March 8, 2001

The House State Government sub-committee of the State and Local Government committee will be hosting a hearing on Wednesday, March 28 and voting on the bill shortly thereafter. Now is the time to call or e-mail the members of the sub-committee to request they stand up for the principle of church/state separation contained in the First Amendment of the US Constitution and in the Tennessee Constitution at Article I, Section 3 -- Freedom of worship -- "that no human authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience; and that no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment or mode of worship."

BACKGROUND:

HB 220 states the Tennessee state flag is amended by adding "the words 'In God We Trust' shall be written on the perpendicular bar of blue vertically." The justification for this legislation proposed by Representative Windle is "the public welfare requiring it."

Supporters of the First Amendment and the doctrine of separation of church and state will be critical issue. The national motto "In God we trust" was added to the Georgia state flag last month, however, the focus of attention was on retaining, deleting or changing the size of the confederate flag. The text of the national motto was lost in the discussion of the confederacy.

The bill is located at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HB0220.pdf

ACTION NEEDED:

Call the members of the House State Government sub-committee of the State and Local Government committee inform them that you oppose a new Tennessee flag for the inclusion of "In God We Trust". When a bill is in committee any citizen of the state may contact the members to express her/his opinion. It is only during a floor vote that you are restricted to contacting only your own Representative or Senator. If your Representative is a member of the sub-committee, be sure to mention that fact.

It is true that most religions believe in a god with the form, power, and name of that god varying greatly among the religions. However, the statement "In God We Trust" has specific Christian contextual history. With the increasing diversity of religions in our society it is both bad policy and morally wrong to risk insulting those who are non-Christian.

It is inappropriate to embellish the flag -- a government icon -- with a phrase that threatens our principle of church/state separation. The new flag will be placed in all state agencies and commissions as well as on and in state buildings. Tell the Representatives on the State Government sub-committee of your opposition to this insensitivity to non-Christians and the infringement on the religious liberty of Tennesseeans who are non-Christians and/or Tennesseans who place a high importance on religious liberty and church/state separation. Express your wish and encourage the Representatives on the sub-committee to vote against the flag with the phrase "In God We Trust." Request that they vote against the bill.

State Government sub-committee -- Phone (615) 741-4453; Larry Miller, Chair, Dewayne Bunch, Vice-Chair, Mary Pruitt Russell Johnson, Joe Kent, Doug Overbey, Mike Turner, Pete Phillips, Harry Tindell, Ben West, Jr., Edith Taylor Langster, Ulysses Jones, Jr., James Vincent Links to the members of the State Government subcommittee of the State and Local Governments committee are located at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/

Sponsor: State Rep. John Mark Windle

201 WMB
Nashville, Tn. 37243
Phone:1-615-741-1260
Fax: 1-615-532-8221
Email: rep.johnwindle@legislature.state.tn.us

(to email the members of the sub-committee above, simply insert their name in the place of Windle's with their title, such as rep. or sen.--their title can be found under the 102nd Tennessee General Assembly at the website above).

Thank you for your prompt attention to this church/state issue!

Very Sincerely,

Carletta Sims
Tn. Director American Atheists
P.O. Box 2140
Church Hill, Tn. 37642
Phone: 1-423-357-1862
Fax: 1-423-357-1928
website: http://www.atheists.org/tn

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