Sullivan County, Tennessee Religious Wars

Ten Commandments display
Sullivan County Courthouse
Blountville, Tennessee

Sullivan County, Tennessee Religious Wars

by Lewis Loflin

"Sullivan County doesn't lay down for atheists," so says former Commissioner Mike Gonce. This statement would launch a simmering debate over church/state separation in Sullivan County, Tennessee. But this is about more than a plaque at the courthouse. Sullivan County Religious Wars was a term coined by the late Steven Phelps, opinion editor of the Bristol Herald Courier. Both the Herald Courier and Kingsport Times-News have called for the plaque to be removed from the beginning. Religion is a favorite topic with the general public in this region.

The June 27, 2005 Supreme Court ruling on the Kentucky religious plaques has doomed the Sullivan, Johnson, and Green County plaques. The two letters to the editor recently published explains the whole painful controversy and outlines the news articles below. Nobody really wins here, and it should serve as a lesson to all.

The following was the first webpage I ever did that launched this website in 1998. Nobody had ever taken on a local government in this manner and the news made the pages of the local press. This is more background on this area.

Lewis Loflin, webmaster.

Printed Kingsport Times-News June 30, 2005

Time to take down the hate plaques

The Supreme Court decision on religious documents and pandering to religious bigots is final. The religious hate plaques in Sullivan, Johnson and Greene counties should come down. The extensive public record and press statements by Sullivan officials and residents proves the intent was not only unconstitutional, but un-Christian as well by reducing God's words to a cheap political issue.

Six years ago I warned them to either open the walls for all to hang plaques and treat everyone equally or face the very decision the court handed down Monday. This resulted in legal threats after I accused them of pandering to religious extremists like Jerry Falwell and the Southern Baptist Convention. Police greeted me the day the plaque was placed in a public building during a public event. It was open to fundamentalists only. This was after they concocted a ridiculous plaque approval procedure for the sole purpose of denying equal access.

Sullivan County Attorney Dan Street found out what kind of fanatics he was dealing with. His honorable name got dragged through the mud for doing his job by warning the arrogant Sullivan County Commission they weren't above the law. The sad part is this represents a minority that only abuses the Christian faith for political gain. Not every Bible-believing Christian is an ignorant bigot, nor is everyone opposing the Ten Commandments in public buildings an atheist or devil worshiper. Many atheists are decent people too. Nobody should fear being attacked over their religious beliefs be they Christian, atheist or otherwise. There's plenty of abuse on both sides and it must stop. Let's end this strife and bring the plaques down.

Lewis Loflin
Bristol, VA.

History of intolerance

TriCities.com July 3, 2005

The June 27 Supreme Court decision has doomed the religious hate plaques in Kentucky and Tennessee. Seven years ago, I warned the Sullivan County Commission to treat everyone equally in hanging a plaque or face this very outcome. They have only themselves to blame. Sullivan officials have left an unmistakable trail of their intent to promote an intolerant brand of Christianity at odds with the majority of Christians solely for political gain.

This started in 1997. Rather than granting equal access to all faiths, the school board dropped its release time program after I and atheist Carletta Sims asked to set up our own programs. This sent the fundamentalists screaming to the County Commission, which attempted (and failed) to overrule the school board.

Former Commissioner Mike Gonce then proclaimed his famous quote, "Sullivan County doesn’t lay down for atheists."

I was threatened with legal action for confronting the Commission, my job was threatened and my disabled wife got death threats at home. Sims also got death threats and was fired from her job for her religious beliefs, but she prevailed in court against her former employer. Police greeted us when we tried to peacefully attend the "public" plaque dedication in a public building in December 1999.

This atmosphere of intimidation is aimed at the whole community. Quoting Sullivan County attorney Dan Street, whose good name got attacked just for doing his job, "Plenty of Christians and Jews ... (don’t) ... believe they should be displayed in public buildings. Most of the time, however, those people don’t come forward with their opinion because they are afraid. ... "

When even Christians are afraid of some Christians, something is wrong. Let’s end the fear and remove the plaques.

Lewis Loflin
Bristol, Va.

Here is an extra. Printed June 24, 2005 Kingsport Times-News.

Religion shouldn't serve politics

As an American, I prefer the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. As a Christian, I prefer the Bible in my home. As a liberal, I prefer not to see Christianity used as a stepping stone for higher office or as a tool in order to pander to the religious right.

This is an outright disgrace and why I worry for the future of a country I have served and love. Enjoying the freedom of religion and the willingness to express it whether publicly or privately is fine. Using it in order to make law in a country with so many diverse religions is disturbing. Those who worship differently or don't even believe in God shouldn't have to feel as if they are governed by Christianity.

Historical fact states that the founding fathers wisely saw that the separation of church and state was essential to this country. They knew that if the line should even dared be crossed that we would perilously come close to a government-sponsored religion. This is what they escaped from.

Historical facts also show that men like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were deists. They believed that the belief in God comes only in the way of rational thinking and not through religion or even the Bible. Thomas Jefferson said, "I do not find in Orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature." Benjamin Franklin said, "Lighthouses are more useful than churches." There are many other quotes by those men as well as George Washington, Thomas Paine and John Adams. A five-minute Google search is all it takes.

Cynthia H.
Kingsport, Tennessee

See The Christian Reich in Sullivan County, Tennessee

http://www.sullivan-county.com/

Updated 7/2/05