An atheist group is demanding that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) remove a Bible verse posted to his social media accounts Sunday, calling it "improper" for a politician to promote personal religious views using "the machinery of the state."
AP
The Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote a letter to Walker asking him to delete the message, which read simply, "Philippians 4:13," from his official Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The popular New Testament Bible verse reads, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
"We're waiting to hear from [the governor]," Freedom From Religion Foundation co-president Dan Barker told TheBlaze Wednesday.
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If Walker refuses to remove the verse, Barker said his organization will explore its options, including possible legal action.
"A lawsuit is always a possibility," he said. "We can't take every lawsuit and you can't talk about lawsuits too early because there's too many factors."
Barker said he's most concerned with the notion that Walker used his government position to promote his Christian worldview.
Image source: Gov. Scott Walker/Facebook
While the Freedom From Religion Foundation disagrees with the placement of the verse on Walker's social media accounts, Barker told TheBlaze that the governor is free to express his religious views, so long as he publishes or utters faith-based statements outside of his official capacity.
"We don't want to limit his religious freedom either, but he represents all of us," said Barker, who lives in Wisconsin.
If indeed Walker says the verse was personal and not sent from a government device, Barker said his organization will investigate and, if it checks out, the situation might simply be settled, though he offered no guarantees.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation also published a statement on its website Tuesday in which Barker and his fellow co-president and wife Annie Laurie Gaylor said the Bible-based message "seems more like a threat, or the utterance of a theocratic dictator, than of a duly elected civil servant."
Calls to Walker's press office for comment were not returned.
