Bible Week proclamation has Utahns' endorsement

Gov. Mike Leavitt and at least four Utah cities have embraced a nationwide "Bible Week" decree that a prominent civil-rights organization believes violates separation of church and state clauses of the Constitution.

Resolutions in favor of a week promoting the Bible as a "source of moral and spiritual guidance" were approved this week by Leavitt and city councils in Provo, Bountiful, North Salt Lake and Spring-ville with nary a blip on the political-controversy radar.In neighboring Arizona, however, two lawsuits were filed this week in U.S. District Court by the American Civil Liberties Union to wipe the same statewide Bible Week proclamation off the books and block the mayor of a Phoenix suburb from approving a similar decree.

Gilbert City officials were handed a temporary restraining order Wednesday after a 20-minute hearing. The suit against Arizona Gov. Jane Hull, who supported a resolution last week, was filed Thursday afternoon.

Officials from the ACLU argue the Bible Week violates constitutional provisions by affiliating the government with the Bible, a book considered by most Judeo-Christian faithful to be sacred.

The federal suit also claims the proclamations discriminate against non-Christians and illegally favors religion over non-religion.

Gilbert City leaders, with support from the Laymen's National Bible Association, say the non-denominational week solely pays homage to the Bible's historical significance and influence on the country's art, literature, music and laws.

In part, the Bible association suggested wording of the resolutions to read: "This annual emphasis has helped to strengthen spiritual understanding throughout our nation by encouraging personal reading and study of the Bible."

Leavitt spokeswoman Vicki Varela said Friday she wasn't aware of any complaints lodged against the Republican governor's resolution. Leavitt, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reported his endorsement of the decree before leaving for a conference in New Orleans.

"Of course, Mormons are heavily involved in Bible Week," said Robert M. Saul, executive vice president of the New York-based Bible association, an educational non-profit group made up of men and women of faiths that use Hebrew or Christian scriptures.

Since 1941, the association has organized Bible Week from Sunday to Sunday of Thanksgiving week. Utah has set aside Nov. 22-29 for the scripture-reading campaign.

As of Thursday, 26 states and 407 cities reported passing supportive proclamations, Saul told the Deseret News.

Each year, a message in support of the week is issued by the sitting U.S. president, who serves as the event's honorary chairman. Also, a senator, a member of Congress and a mayor from a notable city are recruited to ask their national counterparts to support the initiative.

"We really are just trying to get people to read the Bible," Saul said. "(The Bible) is quoted in history, is considered literature and is a book of faith for many. Our suggestion is that people ought to read it."

Saul said Arizona's ACLU chapter has threatened for about five years to file suit if proclamations were signed by local and state officials. It is the first injunction received by a government entity for observing Bible Week since the project was launched nearly six decades ago.

"We're not worried about (the injunction)," Saul said. "It's something that will make a wave and cause a stir. Sometimes people say bad publicity is better than no publicity."

Provo Mayor Lewis Billings believes his growing metropolitan city, located in the heartland of conservative Utah County, is a "Christian community that agrees with lessons in the Bible."

Neither Billings nor Bountiful Mayor John Cushing were aware of the current legal battles in Arizona when they decided to proffer resolutions.

"I didn't stick my finger in the air to see if it was the right political decision," Billings said.

"I believe we have a community that recognizes good values. That was a part of the decision," he said. "The Bible teaches values that would make positive impressions in our community."

"I felt it was an appropriate thing for citizens of any faith to pause for a moment and reflect on the Bible and its influences," Cushing agreed. "If it is offensive to anyone, I apologize. It wasn't intended to promote one religion over another."

Salt Lake's ACLU legal director Stephen Clark said letters will be written to Utah cities that have passed such resolutions, asking them to rescind their positions. Backing his Arizona colleagues, Clark said the Utah group also believes the event is a violation of church and state provisions.

"I don't think there are any questions about it," he said.