Should the Bible be a states official book?

[Dirty Penguin]

The Bible Could Soon Become Louisiana's Official Book

The state’s House of Representatives will vote on a bill later this week to make the Holy Bible the state’s official book.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Thomas Carmody, a Republican from Shreveport, submitted the legislation on March 10 on behalf of Randy Dill, a constituent who has wanted to make the Bible the state's official book since 1988 but couldn't find a legislator to support the issue until Carmody took up his cause.

Both Democrats and Republicans are on board with this idea.

What do you think?......

 

[Quagmire]

I never heard of such a thing as a "State book".

Do any other states have one?

 

[Skwim]

Gotta wonder what a state’s official book is. Would this be something like Washington State's Official Visitors' Guide?

 

[Quintessence]

Shouldn't it be something that was actually written by a resident of the state or someone who was born there? What a silly idea to have it be any other way.

Also, I'm pretty sure choosing a religious text would be... well... against US law.

 

[tytlyf]

Nope, don't go there Louisiana.

 

[4consideration]

I never heard of such a thing as a "State book".

Do any other states have one?

I've never heard of one either.

I'm guessing it's like the state flower, the state bird, state song -- stuff most people don't really hear anything about, unless they're doing a tour of the capital, or something like that.

I'll be surprised if it passes.

 

[Jainarayan]

It sounds at first blush that they want to base laws on the Bible. This will not sit well with the SCOTUS if someone brings a suit. The First Amendment refers to Congress. States may indeed have the right to create "theocracies". However, the SCOTUS did slap down the Alabama courthouse Ten Commandments monument, and remove Alabama's chief justice for installing and refusing to remove it. This will be another taxpayer's wasted money on a boondoggle.

 

[esmith]

You mean this would be something like a state bird, flower, song or whatever? If they want a "state" book and the people want it, I take the libertarian view.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

You mean this would be something like a state bird, flower, song or whatever? If they want a "state" book and the people want it, I take the libertarian view.

I fail to see how government bureaucrats deciding that a religious book be the official state book is a Libertarian value. Can you explain?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Ideally, a state symbol should reflect the distinct character of the state. I doubt that even the most devout Christian would want to imply that the Bible is something distinct to Louisiana... IOW that it has less significance outside Louisiana than in it.

 

[esmith]

I fail to see how government bureaucrats deciding that a religious book be the official state book is a Libertarian value. Can you explain?

Were they elected to their office? As the libertarian value goes; If the citizens who voted these bureaucrats into office and they agree with it then so be it. If it is the people of the state who want it then case closed, if they don't let their elected officials know and the next election cycle will determine the outcome. In other words, stay out of the issue unless you are a resident of that state.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Were they elected to their office? As the libertarian value goes; If the citizens who voted these bureaucrats into office and they agree with it then so be it. If it is the people of the state who want it then case closed, if they don't let their elected officials know and the next election cycle will determine the outcome. In other words, stay out of the issue unless you are a resident of that state.

Funny... I thought that "libertarian values" would say that the government should only engage in necessary functions, and passing decrees about "official state books" is not a necessary function of government.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Were they elected to their office? As the libertarian value goes; If the citizens who voted these bureaucrats into office and they agree with it then so be it. If it is the people of the state who want it then case closed, if they don't let their elected officials know and the next election cycle will determine the outcome. In other words, stay out of the issue unless you are a resident of that state.

This is and interesting and curios stance. If this was a ballot initiative you might have a point. What about the people that voted for their representative but don't want the bible to be there official book? You're making it seem like any and every bill drafted and passed by a representative is wholeheartedly supported by the people and that's not usually how it works. So I'm curious how this is the libertarian way......

 

[bobhikes]

The Bible Could Soon Become Louisiana's Official Book


Both Democrats and Republicans are on board with this idea.

What do you think?......

Doesn't mean anything. Our State has a bird, a flower, a horse, a dinosaur, an insect plus probably some I don't know.

The only thing they get is mention as the state _______. You can find it online and sometimes in museums as state facts.

 

[roger1440]

The Bible Could Soon Become Louisiana's Official Book


Both Democrats and Republicans are on board with this idea.

What do you think?......

I think it’s a joke. Louisiana has one of the highest Illiteracy rates in the country. It also has one of the highest high school dropout rates in the county. 90% in Louisiana are Christian. I’ll bet most of that 90% don’t read the Bible. Probably because they can’t read at all. LOL

 

[esmith]

Funny... I thought that "libertarian values" would say that the government should only engage in necessary functions, and passing decrees about "official state books" is not a necessary function of government.

Is it a function of government to put forth the idea of a State Flower, State Song, State Bird, State Weed, State Pinhead? Seems that you are fixated on an objection only to a State to have a "State Book", which in this case is a Bible. If you have a problem with it, move to Louisiana and start a petition drive to stop them from denoting a "State Book". Otherwise let the citizens of Louisiana determine what they do or do not want. And I have no desire, at this time to get into a pointless discussion what is or what is not Libertarian philosophy. Call it State Rights for all I care, which it is.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Is it a function of government to put forth the idea of a State Flower, State Song, State Bird, State Weed, State Pinhead? Seems that you are fixated on an objection only to a State to have a "State Book", which in this case is a Bible.

Those aren't necessary functions, no.

If you have a problem with it, move to Louisiana and start a petition drive to stop them from denoting a "State Book". Otherwise let the citizens of Louisiana determine what they do or do not want.

Frankly, the fact that the government of Louisiana would even consider making the Bible the state book suggests a whole bunch of reasons why I wouldn't want to move there. I prefer to point at the state from a distance.

And I have no desire, at this time to get into a pointless discussion what is or what is not Libertarian philosophy. Call it State Rights for all I care, which it is.

Hey - you brought it up.

 

[Harold]

Funny... I thought that "libertarian values" would say that the government should only engage in necessary functions, and passing decrees about "official state books" is not a necessary function of government.

With all the problems they create it does seem that should try to fix one problem before creating another.

 

[4consideration]

I think it’s a joke. Louisiana has one of the highest Illiteracy rates in the country. It also has one of the highest high school dropout rates in the county. 90% in Louisiana are Christian. I’ll bet most of that 90% don’t read the Bible. Probably because they can’t read at all. LOL

I'll best most of the 90% don't read that Bible, because a lot of the Christian population of Louisiana is Catholic, and that is a Protestant version. And...Catholics do not focus on the Bible in the same way that other denominations do.

Louisiana does have one of the highest illiteracy rates and highest dropout rates in the country. That's accuate AFAIK.

The way I see it, even including the Catholic population, and looking at a 90% total Christian population, and assuming the entire remaining non-Christian 10% is completely literate (which is a stretch, I think) -- for most of that 90% of the population to not read the Bible because they are unable to read, or even simply be unable to read the Bible, that would require Louisiana to have about a 46% illiteracy rate or higher, which is not even close to being accurate -- unless you have figures that show such a high illiteracy rate that I am unaware of. If so, I'd like to see those figures and/or your math.