posted May 17, 2013 05:30 AM            

An atheist, Buckner believes that no religious literature should be provided in government-owned lodging, and he presented that concern to management at the Amicalola Falls State Park.

Officials told Buckner they would remove the Bibles from all state park resorts while the state attorney general looked into the matter. Not long afterward, however, the AG issued a ruling saying the state was on firm legal ground because it hadn't paid for the books. On Wednesday, Gov. Nathan Deal ordered the Bibles returned.

Deal argued that if the state didn't pay for them, it can't be seen as endorsing them. He also noted that any religious group can donate literature. But his action sparked a string of comments on social media and captured the attention of local news television stations. It also prompted some to question why this hasn't been more of an issue in the U.S. before.

Buckner is pondering his next move. One idea he is considering is to test the state's offer to accept literature from other religions in state-owned lodging. He also said he would be willing to participate if an organization with similar beliefs decides to launch a lawsuit over the issue.

"I think government entanglement with religion is a very dangerous thing," he said in a telephone interview Thursday. "When you go into a state park cabin and the only piece of religious literature there is a Protestant Bible, that suggests the government's endorsed that particular perspective."

But Edward Queen, a professor at Emory University in Atlanta and director of the school's Ethics and Servant Leadership program, said he sees no obvious legal grounds for a challenge.

"The fact that you have an inherently sectarian religious document on state property, that in and of itself presents no real challenge if the state has not purchased it," Queen said. "Where it might possibly become an issue is if the state were to refuse to do the same thing for other groups."

Bill Nigut, Southeast regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, said people have become accustomed to seeing Gideon Bibles in the nightstands of hotels and motels and that may be why many don't think twice when they see them in state park lodging.

He wonders if more people might object, however, if they came across different religious texts.

"What if it were the Hebrew Bible? What if it were the Quran?" he said. "When you frame it in that context, I think it's a little easier to understand why people who are not Christians could be uncomfortable seeing the Bible in a hotel room."

The Bibles are donated by Gideons International, an evangelical Christian group based in Nashville, Tenn. Gideons spokesman Malcolm Arvin said he didn't know how many Bibles had been donated for distribution in state or national parks, but he doesn't recall ever having heard about it being a problem.

The National Park Service contracts with private operators to run lodging, and it's up to those operators whether they want to put Bibles or other religious documents in the rooms, said Bill Reynolds, assistant regional director for the Southeast. The park service doesn't require or prohibit the provision of Bibles, he said.

William Hunter, a Sunday school teacher who was visiting Georgia's Fort McAllister Historic State Park south of Savannah on Thursday, said he wholeheartedly endorsed having Bibles in state-owned cabins.

"I know that Gideon Bibles have saved people's lives," said Hunter, a retired government civil service worker who sat in the shade outside his camper at the park's campground. "They go into a motel room and are going to blow their brains out. And then they find that Bible."

Hunter keeps a Bible filled with passages he's underlined and notes written in the margins inside his camper. He stashes a second copy in his pickup truck.

Hunter's wife, Nancy, said the Bibles can't hurt nonbelievers but should be available to anyone seeking spiritual comfort.

"That's a problem with the United States today is they're taking Jesus Christ out of so many things," she said.

Making Bibles available on state property was not a problem for park visitor Rebecca Wade, either. A retired saleswoman from Mount Dora, Fla., Wade said she's no fundamentalist, though she tries to live by the Ten Commandments.

posted May 17, 2013 07:39 AM            

From that is our strength, our roots and our greatness. Our Founding fathers were great because they based our precious founding documents on these principles.

Most people flock here and then have the God given right to complain. If these people were complaining in a country with Sharia Law, they would be hung

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posted May 17, 2013 08:46 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Heart--Shaped Cross:
What about televisions?
Do they have televisions in there, too?
And do they pay for them/endorse them,
and all the content appearing on them?

Things that make you go "Eh-hem."

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Well at least the tv contains several sources of infromation (animal planet, biography channels etc....)while the bible is a single soirce so might make the impression of bias.

posted May 17, 2013 09:21 AM            

I have no sympathy for either, if the State wants to provide reading material then do tell should Bibles be banned from public libraries?

That is the militant atheist's logical next step, only he is probably to intellectually week to just go for the whole enchilada.

posted May 17, 2013 10:42 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Padre35:

I see no difference between a militant atheist imposing their views on the public and militant religionist doing the same.

I have no sympathy for either, if the State wants to provide reading material then do tell should Bibles be banned from public libraries?

That is the militant atheist's logical next step, only he is probably to intellectually week to just go for the whole enchilada.

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I dont see anyone forcing atheism... or putting books in cabins that support it

I think the guy just wanted to create a secular balance so there wont be no religious inclinations in the goverment or its services (as it should be)

I myself think they should have put several books speaking about different religions and books about atheism too.... to open peoples minds to both worlds.

posted May 17, 2013 11:53 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Padre35:

I see no difference between a militant atheist imposing their views on the public and militant religionist doing the same.

I have no sympathy for either, if the State wants to provide reading material then do tell should Bibles be banned from public libraries?

That is the militant atheist's logical next step, only he is probably to intellectually week to just go for the whole enchilada.

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Passion, Lust, Desire. Check out my journal

posted May 17, 2013 12:06 PM            

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Passion, Lust, Desire. Check out my journal

posted May 17, 2013 12:31 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ami Anne:
It is easy to spout inanities from the comfort of a free democracy.

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posted May 17, 2013 04:42 PM            

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Passion, Lust, Desire. Check out my journal

posted May 17, 2013 05:45 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ami Anne:
Freedom of speech allows everyone to gloriously say what they want. Ain't a [b]democracy a beautiful thing

[/B]

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posted May 17, 2013 08:18 PM            

Now if I library were to hang up a cross over the door then that would be pushing it...

posted May 22, 2013 10:49 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
Atheists want to put books in the cabins now.

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With this current president, our country is losing it's identity of a Judeo-Christian nation. When that happens, we will get( and are getting) all sorts of bad consequences.

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Passion, Lust, Desire. Check out my journal

posted May 22, 2013 11:06 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ami Anne:
With this current president, our country is losing it's identity of a Judeo-Christian nation. When that happens, we will get( and are getting) all sorts of bad consequences.

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Becuse all that atheists bring is evil?

And i hope they listened to my offer

posted May 22, 2013 07:39 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
Atheists want to put books in the cabins now.

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I really hate that tactic, the "let me show you what it's like" move. It has never worked either socially or politically, and it just facilitates their political opponents into projecting into them and giving the false view that "one must dominate" rather than "the government must stay out of it." In short, the Christian Right applauds them doing this, it just plays right into their hands.

And again, it's such a minor matter, there's much more serious issues at stake even in regard to church/state separation that this is a distraction that serves the Christian Right in that regard as well instead of showing them up. How about Texas trying to rewrite history books to favor the Christian Right (and in doing so, by being the biggest customers to textbook companies, encourage the rest of the country to adopt those same textbooks, and plenty of states will be happy to anyway), or "religious exemption laws" that allow child abuse? Those are just 2 examples that political action should be aimed against, and I bet many Christians would side with the Secularists on these 2 issues as well which might serve to bolster a respectful secular society in the future as more moderate and reasonable Christians learn to see themselves as apart from the Christian Right.

posted May 23, 2013 09:35 PM            

Bible pages are awfully thin, and that bad, bad part of me relishes the thought of what resourceful people may do with those pages.*

* I have nothing against the Bible or any holy book, but do, however, enjoy irony.

posted May 23, 2013 10:08 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by PixieJane:
Someone just sent me this:

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