[Tulane]

The first amendment most definitely applies to state government action. They can’t tell you what to say or who to pray to...

I think an official state book that happens to be a religious text is pretty darn close if not over the line.

[nonsporting]

7 of the 13 States had Religious Establishments in one form or another at the time of the founding. Had the Constitution been considered a threat to those establishments, it would not have been adopted.

The BoR is a set of constraints upon the general government, not the States. Only with post civil war court cases do we see the eventual incorporation of all the BoB against the States (most recently Heller et al.)

However, the 1st amendment is specifically targeted “Congress shall make no law...” A State is not Congress. To broaden the reach of the amendment is to rewrite it, something that the constitution reserves to the People and Congress, not the Court.

[so_real]

Considering in our Founder's days, states like Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vermont all required those holding office to swear an oath to Christian adherence prior to assuming office ... I think it is easily argued that no Constitutional lines are over-stepped by making a state book out of the Bible. After all, why should the book we call the Bible be singled out and discriminated against just because 80% of our citizenry consider themselves students of its teaching? If that's the qualifier, all educational and informational books would be off the table. I guess we'll agree to disagree, but I do hope this sticks.