The Tennessee Senate recently defeated legislation making the Bible the official state book of Tennessee. The legislation was approved in the state House of Representatives April 15 by a vote of 55-38. This approval sent the legislation to the Senate where...
More
The Tennessee Senate recently defeated legislation making the Bible the official state book of Tennessee. The legislation was approved in the state House of Representatives April 15 by a vote of 55-38. This approval sent the legislation to the Senate where it was declined April 16. The Senate’s rejection means the legislation cannot be tabled again for the rest of this year. The constitutionality of the proposal was hotly debated by Tennessee legislators and residents who claimed it violated state and federal constitutional provisions calling for the separation of church and state. However, some legislators opposed the legislation because they believed making the Bible the state book would demean it. The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee spoke out about the legislation and believes the government would have overstepped its bounds by passing the bill. “We are pleased that the Tennessee General Assembly acknowledged that government cannot favor one religious belief over another
Less
