Holy Book Boondoggle: Pennsylvania Legislators Get Free Bibles At Swearing-In
In these hard economic times, it seems that our lawmakers would want to make the best of our public funds.
For the Pennsylvania General Assembly, that seems to include spending $13, 700 on a stack of holy books for state legislators.
According to a report by the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pennsylvania state legislature bought 220 Bibles and other holy books for its lawmakers as they took the oath of office last month.  It is part of “a tradition dating back decades,” the newspaper said.
Only seven of 203 House members chose not to receive the texts. Out of the 25 senators sworn into office last month, only one did not order a book.
The legislators could choose from an array of holy scriptures, ranging in price from $30-$90, and for just $15 extra, they could emboss their name on the book.
Though the New American Catholic Bible was the most popular choice, with 72 House members picking it, some branched out in their selection. State. Rep. Chris Ross, who took his oath in January on his own Bible, ordered a copy of the Quran, claiming that he always wanted to read it.
Though it is somewhat refreshing to hear that our lawmakers are open to learn about minority faiths, it should be obvious to all, including those receiving the Bibles, that something is really wrong here.
State Rep. Dan Frankel, who this term ordered his seventh copy of the Torah since joining the House in 1998, downplayed the cost of the books. He pointed out that the state’s overall budget is $28 billion, making this a minor expense.  But he acknowledged it was probably a bad PR move, especially this year.
“Everybody is looking to conserve resources,” he said. “At a time like this, maybe people should be asked to bring their own scripture with them.”
Frankel seems to forget the expenditure is not the only problem.
Government cannot prefer religion over non-religion, or one religious belief over others. The fact that these legislators are receiving any holy book from the state wrongly entangles government with religion. The Constitution demands that the state remain neutral when it comes to matters of faith.ÂÂ
Lawmakers are free to practice their religion on their own time. And they can afford to purchase their own Bibles or other holy books with their own funds.
Let’s hope the Pennsylvania General Assembly puts an end to this misguided tradition and maybe even begins a new one: providing copies of the Constitution.