjoyed a self-governance scheme of governance now for 
242 years, but that moral and religious high ground that John Adams was 
referencing is founded in the truths of the Bible.
  If each of us is free to decide what is true on our own, then we are 
in big trouble. That is where our Nation is leading us today. We are 
separating ourselves from that moral high ground that is laid out in 
the Bible in very clear and convincing terms to our own peril.
  There are a lot of things going on in this Nation that God can't 
bless. Most of us here tonight would argue that we are a blessed 
nation: blessed with resources, blessed with oceans on both sides that 
have protected us during the infancy of our Nation, blessed with 
hardworking people, blessings up and down the list in which God has 
blessed us.
  Are we, in fact, a blessable people? When God looks at America today, 
does He look at a people who are blessable or worthy of being blessed?
  We have things going on in our Nation today, Mr. Speaker, that are an 
abomination. We have killed 60 million babies in 45 years. God can't 
long bless a nation who stays on that path of killing those infants.
  Putting it a different way, those early children who were aborted 
following Roe v. Wade would be 45 years old today. They would be at the 
prime of life. They would be leaders in this Nation. They would be 
doctors, lawyers, researchers, scientists, and others who might have 
made this world an entirely different place, a much better place than 
it is. But they were not allowed to live those lives that God had 
planned in the womb for each of those lives to the fullest. This Nation 
can't long continue to be blessed if we stay on that path.
  How do you correct that? You reclaim that moral high ground by living 
a moral code.
  I live the Judeo-Christian moral code that is set forth in the Bible 
we are honoring tonight. Jesus Christ is my personal savior, and I will 
spend eternity in Heaven based on His death, resurrection, and my 
belief in that.
  We as a nation must begin to turn back to that code. Each one of us 
have to live that code in order to reclaim that moral high ground. We 
can't legislate it in these votes in this Chamber. You can't do it in 
the State capitols. You can't do it in county commissioner's courts, or 
you can't do it in city council chambers. This is a decision that each 
one of us has to make personally to make that happen.
  2 Chronicles 7:14, the promise out of the Old Testament, has been 
referenced several times tonight. It is a promise that God has made 
that we can claim. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I would argue that our Nation 
has never been in more need of claiming that promise than we are 
tonight.
  Turning from our wicked ways is the key phrase in that passage. 
Obviously, seeking God's face and praying is the next step. But we have 
to turn from the wicked ways, and that involves deciding what, in fact, 
is and is not wicked. The basis for that decision is in the Scriptures 
of the Bible, the inspired Word of God that we are honoring here 
tonight.
  My call is that we claim that promise and that we begin to lead those 
moral and religious lives that are required to continue to self-govern. 
If we don't, then self-governance will be lost on future Americans.
  Think about this last idea. We celebrated this month since the end of 
World War I. The last 100 years, I would argue, there has never been a 
nation that has done as much good for the rest of the world and asked 
so little in return as the United States of America.
  I personally believe that was God's divine mission for us as a 
nation, to protect liberty and freedom, the way that we have done the 
last 100 years. Looking at the next 100 years, Mr. Speaker, who will 
take up that mantle if we lay it down or it is taken away from us? Are 
we going to look to China, Russia, or radical Islam to protect freedom 
and defend liberty the way we have done the last 100 years? I would 
argue that is not what is going to happen.
  If those truths are going to be defended and available to future 
generations of all of us in the world, then America must reclaim the 
moral high ground and protect self-governance the way we must.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an important week. I appreciate my colleagues' 
conversations tonight. I would ask that God continue to bless each and 
every one of us, that God bless Texas, and that God continue to bless 
the United States of America.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his words and for 
his service to our country.
  The gentleman mentioned: How do we know this book is true? People put 
a lot of faith in it, sometimes to the point of death, but how do they 
know it is really true?
  One reason many people respect the Bible and believe it is that it 
has prophesied and told future events which came true exactly as 
foretold. In the Old Testament, there are many predictions that were 
given to prove that the speaker, who claimed to be a prophet, was 
divinely inspired so, if and when those predictions came true, it would 
validate the words of that prophet; if they did not come true, it 
showed him to be a false prophet.
  The Book of Daniel, for instance, contains scores of detailed 
prophecies that were literally fulfilled. Skeptics have fallen back to 
the position that Daniel must have written after the fact because those 
prophecies were so amazingly precise and did come true.
  But we know, later, through history and archeology, that the Book of 
Daniel was found in its entirety in the Greek's Septuagint version and 
partially in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Both of those predated the events 
that were prophesied, so those prophecies were made in advance of the 
historical events which came true.
  The rise and fall of empires, the capture and destruction of cities, 
and the destiny of kings all were prophesied about in minute detail. 
This is an example where archeology and history have literally 
confirmed those and hundreds of other such prophecies as having come 
true, which is a validation of the truth of the Bible.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson), 
the incoming chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, 
Congressman Lamborn, for organizing this Special Order, recognizing the 
77th annual National Bible Week in America. As we know and has been 
said today, this is a declaration that was first

