Legislator criticized for Bible study note

The Hawai‘i Citizens for the Separation of State and Church have taken Rep. William Stonebraker to task for using government resources to arrange a Bible study session for lawmakers.

William Stonebraker said one of his critics promotes atheism.

Stonebraker, an assistant pastor at Calvary Chapel, said he did nothing wrong when he faxed a memo from his Capitol office telling a number of lawmakers about a "fellowship meeting" in one of the rooms at the Legislature.

The memo said: "The lesson subject will be ‘Government From the Bible.’ Please bring your Bible."

Mitchell Kahle of the Hawai‘i Citizens for the Separation of State and Church told Stonebraker Friday that his use of government equipment for the memo and government employees to handle the RSVPs to the memo is an "abuse of government assets."

"While you are completely free to gather with colleagues for fellowship meetings, you are not permitted to use taxpayer-funded labor or public assets to promote or organize religious activity," Kahle said.

Stonebraker, R-15th (Kalama Valley, Portlock), responded: "He (Kahle) sends faxes to people every day and he’s taking the ink from every legislator’s fax machine to promote his religion: atheism. So I have nothing to say to him. He’s kind of a funny character."

Brent White, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i, said: "Politicians should not use the government to promote their personal religious beliefs. Holding a Christian prayer meeting on government property and using government property to promote that meeting certainly seems to cross that line."

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