The East Lansing City Council voted Tuesday to recognize the last week in November as "Bible Week," but some local leaders say the action is overstepping government bounds that separate church and state.
During its Tuesday work session, the council approved the resolution, which was requested by nonprofit organizations in favor of the week. The move comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision this week to hear a case regarding the words "one nation, under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. The court will make its decision about the pledge, which often is recited in public schools, next year.
National Bible Week, in its 63rd year, takes place during Thanksgiving week and is sponsored by the National Bible Association. While city council members welcome recognition of the week, others say mixing government and religion is a bad idea.
Mayor Mark Meadows said it will be about the eighth time the city has acknowledged the week.
"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.
Though the council approved the resolution, Mayor Pro Tem Sam Singh said the city doesn't directly endorse the week and won't host any activities.
The council approves resolutions that dedicate days and weeks to certain events and causes, and Bible Week is no exception; organizations often ask the council to recognize their occasions, Singh said.
Meadows said since the city began recognizing Bible Week, he hasn't experienced individuals who have taken offense to it and that the city council does not promote any particular religion over another.
East Lansing received a letter from Rutherford Institute out of Charlottesville, Va., on behalf of the National Bible Association. The institute specializes in religious civil rights work.
The letter argues that Bible Week is constitutionally permissible and gives guidelines to local governments to defend any legal questions they might encounter.
"Today, people believe any reference to religion is unconstitutional, which is not true," Rutherford President John Whitehead said.
Whitehead said he sees no problem with holding a Bible week because most of the country's history was founded on religion. From currency to national monuments, Whitehead said references to the Bible are seen everywhere.
"It's just part of our culture," he said. "To ignore it is just silly and ridiculous."
But Cindy Hughey said observing the week is the "silly" part. Hughey serves as the executive director of the Hillel Jewish Student Center, 360 Charles St., and feels the city was out of line for approving such a resolution.
"I don't really understand why they felt they needed to venture into the religious realm," she said. "Why do they think it's necessary to even bother with this kind of proclamation?"
Hughey said she feels religion is personal and isn't something cities should get involved in. She also criticized the national organizers of Bible Week for what she thinks is making the Bible secular.
Henry Silverman, president of the Lansing Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said he doesn't see a problem with holding a Bible week but prefers not to see local governments make those type of decisions.
Silverman said there is some possibility that it will upset other religious figures, but he doesn't see it overstepping any legal boundaries.
"People are always offended when civic government decides to play a different kind of role and puts itself in the position of endorsing religion or the Bible," he said. "It doesn't necessarily make it wrong."
But Singh stressed that the city council only passed the resolution as part of the many requested proclamations they pass each week and that the city will not take an active role in Bible Week.
"No activities are endorsed by the city," Singh said. "This is just us recognizing a day or week for nonprofit organizations."
Sarah McEvilly can be reached at mcevilly@msu.edu.
