Bill to make Bible Tennessee's state book heads to governor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Derided by critics as everything from unconstitutional to sacrilegious, Tennessee lawmakers nevertheless plowed ahead with designating the Holy Bible as the state's official book.

Sponsors argue the bill seeks to honor the historical significance of the Bible in Tennessee's history rather than serving as a government endorsement of religion.

But opponents say the measure trivializes the Bible by placing it alongside other Tennessee symbols like the smallmouth bass as the state sport fish, the cave salamander as the state amphibian and the honeybee as the state agricultural insect.

"They know that in order to withstand the likely judicial scrutiny that is to come the legislation must appear to be 'secular,'" state Senate Republican leader Mark Norris said in a written statement today. "But it is not secular. Secular is the opposite of sacred."

Norris said trying to make the argument that the Bible is a historical symbol rather than a religious one "is the stuff of Satan – not Holy Scripture."

The state Senate's approved the bill on a 19-8 vote on Monday night, sending it to Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, who opposes the bill but hasn't said whether he will issue a veto.