What is So Wrong with the Ten Commandments

[W1UJR]

Bruce: the quotes reflect theistic belief, yes.  But only some of them allude to, or name, Jesus.

Right, I agree with that.
Its not one nation under Jesus, its one nation under God.

[Bacon, WA3WDR]

But "under God" was a recent addition.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/264xqezm.asp?pg=2

" ... IN ARRIVING AT ITS DECISION, the Court of Appeals placed great weight on the fact that Congress inserted the words "under God" into the pledge in 1954 as a means of advancing religion at a time when the nation was engaged in a battle against the doctrines of atheistic communism. The court further noted that when President Eisenhower signed the bill, he stated, "From this day forward, the millions of our schoolchildren will daily proclaim . . . the dedication of our Nation and our people to the Almighty." From the Ninth Circuit's point of view, the record amply demonstrated that the purpose of the act was not to advance patriotism (a legitimate secular goal), but rather to promote religion. ... "

[W1UJR]

I was not referencing the pledge, but rather the Founding Fathers statements and designs for this country.

<EOM>

[WB2RJR]

Good reading from the Library of Congress  

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel04.html

73, Marty WB2RJR

[WD8BIL]

Get religion out of Government. Replace the Commandments with President Washington's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation !!

that'll learn 'em !!

read it here

[Bacon, WA3WDR]

Gentlemen: the United States is not now, and never was, a Christian nation.

_ “[T]he government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion.” U.S. Treaty of Tripoli, Art. 11, negotiated during Washington’s administration, then unanimously ratified by the U.S. Senate and signed by President Adams in 1797.

_  At least 3 of the first 4 presidents were deists, not Christians: Washington, Adams, and Jefferson, according to themselves and/or close acquaintances.

http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~kak7409/Swanson_-_Christian_Nation.html


IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin.

A law passed by the 84th Congress (P.L. 84-140) and approved by the President: on July 30, 1956, the President approved a Joint Resolution of the 84th Congress, declaring IN GOD WE TRUST the national motto of the United States.

IN GOD WE TRUST was first used on paper money in 1957.

http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.html

[km1r]

interesting...

A soldier can get into a world of s**t for accidentially touching a Koran, yet, a statue of Christ (or Moses) in urine is "art".

OUR tax dollars purchase Korans for terrorists at Gitmo, yet, heaven help a public library that purchases a Bible. (even for literary value).

And at Gitmo, we furnish prayer mats, muezzins, directions ot the east AND specific times allowing the terrorist to pray.

But a courthouse or school is forbidden to display or pray...

yep, going to Hell in a Handbasket...

by the way, the 10 Commandments is not strictly Christian.

It belongs to the Jewish and Islamic faiths as well.

(Abraham was the father of the 3 "Abrahamic faiths":  Judaism, Islam and Christianity...  there are many connections.)

I vented, and feel a lot better!

KM1R

(finally using that theology degree!!!)

[AMroo]

The people that instigate most of these bans are white caucasians,
why do we do this to ourselfs? It's dumb.
It's made us easy targets for others to use our tolerance to introduce their intolerance.

[K6JEK]

KM1R has a theology degreee.  Now we're talking.  Do other religions have their own Commandment like edicts?  Hinduism?  Buddhism?  Confucianism?  Zoroastrians?

It would be very interesting to read some of those.  I've never seen them.

Jon

[John Holotko]

Well now ?? Why  is it so critical that the ten commandments have  to be placed into public spaces ?  If it is decided that  the tenets of a particular religion should not be placed in a court of law then so be it. The founding forefathers said you should have freedom to practice your religion. They never said you have the freedom to plackard it in public.  And not allowing the ten commandments in a court of law does NOT violate anyones religious freedoms. Yoiu still have the right to believe  to practice your  religion and to read the ten commandments if you so wish. I would even say that one who is so devoted to his/her Christianity should already know the ten commandments inside and out and should be living their lives according to the commandments. Does such a person really need them permanently affixed to a courthouse wall ? Ditto for prayer in public schools. In what way is not conducting Christian prayer sessions a  violation of anyones religious freedoms ?? I was a Catholic for a part of my life, I attended public schools,  they did not have prayer sessions yet I did not feel that I was being denied my religion. If the need arose I could always find a few moments of time to reflect or pray in silence. Once a week I attended religious instruction at a parocial  and I was still free to attend church every sunday and even to be an altar boy. Where was my religious freedoms denied because prayer was noit conducted  in public school or the ten commandments was not poosted on the walls ?? 50 % of my public school  class was  jewish. Should they have been forced to recite Christian prayer or should I have been forced to read and study jewish thelogy ?? Yet both had their  religious freedoms. Jewish kids attended hebrew school and attended services much as  I attended religious instruction and church.  

