Despite far more pressing problems, Tennessee Senate and House committees have been working to make the Bible the official book of Tennessee — adding the Bible with catfish (the state fish) as a symbol of the state. Of course, cat fish are not matters of faith (beyond the hope and prayer of every fisherman). The House sponsor, Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station, added “talking points” to bill. Sexton was only elected in 2015 but is wasting no time in trying to rollback on the separation of church and state.
The bill was approved by the Senate State and Local Government Committee by a 7-0-2 vote. Only two abstained. Not a single opposing vote. The House State Government Committee approved the bill (HBO615) by a voice vote about an hour later.
Rep. William Lamberth, R-Cottontown insists that it must be constitutional because “It doesn’t in any way, shape, form or fashion say that anyone has to read this book. It doesn’t mean anyone has to believe in the tenets of this book.”
Legislators could argue that they are associating the state with the generally accepted elements of the Bible such as the values expressed in the book. However, rabbis and clerics of other religious are objecting. The book also ascribes to one view of the Almighty. Moreover, the official designation will require some state action by employees in listing and featuring the book. It would raise an interesting and potentially expensive court case for the state. If the legislators tried to erect a monument to the Bible, there would be a credible challenge. What is the difference between a monument on the grounds and this designation?
Putting aside the question of the separation of powers, the claim of constitutionality does not make this the right thing to do. There are many citizens in Tennessee who follow other faiths or no faith. This is the majority forcing all citizens to associate with the religious book of one faith. If one truly believe in free exercise of religion, it should come with a respect for the faiths of others. The concept of tolerance and pluralism runs deeply in our values as a nation.
The fact that not a single member had the courage to oppose this bill on principle is a deeply sad reflection on our current politics. Imagine who people would feel is a bill passed making the Koran the official book or the Torah. It is not enough to say that you might be able to get away with dong something wrong — I learned that as a kid from the Bible.
Source: The Tennessean
Murder has significant to religious overtones Squeeky. Think harder.
http://still4hill.com/about-s4h/
Oh here’s a good website for Hillary supporters.
What’s a PUMA?
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_United_Means_Action
Squeeky the people who like YOU would naturally not like me and vice versa. So how about Hillary?! Think the PUMAs will get active again?
@Ingannie
No, Annie, you are just being yourself. I wish that you would emulate me, because then you be able to look at both sides of an issue, be able to enter into meaningful discussions without a bunch of name calling, and be able to overcome your childhood church experiences and regain the emotional growth that obviously got stunted way back when! Plus, more people here would start liking you, even when they disagreed with you! Now, wouldn’t that be nice???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Why so shy about Hillary Squeeky? She was your gal, have you abandoned her?
No Squeeky I’m just emulating you.
@Ingannie
Hmmm. Hillary is about as relevant to this thread as selling guns is to wedding cakes. Perhaps you could maybe just put on a good stew, or maybe some spaghetti since you obviously have an overwhelming need to stir a pot???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Also Squeeky, have you yelled at any people with children or big purses this weekend? No? Good, perhaps you are making progress.
Happypappies
I have great admiration for parts of the Bible. The book of Psalms is one of the best examples of message and vehicle working together. The poetry is exquisite and the message is the stronger for how it is written.
The story of Christ where the supreme being makes the choice of sacrificing his son for the benefit of mankind is the innate human question concerning the value for the individual versus the value for the society. The standard question based on choosing the death of a loved one in exchange for the lives of many exemplifies the issue. My argument is that the human condition created the story. The story is powerful, wonderful, and necessary to some degree. However, the condition exists and faced straight on is the way to the godhead. Once removed through religion may or may not pervert the message. We see the most dire perversions in the Middle East in Islam. In Tennessee there are rumblings of these perversions.
Issac
You are one of the people here that I wish I could be in the room with to talk to because I feel I am at 150 degrees sometimes from you or at an almost blind angle. Like I almost get you but I am not sure.
Rather than repeat everything you just said to me as you must know your own mind and you have to be aware that you think Jesus was the ultimate Altruist kind of like a Spock Character.
Or that’s what you come across to like to me.
Maybe I am not quite understanding what you say. You are so smart and I remember one time you said something so conscious on this Blog about the freaking Neocons it blew me away and I know it impressed the hell out of Aridog.
