question: Why aren't amendments made to religious books to keep up with growing times like they are to the Constitution and Government documents?
comment: Religious texts (books) are seen as the word of the god or prophet that wrote them. Because of that, they are not supposed to be rewritten or reworded. In a way, we have seen "amendments" to the Bible, though. There was the Old Testament, and then the New Testament that was created as an "addition of revelations from God". Ultimately though religious people can't just change or add to a religious text, so they change how the text is interpreted to suit their world view or sometimes to adopt new scientific discovery.
passages: With the growing backlash in American society against communism in the 1940s and 1950s, new efforts were made to introduce Christianity into the Constitution, although these efforts were now in the form of standard constitutional amendments. In 1954 Vermont Senator Ralph Flanders proposed:
  
  None of the proposals came to a Congressional vote.
  
  There were calls for similar amendments in the wake of the 1962 Supreme Court case "Engel v. Vitale", which ruled school-sponsored and dictated prayer in schools unconstitutional. Over 200 similar amendment proposals were introduced to Congress between 1894 and 1984.
  
  Section::::See also.
   "This is not a case in which the Ten Commandments are integrated into the school curriculum, where the Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like. [See Abington School District v. Schempp.] Posting of religious texts on the wall serves no such educational function. If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments. However desirable this might be as a matter of private devotion, it is not a permissible state objective under the Establishment Clause of the Constitution."
   Section::::Birth of the book.
  
  In 1974, the Worship and Doctrine Measure, passed by the new General Synod allowed the production of a new book which was to contain everything that would be required of priest and congregation: daily Morning and Evening Prayer, Holy Communion, initiation services (Baptism and Confirmation), marriage, funeral services, the Ordinal, Sunday readings, a lectionary and a psalter. Once again, after a gap of nearly fifteen years, parishes which did not want to use the "Book of Common Prayer" had in their hands all the words, including readings ordered according to themes and with a two-year cycle.
   Relating to the pragmatic argument, it is further argued that if judges were denied the opportunity to reflect on changes to modern society in interpreting the scope of Constitutional rights, the resulting Constitution either would not reflect current mores and values, or would necessitate a constant amendment process to reflect our changing society.
   Justice Brennan took great pains to also show that many states, such as South Dakota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Ohio and Massachusetts, had already enacted and revoked laws similar to Pennsylvania's by the first half of the 20th century. In addition, many political leaders including attorneys general and presidents like Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt insisted that "matters of religion be left to family altars, churches and private schools" and "[It] is not our business to have the Protestant Bible or the Catholic Vulgate or the Talmud read in [public] schools" .
   The Court approached the case through the lens created in "Lemon v. Kurtzman". They agreed that if Kentucky's statute broke any of the three guidelines outlined in the Lemon test, the statute would be in violation of the Establishment Clause. The majority voiced that The Commandments convey a religious undertone, because they concern "the religious duties of believers: worshipping the Lord God alone, avoiding idolatry, not using the Lord's name in vain, and observing the Sabbath Day." But since "the Commandments are [not] integrated into the school curriculum, where the Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of history," they have no secular purpose and a definite religious purpose.
   Economist Thomas Sowell argues in his book "Knowledge and Decisions" that since the original designers of the Constitution provided for the process of changing it, they never intended for their original words to change meaning. Sowell also points out cases where arguments are made that the original framers never considered certain issues, when clear record of them doing so exists.
   These books are treated by the courts as authoritative statements of the law as it was at the time at which they were written, on the authority of their authors alone. Consequently, they are treated as authoritative statements of the law as it is at the present time, unless it is shown that the law has changed, and may be cited and relied on in court as such.
   BULLET::::- U.S. Representative Roy A. Taylor of North Carolina became the first member of Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to overcome the Supreme Court's ruling banning prayer in public schools. Miller's suggested 24th Amendment stated "Notwithstanding the 1st or 14th Article of Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, prayers may be offered and the Bible may be read in connection with the program of any public school in the United States." In all, 56 Representatives and Senarors offered amendments, none of which were approved for submission for ratification.
   From this the approach was born what became known as the living tree doctrine which requires "large and liberal" interpretation, declaring a doctrine of constitutional interpretation that says that a constitution is organic and must be read in a broad and progressive manner so as to adapt it to the changing times.
   On Thursday, September 12, 1782, Congress reviewed a report dated September 1, 1782, from their Congressional committee, and signed by the committee Chairman, James Duane. The committee had been, "…referred a memorial of Robert Aitkin, dated January 21st, 1781, respecting an edition of the holy scriptures." This committee had, from time to time, checked on the progress of Aitken's work, and their report stated, "Our knowledge of your piety and public spirit leads us without apology to recommend to your particular attention the edition of the holy scriptures publishing by Mr. Aitkin." Library of Congress Next Congress reviewed a report dated September 10, 1782, from the committee, and signed by the Chaplains of the United States in Congress assembled, William White and George Duffield. This report stated they had reviewed the printing and it was found to be, "…with as few grammatical and typographical errors as could be expected in an undertaking of such magnitude." Library of Congress The outcome is listed as, "Resolved. That the United States in Congress assembled highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitkin, as subservient to the interest of religion as well as an influence of the progress of arts in this country and being satisfied from the above report (by the congressional chaplains), they recommend this edition of the bible to the inhabitants of the United States and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation."
   BULLET::::- “Locating God in all the Wrong Places: the Second Commandment and American Politics,” "", April 2006, 182-193.
  
  BULLET::::- “Recovering Lamentation as a Practice in the Church,” Lament: Reclaiming Practices in Pulpit, Pew, and Public Square, Sally A. Brown and Patrick D. Miller, eds., Westminster John Knox, 2005, 3-14.
  
