CONGRESS DECLARES THE BIBLE “THE WORD OF GOD”

97th Congress Joint Resolution

[S.J.Res. 165] 96 Stat. 1211
Public Law 97-280 - October 4, 1982

Public law:  “… the relations between the state and the people who compose it, the responsibilities of public officers to the state, the relations between the state and the people who compose it, the responsibilities of public officers to the state, to each other, and to private persons, and the relations of states to one another.   … That portion of law that defines rights and duties with either the operation of government, or the relationships between the government and individuals, associations, and corporations.” -Black’s Law Dictionary, 6^th Edition.

Critical Note: It is written," As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless...  -Psalms 18:30 The Constitution is a flawed experimental instrument!  NEVER Ever be deceived!

Joint Resolution authorizing and requesting the President to proclaim 1983 as the “Year of the Bible.”

Whereas the Bible, the Word of God, has made a unique contribution in shaping the United States as a distinctive and blessed nation and people;

Whereas deeply held religious convictions springing from the Holy Scriptures led to the early settlement of our Nation;

Whereas Biblical teachings inspired concepts of civil government that are contained in our Declaration of Independence and the constitution of the United States;

Whereas many of our great national leaders—among them Presidents Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, and Wilson—paid tribute to the surpassing influence of the Bible in our country's development, as the words of President Jackson that the Bible is “the rock on which our Republic rests”;

Whereas the history of our Nation clearly illustrates the value of voluntarily applying the teachings of the Scriptures in the lives of individuals, families, and societies;

Whereas this Nation now faces great challenges that will test this Nation as it has never been tested before; and

Whereas that renewing our knowledge of and faith in God through Holy Scripture can strengthen us as a nation and a people: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President is authorized and requested to designate 1983 as a national “Year of the Bible” in recognition of both the formative influence the Bible has been for our Nation, and our national need to study and apply the teachings of the Holy Scriptures.

Approved October 4, 1982.

1 U.S. Cong. & Adm. News '82-29 96 Stat. 1211

Legislative History - S.J. Res. 165:
Congressional Record. Vol 128 (1982)
Mar. 31 considered and passed Senate.
Sept. 21 Considered and passed House.

Definitions taken from Blacks Law Dictionary, 6th Edition

Anno domini.  In the year of the Lord.  Commonly abbreviated A.D.  The computation of time, according to the Christian era, dates from the birth of Christ.

B.C.  An abbreviation for "before Christ".

 P.s.  We live in 2012 A.D.!!! 

Christian. Pertaining to Jesus Christ or the religion founded by him; professing Christianity.  As a noun, it signifies one who accepts and professes to live by the doctrines and principles of the Christian religion; it does not include Mohammedans, Jews, pagans, or infidels. One who believes or professes or is assumed to believe in Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by Him.

Christianity. The religion founded and established by Jesus Christ.

Christmas Day. A festival of the Christian church, observed on the 25th of December, in memory of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Church.  In its most general sense, the religious society founded and established by Jesus Christ, to receive, preserve, and propagate His doctrines and ordinances. It may also mean a body of communicants gathered into church order; body or community of Christians, united under one form of government by the profession of the same faith and the observance of the same ritual and ceremonies; place where persons regularly assemble for worship; congregation; organization for religious purposes; religious society or body; the clergy or officialdom of a religious body.

Religion.  Man's relation to Divinity, to reverence, worship, obedience, and submission to mandates [command] and precepts [to do or refrain from doing as to moral conduct] of supernatural or superior beings.  In its broadest sense includes all forms of belief in the existence of superior beings exercising power over human beings by volition, imposing rules of conduct, with future rewards and punishments.  Bond uniting man to God, and a virtue [moral excellence] whose purpose is to render God worship due him as source of all being and principle of all government of things.

Spiritual.  Relating to religious or ecclesiastical persons or affairs, as distinguished from "secular*" or lay, worldly*, or business matters.

*Secular.  Not Spiritual; not ecclesiastical; relating to affairs of the present (temporal) world.                                       *Worldly.  Of or pertaining to the world or the present state of existence; temporal; earthly; devoted to, interested in, or connected with this present life, and its cares, advantages, or pleasures, to the exclusion of those of a future life.  Concerned with enjoyment of this present existence; secular; not religious; spiritual, or holy.

Law spiritual.  The ecclesiastical law, or law Christian.

Conflict of Law.  ...that branch of jurisprudence, arising from the diversity of the laws of different nations, states or jurisdictions, in their application to rights and remedies, which reconciles the inconsistency, or decides which law or system is to govern in the particular case, or settles the degree of force to be accorded, to the law of another jurisdiction.

Conflict of personal laws.  Term used to describe conflicts within a particular state arising from application of general law to racial and religious groups which have their own laws, e.g. tribal laws of the Indians.

Foreign. Belonging to another nation or country; belonging or attached to another jurisdiction; made, done, or rendered in another state or jurisdiction; subject to another jurisdiction; operating or solvable in another territory; extrinsic; outside; extraordinary.

It is written:

"BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual-who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit- should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ, the Messiah, and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]. For if any person thinks of himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another's load], when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself."  -Galations 6:1-3 Amplified Bible

If indeed you [really] fulfill the royal Law, in accordance with the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as [you love] yourself, you do well. [Lev. 19:18.]  -James 2:8

It is written: "IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [Ps. 110:1.] And set your minds and keep them set on what is above- the higher things- not on the things that are on the earth." -Colossians 3:1, 2  Amplified Bible

"I APPEAL, to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies- presenting all your members and faculties- as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world- this age, fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs. But be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind- by its new ideals and its new attitude- so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you}." -Romans 12:1, 2 Amplified Bible

"ONE DAY as Jesus was instructing the people in the temple [porches] and preaching the good news (the Gospel), the chief priests and the scribes came up with the elders [members of the Sanhedrin] And said to Him, Tell us by what (sort of) authority You are doing these things?  Or who is it who gave You this authority?  He replied to them, I will also ask you a question. Now answer Me.  Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?  And they argued and discussed [it] and reasoned together with themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven, He will say, Why then did you not believe him?  But if we answer, From men, all the people will stone us to death; for they are long since firmly convinced that John was a prophet.  So they replied that they did not know from where it came.  Then Jesus said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."  -Luke 20:1-8 Amplified Version