GOP Whip Sends Bible To Every Member Of Congress ‘To Help Guide In Decision-Making’

A Republican Assistant Whip has sent a Bible to each of the 535 members of Congress to to help them make better decisions.

U.S. Congressman Steven Palazzo apparently isn’t worried about appearances of impropriety or separation of church and state.

The Republican of Mississippi has sent every member of Congress — in the House and the Senate — a King James Bible, generously paid for by one of his own constituents.

“On a daily basis, we contemplate policy decisions that impact America’s future,” Palazzo wrote on official House stationery bearing his name. “Our staffs provide us with policy memos, statistics, and recommendations that help us make informed decisions. However, I find that the best advice comes through meditating on God’s Word.” 

Talking Points Memo first reported the story and verified the letter’s authenticity with “Capitol Hill aides whose offices received it.”

“Please find a copy of the Holy Bible to help guide you in your decision-making,” Rep. Palazzo’s letter adds.

The Bibles were donated by one of his constituents from South Mississippi named J.B. Atchison.

USA Today reports that Atchison is “a retired businessman from Biloxi,” who said “he was inspired to send the Bibles while reading the New Testament earlier this year.”

“I thought they could read God’s word and abide by his 10 commandments,” said Atchison, 79. “It would be better than me or anybody else writing to them about doing the right thing. The right thing has already been published in the Bible.”

Atchison said it’s important for lawmakers to practice fairness and honesty.

“It just came to me that the lawmakers need to follow the chief lawmaker,” he said.

“They need to hear something from somebody who is above all of us,” he said of lawmakers. “Even if one of them comes closer to God and does right by the Bible and follows that — they can’t go wrong, and we can’t go wrong.”

Of course, those Bibles were all sent to Rep. Palazzo’s office, and it “took several days” for interns and staffers at Palazzo’s office “to deliver them all,” Jill Duckworth, a Palazzo spokeswoman, said.

That would be several days of your tax dollars at work.

David Atkins at Hullabaloo calls it “a dose of old-fashioned theocracy.”

 

Image of Rep. Palazzo by House GOP via Flickr