State's liquor laws among most restrictive in nation

Tennessee has some of the most restrictive liquor laws in the nation - and that's just the way the state's powerful liquor lobby likes it.

[John]

Well (and I know I'm going to probably be roasted over the fire for saying this..) I'm an atheist. I don't recognize Sunday as any sort of holy day. I wish someone would explain the Sunday ban to me...but in a way that doesn't invoke God or the bible. If someone does believe in those things, that's fine and I respect their beliefs, but it has always seemed like we have a law here that enforces a form of religious recognition on everyone in the state.

[Shane C]

How is the state of Tennessee skirting the Supreme Court decision (GRANHOLM, GOVERNOR OF MICHIGAN, ET AL. v. HEALD ET AL.)(in lay terms) that if a state allows “in state wineries” to ship directly to customers, than it must allow “out of state wineries” to also ship directly to customers.

I would think this decision by the Supreme Court make the above mentioned “any other route … is a felony” moot?

Supreme Court ruling:
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/04pdf/...

Synopsys of the ruling:
http://news.com.com/Supreme+Court+clears+way+...

[Harland]

The Bill is dead but Have been back here 5 years and there is still bootlegers around. city boards that control only one place in town to get nice wine and beer. The big pushers that killed this bill are the very ones that got to other places in Tennessee that sale beer on sunday. What is the differance of buying it on Saturady. The ones that want Sunday off limits are the very ones in chruch that go to bootleggers or cross state lines. No One wants to bring up the real Truth of this matter. It is time to come out of the closet on this.

[Dreadful]

I can't ever see proper liquor sales on Sundays here. Just seems to be the way of things.

I would like to see wine products available in grocery stores however.

[H OF LOUDON]

THEY NEED TO TAX THE BEER AND WINE LIKE THEY DO CIGS WE DON'T NEED THEM ANYWAY

[Kay]

I wish that Tennessee would allow wine in grocery stores and also on-line purchase and delivery of wine. There is such a great selection at many web sites.

[Little Me]

John wrote:

Well (and I know I'm going to probably be roasted over the fire for saying this..) I'm an atheist. I don't recognize Sunday as any sort of holy day. I wish someone would explain the Sunday ban to me...but in a way that doesn't invoke God or the bible. If someone does believe in those things, that's fine and I respect their beliefs, but it has always seemed like we have a law here that enforces a form of religious recognition on everyone in the state.

Technically, the Sabbath is supposed to be Saturday, but the Catholics changed it. Banning liquor sales on Sunday doesn't make any sense because people are going to stock up Saturday night or just wait until Monday. The Bible doesn't say don't drink. It says be not drunk with wine. Even Jesus drank wine. However, he didn't participate in drunken oragies.

When I have kidney stones, I get a bottle of wine and stay in a hot bath.

[Rain Maker]

It would be nice if the legislators , instead of the baptist preachers, would pass laws.

And H of Loudon, they do tax beer and wine. And tequila and rum. And gin and whisky. And you may not need them but sure enjoy them.

[Emelia]

Wow, I posted a comment with a couple of links with information on how to help change the liquor laws and current lawsuits concerning the topic. The post has since been removed. John I am surprised that you are allowed to state the fact you are an atheist! Way to feed the machine WBIR!

[Teresa Stansberry]

John wrote:

Well (and I know I'm going to probably be roasted over the fire for saying this..) I'm an atheist. I don't recognize Sunday as any sort of holy day. I wish someone would explain the Sunday ban to me...but in a way that doesn't invoke God or the bible. If someone does believe in those things, that's fine and I respect their beliefs, but it has always seemed like we have a law here that enforces a form of religious recognition on everyone in the state.

I'm not going to roast you, BUT you do need to relize this country was founded on Christen Beliefs. It is apart of the history and lifes of the majority in this country. I'm orginally from Michigan where they do allow Beer sales on Sunday after 12pm but not alchol. I'm still getting use the the laws here.

[RogersvilleMom]

This country was not founded on "Christian Beliefs". I wonder if anyone knows their history any more. We just went through this very discussion in another thread so I won't rehash it here and take this one off topic but will suggest that those of you who think this country was founded on Christian Beliefs do some homework and fact checking.

