In God We Trust v. E Pluribus Unum

Essay written for the youth activist website Reforming America - The religious right's campaign to incrementally revert the culture of the United States.

While to some the word "Blitz" is merely a football play used to take down Tom Brady, its exact history is one of blood, turmoil, authoritarianism, and violence. Developed by Adolf Hitler for use in World War II, the blitz, or blitzkrieg was a never-before-seen type of combat that allowed the Reich to overpower Europe. Defined as "lighting war," Hitler's strategy included the heavy use of aerial assault, tanks, panzers and heavy artillery with the infantry coming in last to pick up the stragglers. Ironically, the tactic created by fascists is now used by those who claimed to have stopped fascism — the religious right.

Background

Beginning in 2005 a group known as the Congressional Prayer Caucus (CPC) has taken a leading role in the fight against what they see as religious persecution of Christians in America. Initially formed as a group on capitol hill that would meet and pray for 30 minutes a day, they have expanded into state legislatures and boast over 600 politicians as members. Through an extensive campaign started in 2015 a foundation which supports the CPC, the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation (CPCF) published their 116-page report entitled "Report and Analysis on Religious Freedom Measures Impacting Prayer and Faith in America. It is known by another name: Project Blitz.

The idea seems to be credited to it's "steering team," which is led by David Barton, who also founded "WallBuilders" with the express purpose of "rebuilding our nation's foundations." While speaking on a conference call about Project Blitz, he was quoted as saying "It's kind of like whack-a-mole for the other side; it'll drive 'em crazy that they'll have to divide their resources out in opposing this." Also leading the charge is Buddy Pilgrim whose world view can be summed up with his own quote: "Dominion in earthly realms of authority (business & politics) is a biblical mandate.". These two are also assisted by convicted embezzler Bill Dallas who runs the organization named "United in Purpose" which aims to increase voter turnout among evangelicals. His organization tracks "what's going to make somebody either vote one way or not vote at all." and has almost 200 million voter files to help increase that turnout. It is astounding the impact those three individuals have left upon the state legislature system, as we will soon identify.

The idea behind Project Blitz is elementary. The CPCF created a path to swamp state legislatures with bills which start innocently enough then provide a base for more wide-sweeping gestures against LGBTQ+ and young Americans. All to promote Judeo-Christian ideals and cement the power of Evangelical Christianity into American culture. This report produced by the CPCF can be thought much more of a playbook than a report. Included in it are around 24 "model bills" that can be organized by their severity (which will be discussed below) and what opposition they are likely to encounter. Together these bills have been introduced to 20 states more than 75 times in 2017 and 2018 alone. While a majority have not passed, some have and now provide a base for greater religious discrimination. These bills created by the CPCF fall into three main categories (taken directly from the report): Legislation Regarding Our Country's Religious Heritage, Resolutions and Proclamations Recognizing the Importance of Religious History and Freedom, and Religious Liberty Protection Legislation.

Category 1: Legislation Regarding Our Country's Religious Heritage

This first category is designed to be the least criticized and incur the least amount of pushback. This category includes bills such as the National Motto Display Act which would allow for the posting of "In God We Trust" on public buildings, official state documents, and license plates as well as the Bible Literacy Act which would promote and allow for Bible Study classes in public schools. The purpose of such bills is to familiarize legislatures with the concept of the subject matter. These bills seek official recognition of the purpose of "Christian Values" in American history. Motto Display Acts have been written in the books of four states this past year and been introduced into four others. Overall, these acts and proclamation act as a basis for more significant and more extreme legislation to come.

Category 2: Resolutions and Proclamations Recognizing the Importance of Religious History and Freedom

The second category of bills designed by the CPCF includes various proclamations that definitively tie Christianity to American history. When speaking about these bills (on that same conference call), Barton asserts that "we have proclamations for everything under the sun." Some of these bills include proclamations recognizing Christian Heritage Week, the Importance of the Bible, and the Year of the Bible. My own state has seen these proclamations introduced into its own legislature through bills calling for January 16th as an official Religious Freedom Day. These bills can be used by states to justify inserting Christian Values and teachings into public schools. Finally, while these acts seem innocent and uncontroversial, they work in conjunction with category one legislation to provide even greater footing for the last stage of the Blitz.

Category 3: Religious Liberty Protection Legislation

Here is where the hammer falls, at the culmination of Project Blitz. These bills are the most controversial and the most dangerous to the public. These bills include establishing public policy favoring "intimate sexual relations only between married, heterosexual couples" and "reliance on and maintenance of birth gender." These bills would allow states to legally discriminate against anyone antithetical to their value system including members of religious minorities, women and LGBTQ+ Americans. After providing a base and precedent for religious invasion into the public sector, the idea behind the project is that the public will cozy up to these bills and finally establish evangelical Christian dominion over law and public policy. What is on the line? The freedom for gay couples to adopt children, the freedom of non-gender-conforming citizens to receive proper medical care, the freedom from discrimination without punishment, and finally, freedom itself is on the line. Many Americans rely on the precedent of acts such as the Voting Rights act and 14th amendment to live normal lives without an exceeding fear of government interference. These actions actively restrict the freedom of Americans between the books of Leviticus and Revelation whether or not you believe. Project Blitz represents a fundamental threat to the freedoms guaranteed by our founding documents and must be fought tooth and nail against.

In God We Trust

The biggest irony behind the entire project comes in the form of one of the category one bills are known as "In God We Trust bills" (see above). While many of those fighting for Project Blitz like to claim this as the national motto of the once-Christian-always-Christian nation, they are ignoring the original motto of the Christian Founding Fathers they love to hold up: E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. If the original motto of the US is used, the entire project falls apart. Instead of the always Christian nation, the right claims the founders created, the founders argue in their own words for the inclusion of religions outside of their own. For the inclusion of different views and people inside the new nation. While the US has many times not stood up to this ideal one could argue that the idea has always been there. These bills directly contradict the vision of the founders and would transition the United States into a Christian Theocracy not seen in the western hemisphere since the conquest of the Catholic Spanish.

In conclusion, these bills only serve to destroy the freedom of the United States for many of its most marginalized groups and threaten to destroy the freedoms we enjoy. While it seems that at least some of the political climate is shifting back towards the center, this document is sure the shape right-wing Christian policy for years to come. There are ways to combat these measures, however! Always call your state legislators as much as possible for a change in the US comes from the states more often than not.