In The Faith - A Chronicle of the Christian Faith

The unending debate over the separation of church and state hit College Park last night when the city council voted down a measure that would have encouraged city residents to read the Bible.

After nearly an hour of contentious debate, District 2 Councilman Jack Perry’s proposal to recognize National Bible Week failed by a 5-3 vote.

“I would ask anyone to point me to where it says ‘the wall of separation’ in the Constitution,” Perry said. “It’s a shame in this country when we have to go through this third degree,” he added after the debate.
Perry proposed the city council approve a proclamation to observe National Bible Week during the week of Nov. 23. National Bible Week was created by the National Bible Association, a New York-based organization that says it is not partial to one version of the Bible or to one particular religion. It simply “encourages everyone to read the Bible,” according to its website.

But District 3 Councilman Andrew Fellows said it would be hard to encourage reading the Bible without encouraging a specific religion.

“Many people have a different concept of what the Bible is,” Fellows said. “I think I know what the National Bible Association is talking about, and I think it’s the King James version.”

The city council has avoided promoting religion in other ways over the years. The council does not pray before its meetings but takes a moment for meditation.

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Filed under: Bible Reading