[[Page H9682]]

made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt just weeks before the start of 
World War II.
  As we do on this occasion every year, my colleagues and I extol the 
virtues of the Holy Bible. It is the most widely published, widely 
read, most influential book in all of human history.
  Of course, to us, as Christians, we know that it is more than just a 
``good book.'' We order our lives upon this book. Indeed, as Hebrews 
4:12 proclaims: ``The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any 
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, 
joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the 
heart.''
  What I want to address in my brief remarks today is one of the common 
misconceptions that exist about the use of the Bible in our public 
school classrooms. This is a very practical issue that many of us have 
to address back home.
  Earlier this year, Mr. Speaker, I joined with my good friend, 
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who is a former distinguished 
Member of this body, to create this free joint publication that we 
entitled, ``The Louisiana Student Rights Review: Answers to Common 
Questions about Religious Freedom in Schools.'' Because there are so 
many questions, we wanted to make a user-friendly guide for parents, 
teachers, coaches, school administrators, and school systems around our 
State to answer those frequently asked questions.
  One of the big questions we answered for all those stakeholders, 
interest groups, and students was this one, and it comes right out of 
page 4 of our publication. It says: ``Can the Bible and other religious 
texts be used appropriately in a public school classroom?''
  This is the simple answer that we gave. We said: ``Yes.''
  More than half a century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified that 
``the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic 
qualities,'' and that such study of the Bible or of religion, when 
presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, is 
perfectly lawful when relevant and appropriate to the subject matter of 
the class.
  We cited in here the Supreme Court cases that make that very clear. 
There really isn't any legal ambiguity about this at all.
  Unfortunately, there are a number of interest groups on the other 
side of this issue that engage in a campaign of fear, misinformation, 
and intimidation. They try to convince Americans and public school 
children all across the country that religion is somehow a bad thing, 
is off limits, and that you can't have your Bible on school campus, but 
it is just simply not true.
  Mr. Speaker, this is so important for everybody to understand.
  Contrary to widespread belief, the Bible never has been banned from 
public schools, and it is, indeed, an appropriate course of study, 
especially to promote academic excellence and cultural literacy.
  Here is the important point. The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy 
observes this: ``No one in the English-speaking world can be considered 
literate without a basic knowledge of the Bible. . . . The Bible is 
essential for understanding many of the moral and spiritual values of 
our culture, whatever our religious beliefs.''
  That is precisely correct.
  We should ask ourselves: How can students possibly be considered well 
educated if they have no basic understanding of the Bible's profound 
influence upon the development of our country, law, politics, culture, 
literature, music, art, history, and virtually every aspect of Western 
civilization?
  When the Bible is removed from classrooms, it has the effect of 
denying students a complete understanding of history. For this reason, 
as a service to the next generation of Americans, every Member of this 
body should strongly encourage the study of the Bible as an appropriate 
part of the program of education in our public and private schools all 
over this country. I certainly believe in that idea, and I know that 
all my colleagues here today would agree wholeheartedly.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for arranging 
this Special Order.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).

