King James Bible Deserves Congressional Recognition, Say Anniversary Organizers
The introduction of a U.S. House resolution to recognize the 400th anniversary of the Kings James Bible offers encouragement to celebration organizers who believe a word of gratitude is due the book that positively influenced American society.
As the May celebration of the KJV Bible draws closer, a resolution to recognize the anniversary of the commonly used translation has been sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The resolution acknowledges that the King James translation has entered into the very culture of the United States through poetry, speeches and sermons. It also quotes political icon and former President Ronald Reagan who said of the King James Bible, “It is an incontrovertible fact that all the complex and horrendous questions confronting us at home and worldwide have their answer in that single book.”
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The resolution concludes with the request that the 400th anniversary of the popular Bible and its influences be recognized, and that Congress express its gratitude.
Doug Levesque, president of the biblical think tank Bible Nation Society, is excited for the introduction of the resolution. “The King James Bible deserves to be recognized for its contribution to American society,” he commented. “It really has been the vehicle that formulated our language and programmed our thinking for centuries.”
The King James Bible was completed in 1611 by a panel of 40 authors which included kings, poets and clergy from the Protestant and Anglican traditions. By 1640, it was the only translation of the Bible in existence, said Bible Nation Society Executive Director Jason Georges. The translation flourished among many societies including America’s. Georges noted that America’s founding fathers frequently quoted the King James Bible and believes it inspired their thinking as they formed this nation.
To this day, the 1611 translation is still the best selling, most widely published book in the English language, according to the website KJV Bible Online.
The Bible Nation Society wrote the resolution to recognize the translation’s anniversary and has been lobbying for the resolution to be introduced as a non-partisan effort in honor of Easter. However, budget discussions sidelined talks on the resolution, preventing it from being approved before Congress’s April 18-May 1 recess.
Republican Congressman Robert Aderholt (Ala.) along with Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall (W.V.) introduced the bill into the U.S. House last week despite the distractions of proposed spending cuts and budget negotiations. The resolution is currently in a committee due Congress recess.
Georges said its April 12 introduction was a pleasant surprise. He told The Christian Post that he hopes a similar version of the bill will be in the Senate soon.
“The ultimate goal is that both bodies would pause for a moment and recognize this masterpiece,” Georges shared.
Currently, the Bible Nation Society is rallying its supporters to contact their Congressional representatives and urge for their support of the resolution. Georges believes that effort is being well received. “I know a lot of phone calls have already been made,” he said, remarking that its Facebook fan page has gotten 6,000 friends thus far.
The Bible Nation Society is also holding a May 3 rally at the Capitol Reflecting Pool to get the attention of returning House and Senate members.
The rally is part of the Bible Nation Society’s May 2 and 3 expo celebrating the King James Bible. The two-day event will include a National Mall Bible display presenting craftsmen printing the Bible and featuring the “Lost Gutenbergs” – an older translation of the Bible which had virtually disappeared from use by 1640.
The think tank is also hosting guest lectures and a fine arts celebration at George Washington University.
