Wamp Says U.S. Should Be Pluralistic, But Not Godless
July 19, 2006

Rep. Zach Wamp said Wednesday the U.S. should be pluralistic in the matter of religion, but he said that does not mean the country should be godless.

Here is his floor speech on H.R. 2389, the Pledge Protection Act:

“Distinguished Majority Whip, and Mr. Chairman, with respect to religion the United States is rightly pluralistic. We are in no way, nor should we be, theocratic at all. As a matter of fact, one of the great threats in the World today is that Jihadism is born out of theocracy. That doesn’t mean, though, that this country should be godless.

"One of the great sayings I love is: 'If there is no God, nothing matters. But if there is a God, nothing else matters.' We should remember that today. Abraham Lincoln said, 'We do not claim to have God on our side, but we strive to be on His.'

"We should not and cannot rewrite history to ignore our spiritual heritage. It surrounds us. It cries out for our country to honor God, and to seek and supplicate His will in our country’s life.

"Today the people from my state of Tennessee would listen to this debate, or even talk about a reference to God on our money, or in the halls of Congress, or in our Pledge, and say, “please let common sense and logic win the day and prevail, versus legal mumbo-jumbo.”

"And in closing, let me just thank God on the floor of the House for not turning away from us even though we seem to be turning away from Him. And I yield back.”