Instead of worrying so  much about whether or not  Christian doctrine should be placed on our courthouse walls  why don;'t we  work to improve our courts, and our legal  system and make it the best that we can. Instead of worrying about whether or not Christian prayer sessions be conducted in our schools why don;t we focus on improving our schools, improving on the performance of our kids who can;t do simple math and can barely read. Education is what  will give our nation a competitive edge in the world. While we worry and bicker about prayer  in schools and about ten commandments on walls the rest of the world is moving far ahead of us in science, technology, information sciences, medicineand many other areas. We are falling behind.  They are not going to stand by and wait for us while we  argue over commandments and prayer in public spaces.

[Jack-KA3ZLR-]

Good Morning John,

 One last post for this one, There's no arm twisting here my thoughts were to discuss the tearing down of an art form that was in place prior to todays diversity kick, I look at the commandments and the bibles of the world as Guides Not Decrees to be set upon others. I don't see where any man that uses them to enhance Being and good will that to be a bad thing.  I do see Cold Gov and a Complete uncaring of the masses from Gov Today and it's been on the increase for years, So, nothing new there.

 I'm for preserving as much Art and Phlosophy as we can from ages past and Using that to Enhance our way of life, obvious activities on the news daily supports my theorys, and we've Spared the rod and spoiled our children down through the years and it's not working, we've applied the "Feel Good' theology in the school systems and it's not working and we the free have Taken Gov and Placed it on High to the point that we are not the Free any more but the Slaves to.

 We are only human.

[W3SLK]

Welp, here I go one more time. The Ten Commandments are a set of rules so that mankind can live with mankind, period! If those with a secular view would overlook the specific Commandments that refer to God, that the remaining and majority are just plain sense to life in general. Listen to your parents, don't murder, don't steal, if it feels bad, chances are it is bad. When you take out all of the 'Thou's & Thee's', that's pretty much what it is saying. If you cross the line and defy these basic principles, you are pretty much breaking the law. Whether you are a Muslim, Christian, Jew, Atheist, etc. I'll go hide under my rock now until I'm lured back out into the sunlite

[John Holotko]

Good Morning John,

 I'm for preserving as much Art and Phlosophy as we can from ages past and Using that to Enhance our way of life, obvious activities on the news daily supports my theorys, and we've Spared the rod and spoiled our children down through the years and it's not working, we've applied the "Feel Good' theology in the school systems and it's not working and we the free have Taken Gov and Placed it on High to the point that we are not the Free any more but the Slaves to.

 We are only human.

I hear you Jack and the idea of preserviing the Art and Philosophy was also on the minds of the judges who reached the decision. They banned the display of the ten commandments as a matter of maintaining a separation between church and state affairs. Is that a good thing ? I'd  say yes in that no one religion philosophy or doctrine should ever become the dominant and decision making force in determining or interpreting the laws of the land or the policy  of  the state. There are those who would like nothing more  than to make one particular religion the basis for law and the separation of church and state affords  us a buffer against such attempts be they intentional or incidental.  At the same time the court upheld the display of the ten commandments in public spaces in cases where such displayes bear artistic or historical significance. In essence the court did try and strike a reasonable balance between the significant reasons you describe and the call for a  balance of church and state.

[Jack-KA3ZLR-]

FB John, Mikey i'm happy with our outcome here and i have learned a few things i didn't know and That's a Good thing.

Excellent debate and thanks from me..

[kc2ifr]

Welp, here I go one more time. The Ten Commandments are a set of rules so that mankind can live with mankind, period! If those with a secular view would overlook the specific Commandments that refer to God, that the remaining and majority are just plain sense to life in general. Listen to your parents, don't murder, don't steal, if it feels bad, chances are it is bad. When you take out all of the 'Thou's & Thee's', that's pretty much what it is saying. If you cross the line and defy these basic principles, you are pretty much breaking the law. Whether you are a Muslim, Christian, Jew, Atheist, etc. I'll go hide under my rock now until I'm lured back out into the sunlite

Mike....correct 100% The 10 Commandents are common sense.....they should exist in your head.......not on a wall someplace. IMO.....if you have to be reminded  of these laws.......than there is something wrong with YOU......not the people who want to keep them out of public places.