  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado 
for recognizing me to speak here on this Special Order to honor 
National Bible Week.
  It starts off, for me, this way, Mr. Speaker. I will go to Psalm 
139:13: ``For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my 
mother's womb.''
  God knew us all in the womb. At the moment that we were formed in our 
mother's womb, from that moment of fertilization, that moment of 
conception, He gave us life. I believe that is also the instant that He 
places the soul in all of us who are created in His image.
  Once we recognize that and we recognize also that our Founding 
Fathers understood this as well when they laid out the prioritized 
rights in the Declaration of Independence--and they prioritized these 
rights as the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It 
wasn't just pulling three different words out of a grab bag and putting 
them up there in the Declaration of Independence, but, instead, they 
were prioritized.
  Our pursuit of happiness cannot trample on anyone else's liberty or 
life, and exercise of our liberty cannot take someone else's life. Life 
is the paramount right, and this is natural law. It is God's law. It is 
the laws of nature and nature's God.
  I serve here in this Congress, and, for all the time that I have been 
here, the priority has always been to protect innocent unborn human 
life. That has brought about H.R. 490, the Heartbeat bill.
  I wear this pin on my lapel, Mr. Speaker, every day because I believe 
it saves those lives. H.R. 490 protects every baby that can be detected 
with a heartbeat. If a heartbeat can be detected, the baby is 
protected.
  I want to announce here tonight that we are very close to being able 
to say that we will have a markup in the Judiciary Committee very soon 
on the Heartbeat bill, H.R. 490, which protects the life of every baby 
with a heartbeat, a certain indicator of life.

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his work on that 
important and vital piece of legislation.
  I would now like to yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend very much. We have been 
friends a long time and brothers in Christ during all of that time.
  It is important to give proper recognition where that recognition is 
due and, actually, the words of John Adams, our first Vice President 
under our Constitution, who wrote to Thomas Jefferson on Christmas Day 
1813 and said: ``I have examined all, as well as my narrow sphere, my 
straitened means, and my busy life would allow me; and the result is 
that the Bible is the best book in the world. It contains more of my 
little philosophy than all the libraries I have seen; and such parts of 
it as I cannot reconcile to my little philosophy, I postpone for future 
investigation.''
  It also should be noted that it was the first thing that was 
published. It was in 1782, the United States Congress authorized the 
printing and said that: ``Whereupon, Resolved, That the United States 
in Congress assembled highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking 
of Mr. Aitkin, as subservient to the interest of religion as well as an 
instance of the progress of arts in this country, and being satisfied 
from the above report, of his care and accuracy in the execution of the 
work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of 
the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish this 
recommendation. . . . `'
  That was the Bible. And even a letter from George Washington, wishing 
that that had been published in time that he could have made a gift to 
every one of the soldiers in the Revolution.
  But this is a statement--this is my uncle's little New Testament. On 
the front, in metal, it says: ``May the Lord be with you.'' It was 
given to the members of the military in World War II. And inside it 
says: ``The White House, Washington. As Commander in Chief, I take 
pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the 
Armed Forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries, men of 
many faiths and diverse origins have

[[Page H9683]]

