Tennessee legislators pass bill making The Bible the official state book

[BernieforPres2016]

Unless the Republican governor (who has vetoed only 3 bills in his tenure) vetoes the bill, it will become state law after 10 days on his desk.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/tennessee-lawmakers-pass-bill-making-bible-official-book-article-1.2588624

One piece of red meat to the base after another from these Republican state legislatures and governors. Georgia's Republican governor just had to veto a "religious liberty" bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse to perform services for LGBT people because it would have kept Atlanta from hosting a Super Bowl. The legislature of my state of North Carolina just passed HB2 to deal with the pressing problem of which public restrooms transgender people are allowed to use, and it is already incurring boycotts from other states and cities. The Democratic Attorney General, who is running against the incumbent Republican governor in November, says HB2 is is a "national embarrassment" and his office won't defend its constitutionality.

Is this kind of garbage really what Republicans want to run on in November?

[2naSalit]

1. And that law

will see an express ride to the SCOTUS, blatant violation of the Establishment clause.

[sharp_stick]

6. It's not a law

that has any teeth so I'm not sure if it would. This is just like a State declaring a State animal or bird.

In reality it's just another in the long line of bullshit that Republican legislatures do best. Waste time on fundie crap and let the State wilt financially.

[Android3.14]

2. Now if only they knew how to read...

[YoungDemCA]

3. Not funny.

[Android3.14]

4. Eh?

[YoungDemCA]

5. Generally speaking, I don't like classist jokes

Lack of formal education is very often correlated with poverty. Thus, jokes about such things rub me the wrong way. YMMV.

[trumad]

9. Uh..pretty certain these religious fuck legislatures ..

Aren't living in poverty.

[2naSalit]

10. Yes, lack of formal education

purposefully orchestrated legislation designed to keep the poor in poverty and less educated while thumping the bible and all levels of misinterpretation.

These "lawmakers" aren't poor even though they appear to be undereducated.

[Android3.14]

14. Oh...Well.

If it's any consolation, I grew up in poverty in the south, so perhaps that provides some comic license.

It is unfortunate that you would deny a classic (as opposed to a classist) source of satire out of a misguided sense of social justice and a desire to avoid offending anyone's feelings. At least you had a chance to criticize someone's joke, which I suppose makes everything okay.

I'll bet The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight are sheer torture.

[atreides1]

7. This isn't garbage!

At least not to the grass roots fanatics that constantly regurgitate this tripe!

This is what qualifies for "street cred" in the world of the Duggar fan base! Any legislator that will publicly shout out their love for God, and for his mythical tome...they're sure to get that vote!

As for the governor, if he let's it become law without signing it, he can always claim that it was the legislature's fault!

[2naSalit]

8. ^^THIS^^

[csziggy]

11. Which translation? I'm sure they won't use the original Aramaic or Hebrew ones

Or even the Greek version of the New Testament.

So will it be Latin or one of the many other languages the Bible (or parts of it) has been translated into? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_translations)

The King James version? if so, which King James version - there are many variations! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_English_Bible_translations#King_James_Version_and_derivatives)

If King James is still too hard for them to read how about the English Revised Version (or American Standard Version), New International Version, New English Bible, one of the Catholic versions, or even an internet version? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_English_Bible_translations)

The possibilities are nearly endless so if the Tennessee legislators were not specific their effort is meaningless!

My parents had several dozen translations of the Bible and once spent several years comparing the different versions to try to clarify some of the issues they were having with their church hierarchy. They gave up since depending on the translation and how it is read, most passages can be interpreted any way the reader chooses. It was entertaining listening to the discussions though!

[rurallib]

12. Isn't there many versions of the bible?

hope they kill each other fighting over which is the one and only true bible.

[Takket]

13. Here's an alternate title for this thread:

"Clueless legislature takes massive shit all over the Constitution and the principles of freedom of religion that this country was founded upon".

I think that's a little more accurate of a description.

[HuckleB]

15. So there are no great authors from Tennessee itself?

[Rex]

17. They want the Big Guy to rapture their state first.

Do you think any of the red state governors have read Tennessee Williams?

[MisterP]

16. fine--IF you can tell everybody one single thing in it. Just. One. Thing

[Ghost in the Machine]

18. Our Republican Governor, as well as several Republican Senators & Reps, were AGAINST

The Bill.... mainly because they thought that it would be degrading to the bible to be lumped in with things such as the State bird, State song and even the State gun! Yes, you read that right... we have a State gun! It's the Barrett .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle...
http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/26/news/companies/barrett-rifle-tennessee/

Haslam remains opposed to making Bible official state book:

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/politics/haslam-remains-opposed-to-making-bible-official-state-book-374128871.html

Peace,

Ghost