GOP admits to mailers suggesting Bible ban

NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- The Republican National Committee says it mailed fliers to voters in two states suggesting liberals want to ban the Bible, the New York Times reported.

The mailings include images of a Bible labeled "banned" and of a gay marriage proposal labeled "allowed." A mailing to Arkansas residents warns: "This will be Arkansas if you don't vote." A similar mailing was sent to West Virginians.

RNC spokesman Christine Iverson said the party sent the mail, which aroused the ire of the liberal Interfaith Alliance, which called them "despicable."

"When the Massachusetts Supreme Court sanctioned same-sex marriage and people in other states realized they could be compelled to recognize those laws, same-sex marriage became an issue," Iverson said. "These same activist judges also want to remove the words 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance."

"There is no question that this is where some people want to go, that reading from the Bible could be hate speech," the Southern Baptist Convention's Richard Land said, adding the language and images used by the GOP was "probably stretching it a bit."

The mailings are part of the GOP's effort to mobilize support for President Bush among conservative religious voters.