found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel, and inspiration. It 
is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the 
highest aspirations of the human soul.'' Signed, President Franklin D. 
Roosevelt.
  It was an inspiration then. It is an inspiration now. As C.S. Lewis 
said: This is our messages from our home headquarters while we are 
behind what he called rebel-occupied territory in this world where the 
prince of darkness is too often found.
  It has been the most quoted book in the history of Congress, and I 
would hope and pray that will continue.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks and 
his words.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk).
  Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Colorado for 
yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, ours is not the first nation in history to win its 
sovereignty through a war for independence. Many nations in the history 
of the world were established by rebellion against tyrannical 
governments.
  The beginning of most of these rebellions can be identified by a 
single, predominant leader who, through their influence, inspired 
people to follow their cause. But the founding of the United States of 
America is unique because there wasn't one, but hundreds of influencers 
who led their towns, counties, and colonies towards independence.
  Ironically, while America's fight for independence centered on the 
idea of liberty for each individual, it was a collective body of 
influencers who rallied around a common cause that sparked the flames 
of liberty. That common cause was a bond, a strong belief in the moral 
and spiritual authority of the Bible.
  As a newly formed nation, America's future faced numerous internal 
and external obstacles. The concern of sustaining our new Nation didn't 
grow over time, but was an immediate concern of our Founders.
  According to Maryland delegate Dr. James McHenry, as the delegates 
were emerging from the Constitutional Convention at Independence Hall, 
a lady asked Dr. Benjamin Franklin: ``Dr. Franklin, what have we got, a 
republic or a monarchy.''
  ``A Republic,'' replied the doctor, ``if you can keep it.''
  You see, Benjamin Franklin was well aware of how fragile our new 
government was. Just a few weeks earlier, when it appeared that the 
Constitutional Convention was in jeopardy of falling apart, Benjamin 
Franklin stood and reminded the delegates that there was one thing 
missing in their deliberations.
  Franklin said: ``The small progress we have made after 4 or 5 weeks . 
. . is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the human 
understanding. How has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once 
thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our 
understandings? . . . I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I 
live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs 
in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground 
without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His 
aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that `except 
the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.' I firmly 
believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we 
shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of 
Babel.''
  Mr. Speaker, if our Nation, as Benjamin Franklin defined it, could 
not have been founded without the guidance and divine intervention of 
God, then how can we sustain it if we as a government have abandoned 
these ideas and principles?
  The answers for every challenge we face today as a nation isn't 
within the Halls of Congress. It is not in the White House or in the 
Supreme Court. The answer to these challenges exist in the pages of the 
sacred text, of this ancient book, which is as relevant today as it was 
for generations that preceded us.
  The sooner we get back to these basic principles, Mr. Speaker, the 
sooner we can restore the promises of freedom, equality, and liberty 
for everyone.
  Mr. Speaker, ours is not the first nation in history to win its 
sovereignty through a war for independence, many nations in the history 
of the world were established by rebellion against tyrannical 
governments. The beginnings of most rebellions can be identified by a 
single, predominate leader who, through their influence, inspired the 
people to follow their cause. In ancient Israel, it was King David, for 
Scotland it was William Wallace, England had Cornwallis and France had 
Napoleon Bonaparte.
  But the founding of the United States of America is unique because 
there was not one, but hundreds of influencers who lead their towns, 
counties and colonies towards independence.
  Ironically, while America's fight for independence centered on the 
idea of liberty for the individual, it was a collective body of 
influencers who rallied around a common cause that sparked the flames 
of liberty. However, there was a common thread that bound our Founders 
together. That bond was a strong belief in the moral and spiritual 
authority of the Bible.
  Our Founders and national leaders strongly held the belief that 
religion, morality, principles and virtue were the pillars of our 
society and the strength of our government. They also recognized that 
the knowledge and understanding of our national heritage, and its 
Biblical foundations, were also of the utmost importance in sustaining 
our young nation.
  As a newly formed nation, America's future faced numerous internal 
and external obstacles. The concern of sustaining our new nation didn't 
grow over time but was an immediate concern of our Founders. According 
to Maryland delegate, Dr. James McHenry, as the delegates were emerging 
from Independence Hall at the close of the Constitutional Convention, 
``A lady asked Dr. Franklin Well Doctor what have we got a republic or 
a monarchy. A republic replied the Doctor if you can keep it.''
  Benjamin Franklin was well aware of how fragile our government would 
be if separated from the religious and moral foundations on which it 
was built. Just a few weeks earlier, when it appeared that the 
Constitutional Convention was in jeopardy of falling apart, Benjamin 
Franklin stood and reminded the delegates that there was one thing 
missing in their deliberations. Franklin said;
  ``The small progress we have made after four or five weeks, . . . is 
methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human 
Understanding . . . How has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto 
once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate 
our understandings? . . . ``I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the 
longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth--that God 
governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the 
ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise 
without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, 
that ``except the Lord build the House they labor in vain that build 
it.'' I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his 
concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better 
than the Builders of Babel:''
  Mr. Speaker, if our nation, as Benjamin Franklin defined it, could 
not have been founded without the guidance and divine intervention of 
God, then how can we sustain it if we, as a government, have abandoned 
these ideas and principles?
  Over the period of the last year, I have had first-hand experience of 
crime and violence. Our nation has been inundated with acts of evil and 
violence over the past several years and it seems to me that the most 
immediate reaction by some of our elected representatives, especially 
those in Congress, is to create more laws. However, according to one of 
our Founders, Benjamin Rush, creating more law is the wrong approach to 
end crime and violence.
  Benjamin Rush, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a 
physician, and educator but he is best known as the ``Father of 
Public Schools.'' Benjamin Rush advised us ``In contemplating the 
political institutions of the United States, I lament that we waste so 
much time and money in punishing crimes, and take so little pains to 
prevent them. We profess to be republicans and yet we neglect the only 
means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of 
government; that is, the universal education of our youth in the 
principles of Christianity by means of the Bible.''

