Speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives, Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois introduced “National Faith Month” in mid-April, requesting that Congress consider making the month “National Faith Month.” She explained that the month would help ensure faith is protected and the foundational values of America remain intact.
Posting about her introduction of the idea and calling on people to help her pray for the country and its service members, Rep. Miller said, “Tonight, I joined my colleagues on the House Floor to recognize April as Faith Month. Please join me this April in praying for our nation, the future of our great country, and our men and women in uniform. I will never be afraid to defend my faith, our freedom, and our children!”
In the clip of her speech that she posted, Rep. Miller, standing alongside a poster that says “National Faith Month” and “Faith can move mountains -Matthew 17:20,” explained the right to freedom of religion and how faith is a positive force for the country generally and the communities within it.
She began, explaining in simple terms what she hoped to achieve with the introduction of the special order and calling on all people of faith to join her in praying, saying, “Thank you to my colleagues for joining me tonight in this special order. I’m honored to join together to celebrate April as Faith Month and I’m calling on people of faith, to join in prayer and in celebration.”
Continuing, Rep. Miller went on to explain that she sees America as being founded on “Judeo-Christian” values and that freedom of religion is one of those values, saying, “As a member of Congress, I’m happy to reaffirm my commitment to the Judeo-Christian values and the freedom of religion on which our country was founded.”
Rep. Miller then explained that religious organizations contribute much to their communities and that they must be appreciated for those contributions, saying, “In Congress, my colleagues and I will always fight to protect the right of all Americans to exercise their faith and maintain the freedom of religion. People of faith seek to be a positive force in their communities, especially in difficult circumstances. Religious organizations in America have a rich history of charitable engagement in helping the poor, the sick and the afflicted, and they should be appreciated.”
Watch her here:
National Faith Month is an idea that was popularized by the “Concerned Women of America” organization. It calls on people to overcome the current culture war situation not by mocking or attacking other groups that raise their flags, such as the LGBT rainbow flag, but instead by pushing for April to be made faith month and by raising Christian flags, which are which except for a blue box and red cross in the upper left corner.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video