Lawmakers Take Issue With ‘Christian Nation’ Resolution

Arizona’s five Republican legislators in the U.S. Congress have issued a joint statement expressing concern “about the impression of religious intolerance in our party because of a resolution approved at the Arizona convention recently.”

The resolution, passed at the state GOP convention in late January, referred to the United States as a Christian nation and said the Constitution “established a republic upon the ‘absolute laws’ of the Bible, not a democracy based on the changing whims of the people.”

The letter of concern, sent to Arizona Republican Chairman Burton Kruglick, was signed by U.S. Sen. John McCain and Reps. Jay Rhodes, Bob Stump, Jon Kyl and Jim Kolbe. They urged the state party’s executive committee to denounce “those persons, organizations, publications and movements which practice or promote racism, anti-Semitism or religious intolerance.”

Several Republican members of the state Legislature also expressed concern about the resolution. Referring to the delegation in which it originated, State Sen. Jamie Sossam of Highley said, “Unfortunately, in District 30, I think some people are confusing their religion with their politics.”

State Rep. John Wrzesinski of Mesa said he thinks of the United States as a Christian nation, but he believes the resolution “was in poor taste, passed by religious zealots anxious to have everyone think like they do.”