This week Tennessee tried to make the Holy Bible their official State book. The only issue they had getting it out of their state house – which version. Eventually they settled on the “Holy Bible”. The Governor, Bill Haslam, and state Attorney General, Herbert Slatery opposed the bill, with Slatery stating he believed it violated both the state and federal constitutions.

Thankfully, yesterday the Tennessee state senate killed it. It’s not because more level heads prevailed, it was because they felt it wasn’t the “…time or place now in the full Senate floor to delve into that. We really need to look into it in committee,” Really? You need a committee for that?


Senate kills bill to make Bible state book


Honestly, I have no problem with the Bible as a book in general, it’s just that a book that was written by “man” years, decades, even centuries after events it depicts happen. Translated by “man” hundreds of times – I suspect things have been lost in translation over the years.

What I have is three problems with trying to do this.

First, the idea of holding up one religion over all others just flies in the face of the freedom of religion and expression. Yes, there is a meme of this being a “Christian” nation. If we were truly that I would hope we’d act more Christ-like, little more New Testament then Old. Why is Christianity so much better than any other? And which version of Christianity should we be all be following?

Second, the idolization of an object. What is it with certain members of this society and making objects untouchable by making them idols? They did this with the flag too. Have they never read the story of false idols and graven images? You know it’s in that Bible they worship, more specifically in those very concise 10 Commandments.

Thirdly, could they not find something better to represent their state in literature? The state can boast Tennessee Williams, sure he’s a playwright but still – Glass Menagerie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Streetcar Named Desire are American classics. How about Alex Haley? He lived in the state as a young child and later in life, his mother was from Tennessee, his grandparents are buried there. Roots, had a profound effect of this country. These are just the first things that popped up on a Google search of famous writers of Tennessee.

Methinks they didn’t even try very hard to find something to better represent their state. Come on Tennessee, you can do better.

Mala

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