OP-ED: DESECRATING THE BIBLE

Written Testimony on HJR150 by Steven Puckett.

My name is Steven Puckett. I am a citizen of Hendersonville, TN. I speak for myself and myself alone. First off, I want to say that I think the sponsor is well-intentioned in bringing this legislation. With that said, I am testifying in opposition to HJR150 on three grounds.  

The first is that this resolution desecrates the Holy Bible. The second is that this resolution calls into question the truth of the Christian faith. The third is that this resolution steals from the Holy Bible the witness power of being mistaken for the state book. 

For many Christians in Tennessee, this resolution desecrates the Holy Bible by reducing it in status from a sacred venerated object to just another political prop. Further, this resolution suggests that the Christian faith will not last the test of time as it seeks to memorialize an aspect of the Christian faith in government. In the eyes of Christians that believe that Christianity is the “one true faith”, this bill calls into question the “truth” of the Christian faith by suggesting a need to memorialize aspects of the faith as the “one true faith” needs no such memorialization for posterity. 

Furthermore, this resolution steals from the Holy Bible the powerful witness opportunity that comes from people mistaking the Holy Bible for the state book as it allows Christians the opportunity to explain that the Holy Bible is much more special than just some ole state book. The very fact it gets mistaken for the state book, when it is not, gives the ultimate testament to the truth of the Holy Bible. Without the fact that the Holy Bible is not the state book, the powerful witness opportunity is lost. 

Also, I understand that many mistake the removal of past societal idols as the removal of God from our society, but yet the reality is that God is actively creating opportunities for people to “to be still and listen”. In a world where nearly everyone speaks for God, God is clearly sending a message for us to be silent and listen throughout the elements in our society whether it be by replacing prayer over the loudspeaker with the moment of silence, required Bible study with silent reading, or conservative majority courts handing down liberal rulings on social issues. It is time for us to stop speaking for God and listen for God to speak to us. If do not, then we risk repeating the same folly that leads to people walking away from God forever during my dad’s school years, because they saw God and Christ as nothing more than agencies of the government. 

Finally, understand that we have a whole generation that is watching us and asking “Is there anything left that is sacred? Is there anything that is beyond being tainted by the dirty hands of politics?” I ask that you answer this generation by demonstrating that there is so by voting down this resolution in a decisive fashion.