Gov. Scott Walker Refuses to Remove Religious Tweet

By Todd Starnes, CP Op-Ed Contributor Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker believes he can do all things through Christ, but an atheist group charges that he cannot do all things through Christ on his official social media platforms.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded Walker remove posts from his official Facebook and Twitter feeds that read, "Philippians 4:13."

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," the verse reads.

The atheist outrage over the governor's beliefs seems almost unbelievable.

"This braggadocio verse coming from a public official is rather disturbing," FFRF co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Baker wrote in a letter to the governor. "To say, 'I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me,' seems more like a threat, or the utterance of a theocratic dictator, than a duly elected civil servant."

They accused the governor of misusing his authority to "promote not just religion over non-religion, but one religion over another in a manner that makes many Wisconsin citizens uncomfortable."

The atheist outrage over the governor's beliefs seems almost unbelievable.

I reached out to Walker's office, and his staff told me the governor has absolutely no plans to remove anything.

"Governor Walker will not remove the post on his social media," press secretary Laurel Patrick told me. "The verse was part of a devotional he read that morning, which inspired him, and he chose to share it."

I can't seem to recall a tweet generating such histrionics from an atheist group. Normally, they reserve that sort of faux fury for the Baby Jesus or a high school football prayer.

The FFRF said Walker has a responsibility to "uphold the entirely godless and secular U.S. Constitution."

"It is improper for a state employee, much less for the chief executive officer of the state, to use the machinery of the State of Wisconsin to promote personal religious views," they wrote.  The governor's office clearly disagrees.

"While he frequently uses his social media to engage with Wisconsinites on matters of public policy, he also uses it to give them a sense of who he is," Patrick said. "This does just that – it was a reflection of his thoughts for the day."

So in that spirit, here's my thought for the day. Perhaps the next time the FFRF finds itself aggrieved it could post its outrage on Facebook or Twitter. I'm sure there's an emoticon to express disbelief.

Todd Starnes is the host of Fox News & Commentary – heard daily on 250+ radio stations. He's also the author of Dispatches From Bitter America. To check out all of his work you can visit his website or follow him on Twitter @toddstarnes. In his spare time, Todd is active in his church, plays golf, follows SEC football, and eats barbecue. He lives in New York City.