Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Tennessee’s governor hasn’t even signed the bill yet, but Liberty Counsel is ready to jump in and defend making White Jesus the official state savior. Via press release:
“The Establishment Clause requires government neutrality toward religion, but the Tennessee legislature’s selection of the Bible as the state book does not require anyone to read the Bible, and it does not require anyone to observe or adhere to the teachings of the Bible,” said Horatio Mihet, Chief Litigation Counsel for Liberty Counsel.
Mihet continued, “Tennessee can lawfully and constitutionally select the Bible to be the official state book given the importance of the Bible to the state, its laws, and its history; doing so is no more an affront to the Constitution than is selecting the state beverage or the state animal. It is simply a factual acknowledgment of the undisputed, historical fact that the Bible was important to the foundation of the nation and of Tennessee, and that it’s important to the citizens of Tennessee.”
From the Tennessean:
Steven K. Green, a Willamette University law professor and director of the Center for Religion, Law and Democracy in Salem, Ore., said the state would be showing a preference for a particular religion if the Bible becomes the state book, and Slatery’s opinion explains that is prohibited by the state constitution and the federal establishment clause. “It also indicates endorsement of religion,” Green said by email.
But for someone to successfully sue, Green thinks the measure needs to be applied in some fashion, like using the Bible in public schools, displaying a placard of it in a government building, putting it on letterhead or on the side of a police vehicle. Simply knowing the Bible has been made the official book or encountering news reports about it typically wouldn’t provide sufficient enough legal standing — demonstration of harm caused by the law — to bring a suit in federal court, he said.
Librarians in Tennessee are unhappy:
The Tennessee Library Association is urging Gov. Bill Haslam to veto a measure that would give the holy book the special state status. The controversial legislation has stirred an ongoing debate about whether the Bible is the best choice. The bill has gained national attention and prompted discussions about its constitutionality and the potential for lawsuits.
The library association’s board of directors and members are not opposed to the Bible itself, but think another book could be found that is more representative of Tennessee and significant to all of its residents, Susan L. Jennings, the association’s president, said in an emailed statement addressed to Haslam.
“The Bible does not solely belong to Tennessee and could be viewed as exclusionary to those Tennesseans who do not practice Christianity,” Jennings said. “In fact, every year, in cooperation with the Tennessee Association of School (Librarians), the Tennessee Library Association awards the Volunteer State Book award to honor the significant contributions of Tennessee authors.”