This is what I think. I think that Jesus came down here to teach people how to live. That is what all of this entire thing was about when he gave paradoxical scriptures because people just can’t accept that life is a paradox. We live in entropy. It is God’s miracle our body holds together in the sack of jelly that it is as really it should just fly all over the place. >>>>”But then there is a paradox between second law of thermodynamics and the evolution of life. Second law states that the growth is from order to chaos whereas life evolves from chaos to order. Now the fundamental question is how to settle or resolve this paradox amicably. For this we have to go more farther and deeper. The same paradox is schematically demonstrated in the following way”.<<<<<<
https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/TKno/TKnoAlte.htm
Jesus was conscious and aware of what God gave him to do. He was quoting from the 22nd Psalm on the Cross
22 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
It is all a paradox Issac. We all do it to each other. It is the way we were created from this Big Bang. What can we do?
I believe he taught us and said we must leave our families ways and ignore them and follow his ways in order to find peace and be able to heal the world because all of this nonsense about waiting for a return is nonsense.
Christ brought us a sword to teach and show each other. You see me and others doing it. Being agreeable does nothing. You must disagree to grow. We must then synthesize this growth with the Christed Consciousness inside and that is how we heal ourselves and one another and the earth and that is how the earth becomes new and so forth. This much I know. I don't know any more than this though.
I have invited Jesus inside as the only authority I will follow as the truth, light and way and I have found peace and freedom. I answer to no one else
If someone makes fun of me for speaking my mind this way — oh well 😉
So Squeeky, are you going to run out and volunteer for Hillary’s campaign, now that she’s announced? I expect you’ll be quite busy. Maybe you’ll have to work with some gay folks, do you think you’re up for that? If you do work for the Hillary campaign, perhaps you should keep your opinions about gay people on the down low, so to speak.
@Ingannie
Your question is only intelligent to the non-thinking anti-choice persons here. Simply ask, does selling a gun have significant religious overtones??? Hmmm. Thought not. Sooo, why did you ask it, if it has no relevancy???
Not only do you not read your own links, you don’t even appear to think about your own statements.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Well done! People go back to your first love – JESUS CHRIST! He is the ONLY way and the ONLY TRUTH! All these other religions are “man made”. The word has been there for 6000 years. The truth will set you free. I support you guys. Go for the HOLY BIBLE. God bloess you
Here’s a question. Murder is a sin, no? Have the Christian gun sellers ‘participated’ in the act of murder when they’ve sold the gun to the murderer?
Inga – the answer to your question is very simple: No.
I wasn’t asking YOU.
Inga – actually you asked the thread, so you did ask me. And the answer is still, NO.
Paul, always wrong. When I ask a question to the commenter’s in a thread, consider yourself excluded. I don’t respect a word you have to say. You can answer if you choose, but readers should be aware that you often give erroneous answers.
Inga – what you are doing is called “poisoning the well,” It is typical of certain ad hominem commenters.
Alex Klebenow
Thank you for the refreshing reality some people choose to forget…
Squeeky
Squeeky said nothing that Max-1 will hear. See above.
= = =
Now she’s talking third person to herself on a blog… nice.
Making the buybull the law of the land at least strips the guns from the nut’s hands… ‘cuz Jesus never said guns. Amen.
Paul C.
Max-1 – Jesus never said Gather all your sodomites and marry them together.
= = =
He also never said don’t gather, either.
He also never said guns.
Specious. But good try.
We are seeing a preview of what might be a reality under a Fundamentalist Christian Theocracy. “The Handmaid’s Tale” might not be so far off. Or “A Christian Nation”, two novels of a dystopian Christian Theocratical future.
Squeeky (kill the gays)
Would you rather Heather has a dead beat dad who left mommy for some meth, instead?
Tom Hood
Religion is like a penis. It’s fine to have one and it’s fine to be proud of it, but please don’t whip it out in public and start waving it around…
= = =
LOL… Good one!!!
That reminds me of the time I got assaulted on the street by some young punk urinating on the US Post Office building downtown a few years back. I told him the same thing, “No one wants to see it. It’s called indecent exposure for a reason.” I think I embarrassed him…