Tennessee’s Christian governor has vetoed a bill that would make the Bible the official book of the state, saying that the bill goes against both the federal and state constitutions.
According to Christian Today, though Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam
identifies as a Christian, he opposes the bill because he believes the
Bible should be recognized as more than an historical text.
In a letter addressed to Speaker of the House Beth Harwell, Haslam wrote:
"My personal feeling is that this bill trivialises the Bible, which I
believe is sacred text. If we believe that the Bible is the inspired
word of God, then we shouldn't be recognising it only as a book of
historical and economic significance.”
"If we are recognising the Bible as a sacred text, then we are
violating the constitution of the United States and the constitution of
the State of Tennessee by designating it as the official state book. Our
founders recognised that when the church and state were combined, it
was the church that suffered in the long run,” he continued.
Despite vetoing this bill, Haslam said he strongly opposes those who
are trying to eradicate religion from public life. “All of us should and
must bring our deepest beliefs to the places we are called, including
government service,” he said.
Hedy Weinberg of the American Civil Liberties Union applauded the governor’s veto:
"Religion thrives when it is left in the hands of families and faith
communities. Publicly elected government officials cannot use their
official positions to favor one religious belief over another. The
governor's veto of this unconstitutional legislation ensures that
religious freedom can flourish in Tennessee,” she said.
Tennessee is known as a state which is friendly to Bible-believing
Christians. Many top Bible publishers have established their
headquarters in the state, and polls revealed that six in 10 Tennessee
residents support making the Bible the official state book.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
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