  According to Benjamin Rush, the best way to avoid violence and crime 
is to teach morality to our children. However, Benjamin Rush wasn't the 
only advocate of teaching biblical principles in our schools. The 
author of the preamble of our Constitution, Gouverneur Morris also 
believed in the importance of teaching the Bible as a core subject in 
America's schools, he stated ``Religion is the only solid basis of good 
morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion and 
the duties of man towards God.''
  Today, we have not only veered away from teaching these ideas in our 
schools, in some

[[Page H9684]]

school systems even the very mention of the Bible will prompt a rash of 
court challenges. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that these 
lawsuits claim that the use of the Bible or prayers in our schools 
violates the ``establishment clause'' of the first Amendment of the 
Constitution. However, it is ironic that the author of the freedom of 
religion clause, Fisher Ames, stated; ``Should not the Bible regain the 
place it once held as a schoolbook? Its morals are pure, its examples 
are captivating and noble. . . . In no Book is there so good English, 
so pure and so elegant, and by teaching all the same they will speak 
alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as 
well as of faith.''
  Mr. Speaker, our Founders believed that the Bible played an important 
role in education, but they also believed it was a foundation of our 
government. As the second President of these United States, John Adams, 
often spoke of the importance that religion and morality holds in our 
national government. In a speech to officers of the Massachusetts 
militia Adams explained that, ``We have no government armed with power 
capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and 
religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the 
strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our 
Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is 
wholly inadequate to the government of any other.''
  In a letter to Thomas Jefferson, John Adams reiterates the principles 
on which our nation was established, and the basis of our moral 
guidelines was the Bible. Adams wrote ``I have examined all religions, 
as well as my narrow sphere, my straightened means, and my busy life, 
would allow; and the result is that the Bible is the best Book in the 
world. It contains more philosophy than all the libraries I have 
seen.''
  Thomas Jefferson also acknowledged that the Bible was the source of 
the standards of moral conduct for America; he wrote ``Of all the 
systems of morality, ancient or modern, which have come under my 
observation, none appear to me so pure as that of Jesus.''
  The importance of the Bible and its moral foundations was not just 
limited to the Executive and Legislative branches. John Jay, the first 
Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court expressed his 
sentiments on the importance of a society that holds to Biblical 
principles. The most effective way to preserve peace among the people 
of our nation and to avoid war with others, Jay wrote, ``. . . is by 
extending the prevalence and influence of the gospel. Real Christians 
will abstain from violating the rights of others, and therefore will 
not provoke war . . .''
  I think it is most appropriate to conclude my remarks, by using the 
words of another influential American, Noah Webster. Webster is most 
known for his contributions to early American education and is 
considered the ``Schoolmaster to America'' and the ``Father of American 
Scholarship and Education.''
  Noah Webster admonished us to, ``. . . not forget the religious 
character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high 
veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light, and 
labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles with the 
elements of their society, and to diffuse its influence through all 
their institutions, civil, political, or literary. Let us cherish these 
sentiments, and extend this influence still more widely; in full 
conviction that that is the happiest society which partakes in the 
highest degree of the mild and peaceful spirit of Christianity.''
  The answers for every challenge we face today as a nation isn't 
within the halls of Congress, in the White House or in the Supreme 
Court. The answer to these challenges exists in the pages of the sacred 
texts of this ancient text that is as relevant to us today, as it was 
for the generations that have preceded us. The sooner that we get back 
to these basic principles, the sooner we can restore the promises of 
freedom, equality and liberty for everyone.

