This afternoon I started feeling a bit guilty. You see, since this blog was founded a few months ago, I’ve been posting that many people who claim that the Bible is the most important book in the world don’t actually read it and they know very little about what’s in the Bible. I made these claims based on repeated personal experience.
Then this comes along. As demonstrated during an interview with Stephen Colbert, Republican Congressman Lynn Westmoreland [1], a man who twice in 2005 attempted to require the display of the Ten Commandments on public property, does not know the ten commandments. He doesn’t even know four of them.
| The Colbert Report [2] | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
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To see the vigor with which Westmoreland wants to force something with which he is not even familiar on the public, go the Library of Congress site [7] and enter the word “commandments.” You’ll see the following activity in which Westmoreland was involved:
- On April 14, 2005, Westmoreland submitted a Resolution directing the Speaker of the House of Representatives to provide for the display of the Ten Commandments in the chamber of the House of Representatives
- On June 30, 2005, Westmoreland co-sponsored a proposal to amend the United States Constitution to provide that would allow the display of the Ten Commandments on public property, including in public schools.
Based on my own experience, I believe that this level of Bible ignorance is par for the course among those who most fervently want to impose their religious views on others. It’s not often, though, that such abject ignorance is captured in such a dramatic way.
I’ve written before of the importance of springing “pop quizzes” on public figures [8]. Only good things will result. When public figures are cross-examined to see whether they are competent to speak on a topic, the public will know who should be respected and who is just a big bag of hot air.
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