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Despite questions of constitutionality, lawmakers beat back an attempt to make Andrew Jackson's Bible the official book and voted 55-38 in favor of Rep. Jerry Sexton's original bill.
"History's going to tell us where we stand on this. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to have the side that I'm on," said Sexton, R-Bean Station, after the vote.
"It may be kind to me in the future and it may not be kind, and that's OK. I made a decision for today and I feel good about it."
Although a GOP-led effort, House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, was one of 20 Republicans to vote against the measure. House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley, and four Republicans abstained. Only six Democrats voted in favor of the bill.
Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, suggested making Jackson's Bible the official state book. He thought the move would have shifted the bill into safer legal waters, noting Attorney General Herbert Slatery's opinion that making the Bible the official state book would violate the state and federal constitutions.
Not sure why Tennessee feels the need to have an Official State Book, but if you're going to have one, I'm hard-pressed to think of a better one than the Good Book.
Not sure why Tennessee feels the need to have an Official State Book, but if you're going to have one, I'm hard-pressed to think of a better one than the Good Book.
Well it does talk about incest so that might fit in with some in Tenn.
Not sure why Tennessee feels the need to have an Official State Book, but if you're going to have one, I'm hard-pressed to think of a better one than the Good Book.
You know exactly why this is an issue. If they had voted the Quran the official state book, you would be singing a very different tune I'm sure. That's the thing about secularism, it protects everybody, and when you start chipping away at it today because you think it benefits "your side", you don't have it tomorrow when it doesn't. Eroding the idea of secularism, this can only have negative consequences in our world deeply in need of reinforcing the important idea of separation of church and state, not wearing away at its legitimacy and spitting on it. No way this leads to greater peace and harmony, such actions only divide us, and I think we all know that kind of divisive identity politics is exactly the point for unscrupulous politicos the world over.
You know exactly why this is an issue. If they had voted the Quran the official state book, you would be singing a very different tune I'm sure. That's the thing about secularism, it protects everybody, and when you start chipping away at it today because you think it benefits "your side", you don't have it tomorrow when it doesn't. Eroding the idea of secularism, this can only have negative consequences in our world deeply in need of reinforcing the important idea of separation of church and state, not wearing away at its legitimacy and spitting on it. No way this leads to greater peace and harmony, such actions only divide us, and I think we all know that kind of divisive identity politics is exactly the point for unscrupulous politicos the world over.
I know it is getting annoying that people are push religion on us.
If the majority of the citizens of that state don't agree that making it the official book of their state, they can voice their objections in upcoming elections and vote in people who will remove it as the official book.
I don't think it would take much to show the Bible had a significant historical impact on the state which would make it difficult to make a constitutional issue of it.
I live in Tennessee and I'm an atheist.
I don't care about the Bible being the state book.
I realize it may be a slippery slope regarding the separation of church and state, but I can't bring myself to give a **** about it either way. It has zero impact on my daily life. The only problem I can really see with it is that while they're wasting time on nonsense like a "state book", they aren't addressing vastly more important issues.
Of course this has been all over the local news recently, and I seem to remember them mentioning a similar bill being proposed in Louisiana last year, though I'm not sure if it ever passed.
I don't think it would take much to show the Bible had a significant historical impact on the state which would make it difficult to make a constitutional issue of it.
I did not see the arguments for this in the article so enlighten me. Other than TN being predominately Christian I cant think of any significant historical impact the bible has had on the state.
If the majority of the citizens of that state don't agree that making it the official book of their state, they can voice their objections in upcoming elections and vote in people who will remove it as the official book.
I don't think it would take much to show the Bible had a significant historical impact on the state which would make it difficult to make a constitutional issue of it.
1) Elections are on more than one issue, they're not referendums on every little thing.
2) There are constitutions and rules in place for a reason, to protect minorities from oppression by majorities. A good state should be more then mob rule.
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