As a Christian, the Easter Season has always been a very special time for me—a time spent with friends and family to give thanks for the reason and beauty behind all things. As a U.S. Congressman, the Holy Season has taken on additional meaning for me, as I have had the unique opportunity to spend it in the Holy Land, as a member of a special peace-making delegation to the Middle East with select members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

As I retraced the final footsteps of our Lord and Savior, I felt the impact of His life—not only on my life—but on more than two-thousand years of culture and history across the globe.

For the hundreds of millions of Americans who believe in God and take pride in their religious beliefs, our Nation’s religious history is worthy of recognition, especially during the Holy Season. With this in mind, I was instrumental in introducing legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that will designate the first week in May as “American Religious History Week” to increase awareness and appreciation of America's history of religious faith.

From our constitution to our coinage, in our national anthem and on the Liberty Bell, signs of America’s rich religious history can be seen and heard in nearly every facet of American daily life. The foundation of religious faith on which America was built is at the heart of our Nation's representative processes, legal systems, and societal structures. This resolution reinforces the importance of the deep spiritual history we share, both as a people of faith and as one Nation under God, and helps to ensure that its legacy, our legacy, is revered in perpetuity.

The legislation, H. Res. 888, examines the religious history of our Nation and how religion is reflected in our Nation’s documents, events throughout our Nation’s history, and places throughout our Nation’s capitol, such as the Washington Monument, the Library of Congress, and the United States Capitol Building. It also rejects, in the strongest possible terms, any effort to remove, obscure, or purposely omit such history from our Nation's public buildings and educational resources.

H. Res. 888 also designates the first week in May of every year as “American Religious History Week” to build upon efforts to educate the public about America’s long-standing religious background and the impact of religion our Nation's founding and subsequent history.

I believe that the Framers of the Constitution made their intent clear when they wrote the First Amendment, and I believe they wanted to keep the new government from endorsing one religion over another, rather than erasing religion from the public square. The freedom to express our religious beliefs is a right that is protected by both the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses of our Constitution. It is my hope that this resolution will inspire renewed appreciation, and dare I say pride, in our Nation’s unique religious history at a time when many Americans feel that the spiritual foundation of our society is slowly being chipped away.

I can think of no better time to introduce this resolution than during the Holy Season. For many, Easter celebrations begin and end with marshmallow bunnies and chocolate-filled eggs. It is time that we rescue the Resurrection from Hershey’s and Hallmark and think of our Nation’s religious convictions rather than candy confections.

We must remember our Fore Fathers who built this great Nation, not only to respect the laws of man, but also to honor the laws of God. These deeply-held religious convictions have bound us together as a Nation for more than 200 years.

Please join me and my family in thanking God for his presence in our lives and his protection of our families, our brave soldiers over seas, and our Nation. It is an act that we, as Americans, have done for centuries and will continue to repeat for centuries to come.