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To: Jeff Gordon
ID has no more place in public schools then does the Ten Commandments.

In a secular (government run) school system, the Ten Commandments can have a very real place as part of a course teaching our cultural history. ID, however, belongs only in a catalog of misguided fringe movements.

57 posted on 07/09/2003 1:15:25 PM PDT by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: PatrickHenry
One of the things that is really funny about the Ten Commandments debate is that the people pushing the Ten Commandments probably have never actually visited the U.S.Supreme Court building.

If they had, they'd know that there are two friezes which have, as one of the elements, Moses holding the Ten Commandments.

As explained by the Curator on the SCOTUS website, the North and South Walls of the courthoom have a frieze which contains ALL of the following elements:

Menes (c. 3200 B.C.) First King of the first dynasty of ancient Egypt. He unified Upper and Lower Egypt under
his rule and is one of the earliest recorded lawgivers. Menes is shown in the frieze holding the ankh, an Egyptian
symbol for life.

Hammurabi (c. 1700s B.C.) King of Babylon credited with founding the Babylonian Empire. He is known for
the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest known legal codes. The first stone of the Code depicts him receiving
the law from the Babylonian Sun God.

Moses (c. 1300s B.C.) Prophet, lawgiver and judge of the Israelites. Mosaic Law is based on the Torah, the
first five books of the Old Testament. Moses is depicted in the frieze holding two overlapping tablets, written in
Hebrew. Commandments six through ten are partially visible.

Solomon (c. 900s B.C.) King of Israel and renowned judge. His name, meaning ?figure of the wise man,? has
become synonymous with ?judicial wisdom.?

Lycurgus (c. 800 B.C.) Legislator of Sparta. Lycurgus is credited with being one of the reformers of Sparta?s
constitution. He left Sparta after convincing the Spartan leadership not to change his laws until he returned,
but he never did.

Solon (c. 638?558 B.C.) Athenian lawgiver. He was appointed archon, an officer of state, and was charged
with remodeling the Athenian constitution in 594 B.C. He was instrumental in codifying and reforming Athenian
law, often revising the laws of Draco. His name has come to mean ?a wise and skillful lawgiver.?
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/about/north&southwalls.pdf

There are other historical figures on the East and West walls, and on the huge bronze doors.

Moses is also on the East pediment, which is outside and on the back of the building, flanked by Solon and Confucius, and several allegorical figures. In fact, Moses holding the two tablets of the Ten Commandments is the central figure in this frieze. I assume that the Justices come in through the back door and see this sculpture every day.
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/about/eastpediment.pdf

Really, all it takes is an honest effort to be fair about non-establishment.
79 posted on 07/09/2003 1:41:50 PM PDT by CobaltBlue (Never voted for a Democrat in my life.)
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