It is an honor to appear before this Committee. My name is Nathan Wilson. Presently I serve as the executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches, an ecumenical organization with Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant Christian member communions. More than one-third of the population of West Virginia, roughly 600,000 people, belongs to a church that is a member of the West Virginia Council of Churches. Some of the reasons I oppose Senate joint resolution 14 are outlined below.
Desecration is a term with significant religious connotations.
Desecration of an object is possible only if the object is recognized as sacred. An object must be consecrated as sacred before it can be desecrated. In most Christian traditions, the eucharistic elements are consecrated as sacred. The ministry of teaching and preaching the gospel is sometimes consecrated. The flag is a treasured symbol of democracy, liberty, and equality of the United States of America, but the flag is not sacred.