Under the law, the Kentucky Homeland Security Department’s primary duty is to acknowledge God.
The commonwealth of Kentucky has an unusual approach to homeland security: God will provide.
Under the terms of a 2006 law authorizing the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, the state is required to stress “the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.”
The Bluegrass State’s Homeland Security office is mandated by law to highlight the protection of God in its reports and post a statement at the Emergency Operations Center that reads in part, “The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God.”
The religious language came to light recently through a report in the Lexington Herald-Leader. The newspaper reported that State Rep. Tom Riner, a Southern Baptist minister, slipped the language into the Homeland Security legislation as it was being debated two years ago.
Riner, a Louisville Democrat, told the paper, “This is recognition that government alone cannot guarantee the perfect safety of the people of Kentucky. Government itself, apart from God, cannot close the security gap. The job is too big for government.”
It’s important to note that under the terms of Riner’s amendment, the Homeland Security Department’s primary duty is to acknowledge God. On paper at least, this task comes before anything else – even responding to threats of terrorism.
How is it working out in practice? Ernie Fletcher, the former governor, made sure the plaque was posted at the Emergency Operations Center and duly included religious language in department reports. Kentucky’s current governor, Steve Beshear, has shown less interest in the religious agenda and has spent most of his time seeking more money for the department, which has a budget of $28 million, most of it coming from the federal government. The plaque is still up, but recent reports have been religion free.
State Sen. Kathy Stein of Lexington criticized the language. “It’s very sad to me that we do this sort of thing,” Stein said. “It takes away from the seriousness of the public discussion over security, and it clearly hurts the credibility of this office if it’s supposed to be depending on God, first and foremost.”
Bingo. Riner may have thought he was being clever, but all he did was create another example of meaningless “civil religion.” American society is replete with ceremonial references to God. They are uttered before government meetings, stamped on coins or posted on the walls of government buildings – and then promptly forgotten as government officials move on to the business at hand.
It kind of reminds me of the prayer that opens every session of Congress. It is usually said to a near-empty chamber. It has become by-rote ritual, a thing to be gotten through so we can get to work, a mere formality.
I’d like Rep. Riner or one of his supporters to explain exactly how this helps religion.
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