I am for changing the liquor law. I do not drink but I believe the laws are absurd but then again the absurd seems to be the norm in these parts along with corruption and nepotism.

[gwg]

We do not need liquor or wine, most people on here give cigarettes hell but there is no difference, whats fair for the goose is fair for the gander,again would you rather have me driving smoking or drunk, here is Sevier County liquor and wine are forced on us by the State legislature and that is not fair, most folks that live here don't want it but the damn tourist do, It is not a religious thing it is the proper thing to to not sell liquor or wine or beer.

[RogersvilleMom]

I think the glaring lack of religious terminology in the Constitution speaks volumes. It is obvious that the founders wanted to keep religion a personal choice not to interfere/mix with government. If they had intentions of building a "Christian" Nation then wouldn't they have said that only Christians may hold office and/or name Christian as the Nations Religion?
Many of the Founders were known to be deist.

Some famous men of History who were Diest and/or Free Masons include.

Abraham Lincoln

"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma."

- Abraham Lincoln, American president (1809-1865).

Benjamin Franklin

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies."

"Lighthouses are more helpful then churches."

-Benjamin Franklin, American Founding Father, author, and inventor

George Washington

Washington revealed almost nothing to indicate his spiritual frame of mind, hardly a mark of a devout Christian. In his thousands of letters, the name of Jesus Christ never appears. He rarely spoke about his religion, but his Freemasonry experience points to a belief in deism. Washington's initiation occurred at the Fredericksburg Lodge on 4 November 1752, later becoming a Master mason in 1799, and remained a freemason until he died.

To the United Baptist Churches in Virginia in May, 1789, Washington said that every man "ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience."

John Adam was a Unitarian. In his, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America" [1787-1788], John Adams wrote:

"The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. Although the detail of the formation of the American governments is at present little known or regarded either in Europe or in America, it may hereafter become an object of curiosity. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses.

[RogersvilleMom]

Continued...

James Madison

Called the father of the Constitution, Madison had no conventional sense of Christianity. In 1785, Madison wrote in his Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments:

"During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution."

"What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the civil authority; on many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wish to subvert the public liberty may have found an established clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate it, needs them not."

Benjamin Franklin

Although Franklin received religious training, his nature forced him to rebel against the irrational tenets of his parents Christianity. His Autobiography revels his skepticism, "My parents had given me betimes religions impressions, and I received from my infancy a pious education in the principles of Calvinism. But scarcely was I arrived at fifteen years of age, when, after having doubted in turn of different tenets, according as I found them combated in the different books that I read, I began to doubt of Revelation itself.

"... Some books against Deism fell into my hands... It happened that they wrought an effect on my quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a through Deist."

Thomas Paine

This freethinker and author of several books, influenced more early Americans than any other writer. Although he held Deist beliefs, he wrote in his famous The Age of Reason:

"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my church. "

"Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifiying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory to itself than this thing called Christianity. "

[Charlotte Ezell]

If the christian people don't stand up for what they beleive in then this people that need to buy liquor on Sundays will have their way. As for me I'm a christian and I think if they need to drink then they can buy it on Saturday. This country has turned their back on God and is immoral .If the people who are moving to TN. don't like the law about buying alchol on Sundays they need to get over it or go back where they came from..Because we need to be able to a least respect the sabath dat and keep it holy.So quit whinning about you liquor and buy it on Saturday..

[Charlotte Ezell]

Get over it and stop your whinning .We don't need to sell liquor on Sunday .If people who are moving to our good state don't like it cause they can't buy liquor on Sunday buy it on Saturday or get over it .

[Buzz]

These laws are retarted. I want my booze damnit!!! Every day of the week!! HEEEE HAWWW

[Rain Maker]

Charlotte thanks so much for your comments. What was I thinking, allowing liquor sales on Sunday. OH WAIT, I know what I was thinking. TIME FOR TENNESSEE to join the 21st century.

[Blah]

Know what the difference between the "Religious Right" and the Taliban are? Essentially nothing.

Both groups are more than happy to force everyone to live by their interpretations of holy books.

[Dreadful]

Is removing the option of 'sinning' by drinking the same as not drinking by moral choice? Denying people the option is not the same. No one will force you to drink booze on Sundays if the law is changed Ms Ezell.