  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).
  Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from 
Colorado, Doug Lamborn, for yielding to me.
  As we celebrate the 77th annual National Bible Week, I want to remind 
you that it falls on the same week as Thanksgiving, a very appropriate 
time for a book that I am very, very thankful for, a book that men like 
William Tyndale died for. He was burned at the stake simply for 
translating the Bible into English.
  I come to the floor today to speak on what the Bible means to me.
  Simply put, the Bible means everything to me. It has shaped the way 
that I live my life. It has helped me serve the people of the 36th 
District of Texas through two terms.
  It has not always been an easy job, but through the trials and hard 
days, I find comfort in the words from some of my favorite Scriptures. 
The same is true on the good days. I rejoice that the Lord has chosen 
me to serve in such a time as this.
  Our country was founded on great principles, many of which are 
Scriptural. Our Founders wanted this country to have a strong Judeo-
Christian faith. We see this truth throughout our Constitution and 
through the writings of the time: ``We hold these truths to be self-
evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their 
Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, 
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,'' one of the most profound 
phrases in our Declaration of Independence that acknowledged God's role 
in our founding.
  America was founded on our covenant with our Lord, and that covenant 
is spelled out in the only written record that we have of these great 
truths, and that is the Bible.
  It saddens me to see our country moving away from these great 
principles who many consider passe. It is a roadmap for our lives if we 
would look. These same principles have allowed our country to endure 
war, division, and depression.
  I worry about the future of my 14 beautiful grandchildren if we as a 
nation do not return to the Bible as it continues to weather the test 
of time. It is the only one thing that we as Christians have that is 
divinely inspired, perfect in every way, immutable, never changing, and 
never will.
  Its principles and teachings can be applied to every season, every 
year, and throughout every stage of our lives. It also gives us a 
picture of the perfect love and the perfect sacrifice of our Savior.
  John 3:16 tells us: ``God so loved the world, that He gave His only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but 
have everlasting life.''
  We all fall short in sin. None are perfect, but no matter how 
egregious the sin, through Jesus, we are all forgiven.
  There are no words to express everything that the Bible has done for 
my life. From my youth to my marriage, to my time raising my family in 
east Texas, my career as a dentist and my time here as a Congressman, I 
have relied on the God-inspired words in both the Old and New Testament 
to guide me and teach me, and it has never let me down.
  I will leave you with an encouraging verse from Job in the Old 
Testament, that our souls are indeed eternal:

     For I know that my Redeemer lives,
     And He shall stand at last on the Earth;
     And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
     That in my flesh I shall see God,
     Whom I shall see for myself,
     And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
     How my heart yearns within me.

  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his 
words.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Lamborn 
for setting aside this Special Order.
  We are following up National Bible Week, so as the listeners know, 
National Bible Week is the week surrounding Thanksgiving.
  Why is National Bible Week relevant to us today? As those of us who 
look at America and see storm clouds ahead, we have got to remember 
John Adams' statement: ``Our Constitution was only for a moral 
religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any 
other.''
  We have to remember, if we are going to continue to enjoy the 
benefits we have of our Constitution, we must one more time become that 
moral and religious people who John Adams warned us we had to be.
  One more quote from John Adams on the Bible: ``A society that adopted 
the Bible as its only law book and lived according to its precepts 
would be a utopia.''
  So, clearly, by a moral and religious people, John Adams meant a 
people who believe in the Bible.
  Now, which parts of the Bible did our forefathers look at? There are 
quotes all over the place from our forefathers in the Bible.
  It kind of surprised me a couple of years ago when I found out that 
the

[[Page H9685]]

book in the Bible that our forefathers quoted the most was Deuteronomy. 
How often, when you hear somebody quote a Bible verse, do they turn to 
Deuteronomy? Not very often.
  Why did our forefathers turn to Deuteronomy? Because the rules and 
the buildup to the founding of Israel took place in the Book of 
Deuteronomy, which may have largely been by Moses himself.
  And I will point out in the room that we are right now, we have a 
relief of Moses. We have 30-some reliefs of various great thinkers 
throughout society in this room, but whoever put together this room in 
the Capitol put Moses in the head position overlooking this Chamber.
  Now, I will encourage listeners out there, including clergy, as they 
reflect on National Bible Week, to read a book of the Bible you usually 
don't read. Read Deuteronomy. Tell your congregation about it. It 
was the book that I think our forefathers felt should be read so that 
we could duplicate the Jewish republic, which was soon to be founded, 
because I think our forefathers wanted America to be a country blessed 
by God as well.

