HB967 proclaims October 5 annually as Dashain Day, codifying into law a Hindu religious festival in honor of Durga, the Universal Mother Goddess.
The Senate passed HB967 on April 10, 2023, by a vote of 34 to 0. We have assigned minuses to the yeas because this bill is antithetical to Maryland’s distinct Christian heritage—treating with disdain the life and character upon which its civil institutions were founded. For example, the original Constitution of Maryland, adopted in 1776, required a “declaration of a belief in the Christian religion” to hold public office in the State (Article XXXV). Moreover, the Great Seal of Maryland, which dates back to 1632, is encircled with Psalm 5:12 of the Holy Bible and still used to authenticate acts of the General Assembly. Nevertheless, rather than perform their duty to defend Christian principles, and be “grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty,” as expressed in Maryland’s current Declaration of Rights, legislators in Annapolis have decided to patronize multicultural polytheism. “We, the People,” on the other hand, have been assured by this nation’s forefathers, who gave us the American Republic, that apart from a firm reliance on God, not to mention the removal of His commandments from capitols, courthouses, and elsewhere, our efforts shall succeed “no better than the Builders of Babel.”