Arizona legislator's bizarre Bible caper raises so, so many questions

At last, the Arizona House has an answer to a not-so-holy mystery of biblical proportion.

To wit: Who’s been swiping the Bibles on display in the members-only lounge and stashing them under couch cushions and in a refrigerator?

Apparently, it’s happened several times, prompting House security to install a Ring doorbell to try to catch the perp.

Turns out it was Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton.

The Tucson Democrat was caught in the act on April 10, the third time the Bibles disappeared.

Stahl Hamilton called it 'playful commentary'

3TV’s David Caltabiano snagged a copy of the doorbell video and aired it on Tuesday evening.

Stahl Hamilton fled from the reporter as he asked her about her bizarre behavior but later sent him a statement, calling it “just a little playful commentary on the separation of church and state.”

“I am a Presbyterian minister so I obviously don’t have a problem with the Bible,” her statement said.

Or a problem with putting God’s holy word on ice … or more accurately, in a refrigerator.

Next to somebody’s lunch.

She apologized on the House floor on Wednesday, saying “I realize my actions could be seen as something less than playful.”

Why are there Bibles in the Arizona Capitol?

As for me? I have so many questions about this, perhaps the strangest story out of the state Capitol of the year (and that is saying something).

Like why are there Bibles on display in a state government building?

Surely if our leaders were in search of divine inspiration, they could consult their own personal Bibles. There’s even a phone app for that, if they don’t want to lug around the Good Book.

And if there are Bibles on display, shouldn’t the sacred texts of other religions also be on display, given that the constitutional mandate that we are to have no state-sanctioned religion?

I’m guessing the House can now expect an avalanche of requests to display the Quran, the Dhammapada and the like – along with the inevitable lawsuit from the aethiests and probably the Satanists.

Definitely the Satanists.

3 years ago: Scottsdale wins court battle against Satanists

Finally, has anybody over at the Capitol actually been reading those Bibles? When Stahl Hamilton isn’t swiping them, that is.

I look at some of the things happening in the Legislature this year — the demonization of immigrants in search of asylum, the targeting of the LGBTQ community and in particular, transgender children who already are at such high risk of suicide. The daily sneers at those with whom our leaders have political disagreements.

But then, perhaps some of them haven’t gotten to the part in the Scriptures about loving thy neighbor or doing onto others ...

Republicans are eager to take sweet revenge

The revelation that the Bible caper came at the hands of Stahl Hamilton was greeted with particular glee by Republican legislators and their supporters.

It was Stahl Hamilton who filed the ethics complaint that led to now-ex-Rep. Liz Harris’ expulsion.

“Maybe @stahlhamilton was hiding bibles because she thought they were ballots??” Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, tweeted.

“You preach tolerance while making ethics complaints, stealing Bibles. Stalin would be proud,” Rep. John Gillette, R-Kingman, tweeted.

“AZ Democrat Rep. caught on security cameras swiping Bibles from the Arizona House of Representatives’ Members Lounge! Now she’s running & hiding from reporters over it,” the Arizona Freedom Caucus tweeted. “Tampering with House property is a serious offense!”Naturally, Kari Lake, who regularly wears a cross around her neck, channeled her inner Jesus.

“A member of the @AZHouseDems stealing Bibles???” her “war room” tweeted. “Perhaps @stahlhamiltonshould be expelled from the legislature. This is an egregious violation of decorum. She should suffer the consequences for it.”

So much for the part about turning the other cheek.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Stephanie Stahl Hamilton's bizarre Bible caper raises many questions