A local pastor is not supportive of moves to make the Bible the state book of Tennessee, saying that without the right spirit, the Bible could do more harm than good.
In an interview with WBIR, Central Baptist of Bearden Associate Pastor Mark Moreland acknowledged that the Bible is indeed a powerful tool to spread the word of God.
However, he said this could easily have the opposite effect on people who feel like the Holy doctrine is being forced on them by the government.
"We can't require people to read it, we can't be there when they might read it in the wrong spirit and take things out of context," he said.
"The Bible can be the most dangerous book in the world if it's read in pieces and in parts it can be very dangerous. It needs to be read and it needs to be applied by people who have a relationship to the God who gave it to us."
House Bill 615, a measure to name the Bible as the official state book of Tennessee, was authored by Republican Rep. Jerry Sexton and is currently poised to advance to the committee level after it passed on a 2-1 vote with the State Government Subcommittee.
However, even as the bill is moving along on the legislative front, there are still constitutional issues to be addressed, specifically its conflict with the provision of the Tennessee Constitution which states that "no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment or mode of worship."
Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Bill Sanderson has said that he is still awaiting the legal opinion of Attorney General Herbert Slatery on the matter.
Louisiana and Mississippi have also tried to make the Bible their state book, but attempts to pass legislation have failed.