  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Lamborn one more time 
for setting aside this time on National Bible Week.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for 
his remarks on Deuteronomy which contains, among others, the passages, 
the reciting of the Ten Commandments.
  I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Budd).
  Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado, 
Doug Lamborn, for yielding. He is one of the buckles of the Bible Belt 
in Colorado and in our country, and I thank him for this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the 77th annual National Bible Week, 
as so many of my colleagues are doing this evening.
  The late Reverend Billy Graham from my home State of North Carolina 
was put to rest just down this hallway earlier this year. We are 
grateful for his life and for what he meant to our home State in North 
Carolina. He said: ``Being a Christian is more than just an 
instantaneous conversion. It is a daily process whereby you grow to be 
more and more like Christ.''
  Well, what does the daily process that Reverend Graham is referring 
to here look like? And how do we obtain a life that looks more and more 
like Christ daily?
  I believe the answer is found, in part, by daily thought and 
meditation on the Word of God, and I wholeheartedly believe 2 Timothy 
3:16 and 17, that says: ``All Scripture is breathed out by God and 
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training 
in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for 
every good work.''
  We also know that the Word of God is alive, so my colleagues have 
referred to this verse in Hebrews 4:12, which says: ``For the word of 
God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it 
penetrates even to dividing soul and the spirit, joints and marrow; it 
judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart.''

                              {time}  1815

  I could go on and on. But, again, I want to say how important this 
book is to me. For those who are in need of strength and direction, if 
they went to the middle, they will find the Psalms. If they go just to 
the right, they will find the Proverbs.
  Proverbs 3:5-6: ``Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not 
lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and 
He will make straight your paths.''
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Colorado for this Special 
Order.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. 
Hice).
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here to 
stand in belief and on behalf of the greatest book of the history of 
the world, the Bible.
  There is absolutely no book ever that has had a greater impact on my 
life and continues to have the greatest impact on my life. Every day 
here in Congress, I begin with time in God's Word, every day before 
coming to this Chamber and other meetings and responsibilities.
  As a pastor for 25-plus years, it has been the greatest honor of my 
life to teach God's Word week in and week out, to proclaim the 
principles of spiritual liberty and freedom that comes from a personal 
relationship with Jesus Christ and the fact that he died for us and 
rose again. The good news, as it is referred to in the Scripture, is 
the greatest news the world has ever had.
  The Bible has also had an amazing impact in our country. Right here 
in this Chamber, as has been referenced already this evening from some 
of my other colleagues, Robert Aitken came here from Scotland. He 
migrated here to Philadelphia and started a newspaper. He later became 
the publishing company that recorded the Journals of both the House and 
the Senate. Then he requested that this Chamber publish the Bible in 
English, which this Chamber voted to do in September of 1782.
  This Chamber encouraged the citizens of this country to read the 
Bible. It became the Bible of the American Revolution.
  I believe today that this Chamber, this country, would be well 
served, better served, if we would take the teachings of Scripture. 
Things like not to view ourselves and esteem ourselves more highly as 
we ought, but to esteem others as more important than ourselves; 
Scriptures like the Golden Rule, to treat others the way we want to be 
treated; to not be overcome with evil but to overcome evil with good, 
all these are found in the Word of God.
  These issues that we face today cannot be answered from the wisdom of 
these Halls, but they can be found only as we submit ourselves, once 
again, to the truths of God's Word.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for giving this opportunity 
and leading this Special Order.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire from the Speaker 
how much time is remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Smucker). The gentleman from Colorado 
has 30 seconds remaining.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank everyone who came here. I 
appreciate their great comments.
  Thousands of years ago, Isaiah said: ``The grass withers, the flower 
fades, but the word of our God stands forever.''
  Civilizations have come and gone; people have come and gone; and 
generations have come and gone. Here we are in the year 2018 still 
celebrating, commemorating, and depending on the Bible, the Word of 
God.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________