Community Corner
Should Bibles Stay Inside Rooms at Georgia Parks?
Gov. Nathan Deal ordered the return of Bibles to cabins and lodges at state parks. A citizen complaint prompted the state Department of Natural Resources to remove them.
Georgia's governor has ordered that Bibles be returned to cabins and lodge rooms at state parks.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources removed Bibles from such rooms across the state following a citizen’s complaint, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Parks officials said they were removing the Bibles "until managers can fully investigate the issue and make an informed decision."
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But, Gov. Nathan Deal stepped in and ordered the Bibles back inside cabins and lodges.
In a statement, he said this:
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"Out of an abundance of caution to avoid potential litigation, the commissioner removed the Bibles from rooms – though they were still available on site – after a complaint from a visitor. The attorney general and I agree that the state is on firm legal footing as we move to return the Bibles to the rooms.
"These Bibles are donated by outside groups, not paid for by the state, and I do not believe that a Bible in a bedside table drawer constitutes a state establishment of religion. In fact, any group is free to donate literature."
So, was the governor right? Should Bibles have a place inside state parks, or does this violate the separation of church and state?
Tell us what you think in the comment section.
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