Just in case Halloween and Thanksgiving aren't enough celebrations for you to look forward to during the next month, you now can get excited about adding a new observance to your calendar - Bible Week.
The East Lansing City Council recently voted to designate the last week of November as "Bible Week," adding that the city does not directly endorse the week and no special activities will be held.
But if the city is not attempting to endorse Bible Week, it certainly is going about it in an awkward way. By putting its stamp of approval on a week commemorating the spiritual text of a particular religion, the city is technically putting its stamp of approval on that faith.
East Lansing's Bible Week is the result of petitioning from the Rutherford Institute out of Charlottesville, Va., on behalf of the National Bible Association. The association sends letters to city governments arguing that National Bible Week is constitutionally permissible. The letters also give guidelines for legal questions.
But the city council has every right to decline the requests of such letters.
There are other ways for religious groups to pass their interests along and promote understanding of their faith. Many groups - religious or not - find ways to advocate a cause without asking city governments to officially designate an entire week in its name.
Despite the National Bible Association's assertion that a commemorative week is constitutionally permissible, the proclamation has raised a few eyebrows in the community. Though the intentions are supposedly innocent, Bible Week comes close to crossing the line between separation of church and state.
This is about the eighth time East Lansing will recognize the week. Mayor Mark Meadows said he hasn't experienced individuals who have taken offense to it and noted that the city council does not promote any particular religion over any other.
"This simply says for those individuals who wish to read the Bible during the week, it's a good week to do it," Meadows said.
But the city council doesn't have to set aside a special week for one particular religious text. East Lansing represents a diverse population. The city council should be mindful of the differences within the community when passing initiatives. They should try to keep all city affairs inclusive, not exclusive.
Bible Week is an exclusive week for practitioners of Christian religions. Giving approval for Bible Week is like giving Christianity the thumbs up - and while other religious groups aren't necessarily getting the thumbs down, they're definitely not being acknowledged.
Recognizing Bible Week doesn't mean the city does not accept other religions or wouldn't consider acknowledging weeks for other religious books, such as the Quran or the Torah.
But if the city claims not to be taking a stance on any faith, it should not bother with such proclamations at all.
Maybe there shouldn't be any special book weeks - period. Regardless of personal interest, isn't any week a good week to read?
