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Mississippi Lawmakers Want State Book to be the Holy Bible

Mississippi Lawmakers Want State Book to be the Holy Bible

This marks the second attempt to make the Bible Mississippi’s state book.

Two Mississippi lawmakers have proposed the designation of the Bible as the state book again. The House Bill 840 proposed by Michael Evans and Tom Miles- two state representatives from the Democratic Party re-introduced the idea. It has a total of nine co-sponsors. According to Evans, the impetus for this step came to him when he interacting with his constituents. One constituent made the comment that people should start to read the Bible.

Mississippi Lawmakers Want State Book to be the Holy Bible[/tweetthis]

This effort is nothing new. An identical effort was made in 2015 as well with the House Bill 386. The legislators went further and added that no individual would be compelled to read the Bible. They think that this step will protect from the ire of people who favor the distinction between the state and the church. However, it is debatable whether the Qur'an will be accorded the same honor as well.

If this Bible action is successful, the official State Book will be The Holy Bible from July 1. Such an action never happened as this bill could not go beyond the committee. It could not show itself for full vote.

The House Bill 840 was their second try. According to Miles, the Bible offers an excellent role model on the way to treat individuals. People can read about compassion and love in the Bible. He claimed to have bipartisan support on this issue.

In the Mississippi state, the state bear is recognized and the state folk dance is square dancing. The state beverage is milk. However, when it comes to the state book, no publication has made the cut. The concerned bill is brief and states The Holy Bible as Mississippi's official state book. The included sentence also identifies the section as 3-3-59, Mississippi Code of 1972. The action must pass the committee within February 23 if it is to advance for the 2016 legislative season.

In 2012, Pennsylvania lawmakers unanimously passed the resolution which declared the “Year of the Bible.” This resolution states that the Bible was an extremely important component in the history of the United States, and during difficult times like present, there exists a national requirement to study and also apply teachings gleaned from Holy Scriptures. Ronald Reagan, the president at that time, declared that 1983 be designated the “Year of the Bible” all over the U.S.

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