Our clever friends in Missouri are toying with a legislative resolution that would recognize Christianity as the majority religion in that state and “protect the majority’s right to express their religious beliefs.” The resolution also recognizes that a greater power exists and that only Christianity receives what the resolution calls “justified recognition.” Of course minority religions are not afforded any recognition at all.

Now what makes this clever is the idea that it is a resolution and not a bill. As such it does not carry the power, or the challenge rights, of a law.  It is not even clear whether or not a resolution can be challenged on constitutional grounds.  The resolution is an opinion which, if passed, would certainly be a statement of position and one more step on the road to theocracy.  Most folks don’t even know the difference between a resolution and a bill which tends to make the action come to rest in the popular mind as a law.

Of course the resolution could have been put forth in an attempt to test the waters with no hopes of it really passing.  It is possible that it is an election year ploy by a few legislators from staunchly fundamentalist areas.  On the other hand, it could be just one more attempt to find chinks in the armor of the constitution and a propaganda tool for those who would impose their majority position on others.

By now the resolution which was introduced early this month may have been defeated. In any case, it is a pretty slick effort that surely will help polarize the population into ever greater “us or them” camps, whip the chosen chullins into frenzy, and become one more data point for the Christ-Taliban movement.