Tennessee
may become the first state in America to make the Bible its official book. This, by any measure, is a terrible idea, but
a fascinating one.
I
didn’t know states had official books the way they name an official bird, tree,
or food. Most states don’t have an
official book, but a few have official poems “My Old Kentucky Home” is
Kentucky’s state poem. “I am Florida” is
Florida’s state poem. Louisiana has two
state poems. Massachusetts has an
official state children’s book, Make Way
for Ducklings. But now Tennessee is
about to make the Holy Bible its official book.
Tennessee
has many official state symbols, including two state flowers, two state birds,
state fish, state fruit, state insects, and even a state reptile, state rifle
and a state rock.
The Bible-printing industry is huge, with Bible publishers headquartered in Nashville that include Thomas Nelson, Gideons International, and United Methodist Publishing House.
There’s
a chance the governor could veto the bill, which was approved by the state
Senate, 19-8.
Governor
Bill Haslam and Attorney General Herbert Slatery have questioned aloud whether
the bill is constitutional. The bill also
doesn’t specify which version of the Bible is to be coronated.
In a report issued by the Attorney General a year ago, he wrote:
“The same result obtains here. Like the Ten Commandments, the Bible is undeniably a sacred text in the Christian faith. Legislative designation of The Holy Bible as the official book – as an official symbol – of the State of Tennessee, when viewed objectively, must presumptively be understood as an endorsement of religion and of a particular religion. Irrespective of the legislation’s actual purpose, common sense compels the conclusion that designation of the Bible as the official state book in practice and effect conveys a message of endorsement. Such an endorsement violates the Establishment Clause of the federal Constitution, regardless of whether the message of endorsement is intentional or unintentional and regardless of whether the message is conveyed in reality or only in the public perception.
“Tennessee’s constitutional requirement “that no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment or mode of worship” is substantially stronger than the federal protection against government endorsement of religion or of a religion. Thus, designating the Holy Bible as the official state book would violate Article I, §, 3, of the Tennessee Constitution even more definitively than it would violate the federal Establishment Clause."
Tennessee
says it wants to recognize the Bible for its historical and cultural
contributions to the state.
According
to a report by NPR, “Back in 2005, the historical aspect of a religious display
was one of the criteria the U.S. Supreme Court used to determine by a 5-4 vote
that the state of Tennessee could keep a monument to the Ten Commandments at
its State Capitol in Austin.”
Louisiana
and Mississippi each failed last year in attempts to do the same as Tennessee.
I
think the legislation would turn us into the Middle East, where the Koran is an
official text of the Muslim nations.
America prides itself of not mixing religion with the government, of
separating church and state. To endorse the religious text of one religion
would compromise the nation.
I’m
all for naming state books, but until our states stop separating church and
state, we cannot have government sanctioning books that explicitly promote a
singular religion. We are the United
States – diverse, unique, and free to worship as we please, and free not to
worship at all. Our official state books must reflect that.
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