  BULLET::::- “Should the Ten Commandments Be Posted in the Public Realm? Why the Bible and the Constitution Say ‘No.’” The Ten Commandments: The Reciprocity of Faithfulness, William Brown, ed., Westminster John Knox, 2004, 159-170.
   There are persons in every community—often deeply devout—to whom any version of the Judaeo-Christian Bible is offensive. There are others whose reverence for the Holy Scriptures demands private study or reflection and to whom public reading or recitation is sacrilegious... To such persons it is not the fact of using the Bible in the public schools, nor the content of any particular version, that is offensive, but the manner in which it is used.
  
  Section::::Opinions of the Court.:Stewart's dissent.
   Section::::Earlier attempts at reform.
  
  Section::::Earlier attempts at reform.:Preparatory work.
  
  Following the failure of the attempts to introduce a new prayer book through Parliament in the 1920s, liturgical reform had idled.
   3. In North America, theological education would no longer be driven, dominated or informed by a state church. Other factors – new schools of thought as well as “market forces”, personal philanthropy, etc. - would play a stronger role than previously.
   It is one thing, Sachs wrote, for the Constitutional Court to acknowledge the important role that religion plays in public life; it is quite another for it to use religious doctrine as a source for interpreting the Constitution. It would be out of order to employ the religious sentiments of some as a guide to the constitutional rights of others. Judges would be placed in an intolerable situation if they were called upon to construe religious texts and take sides on issues that have caused deep schisms within religious bodies.
   The permission of the local ordinary is required for the publication of prayer books, catechisms, and other catechetical texts and for school textbooks on Scripture, theology, canon law, church history, or religious or moral subjects. It is recommended, but without obligation, that books on the last-mentioned subjects not intended to be used as school textbooks and all books dealing especially with religious or moral subjects be submitted to the local ordinary for judgement.
   On November 28, 2006, following the election of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, the AFA released an "Action Alert." The Action Alert, entitled "A first for America...The Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath: What book will America base its values on, the Bible or the Koran?", requested subscribers to write to their Congressional representatives and urge them to create a "law making the Bible the book used in the swearing-in ceremony of representatives and senators."
   Keynes' editorial decisions have been supported by most scholars since 1971, and editors of Blake's collected work in particular tend to adhere to the division into two distinct series'; for example, Alicia Ostriker's "William Blake: The Complete Poems" (1977), David Bindman's "The Complete Graphic Works of William Blake" (1978), David V. Erdman's 2nd edition of "The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake" (1982), and Bindman's 2nd edition of "The Illuminated Blake: William Blake's Complete Illuminated Works" (1992), and "The Complete Illuminated Books of William Blake" (2003).
  
  Section::::One series or two?
   But I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.
  
  Section::::Living constitution.:Judicial pragmatism.
   BULLET::::- Frost, J. William (1990) "A Perfect Freedom: Religious Liberty in Pennsylvania" (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press).
  
  BULLET::::- Gaustad, Edwin S. (2004, 2nd ed.) "Faith of the Founders: Religion and the New Nation, 1776–1826" (Waco: Baylor University Press).
  
  BULLET::::- Hasson, Kevin 'Seamus', "The Right to be Wrong: Ending the Culture War Over Religion in America", Encounter Books, 2005,
  
  BULLET::::- Stokes, Anson Phelps (1950) "Church and State in the United States, Historic Development and Contemporary Problems of Religious Freedom under the Constitution," 3 Volumes (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers).
  
  BULLET::::- Stokes, DaShanne (In Press).
   It is a tragedy, however, that "the codes which churches want to urge on people" still suffer from "the denigration of sexuality, horror at the Dionysian, fixed gender roles, or a refusal to discuss identity issues." (p. 503)
  
  Section::::Outline.:Part IV: Narratives of Secularization.:Religion Today.
   BULLET::::- School Prayer Amendment to establish that "The people retain the right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools. Proposed by Robert Byrd of West Virginia in 1962, 1973, 1979, 1982, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2006. Representative Ernest Istook, a Republican from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district, proposed the amendment in the house on May 8, 1997. In March 1998, the Judiciary Committee passed the bill by a 16-11 vote. On June 4, 1998, the full House voted on the amendment, 224-203 in favor. The vote was 61 short of the required two-thirds majority.
   A day-long symposium was held at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 7, 2013, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. "Restored or Endangered? The State of the Free Exercise of Religion in America" featured three panel discussions and two keynote addresses.
   Also, the constitution was decided to be compiled in a manner similar to statutory law, unlike the federal constitution. Thus, that amendments actually replace the language that they alter in the document, and future publications would have amendments integrated into the text rather than appended to it as "Amendment I," "Amendment II," etc. Thus, someone reading the text of the state constitution can, absent a strong historical background, sometimes be confused as to the provisions that are those of the original document and the ones that are the result of later amendment, but some amendments declare themselves to be such within the text of their provisions.
  
presuppositions: Religious books should keep up with modern times. Religious books should keep up with modern times.
corrections: Religious books are seen as the words of the god or prophet that wrote them, and should not be rewritten or reworded. Religious books are seen as the words of the god or prophet that wrote them, and should not be rewritten or reworded.
raw_presuppositions: Religious books should keep up with modern times. Religious books should keep up with modern times. Religious books should keep up with modern times.
raw_corrections: Religious books are seen as the words of the god or prophet that wrote them, and should not be rewritten or reworded. Religious books are seen as the words of the god or prophet that wrote them, and should not be rewritten or reworded. Religious books are seen as the words of the god or prophet that wrote them, and should not be rewritten or reworded.