Almost seems as strange as that story the other day about blaming a gun for somebody's killing. I suppose the next thing will be that we have a court order to erase the inscription engraved on the Liberty Bell.
Posted on 11/19/2002 8:36:24 AM PST by Dallas
You gotta love this guy....
I would. That's called political correctness.
How about printing them in Arabic for our peace loving friends!
Now, I happen to be a Buddhist and I think that in addition to having the Ten Commandments on display at the courthouse we should also have the Four Noble Truths on display as well, at taxpayer expense of course.Now I was under the impression this display was privately funded. Public funding is another matter entirely.Now you wouldn't have a problem with that would you?
I wouldn't have a problem, of course. Others would differ. As Dave Barry once so aptly said "those who want to share their religious beliefs with you never want you to share yours with them."
-Eric
Is Jesus God in this scheme? I'm not so sure that the founding fathers would have agreed. Most did not believe in a personal God.
It does sound like that is being said here. Maybe I and others are just misreading what you and others are posting.
The Ten Commandments are the FOUNDATION of our laws...not the laws themselves.
I wouldn't go as far as to say THE foundation, because thats simply false. But they surely played a big part.
What the founding fathers set up was a country that respected the rights of the citizens to exercise their free will as given them by God. We are not to be told how to worship nor whom to worship and our conduct should only be regulated in how it meshes with the rights of others.
I can agree with that. No argument here.
To say that a "monument" is an establishment of religion is laughable (or would be) especially considering its placement among other historical documents.
I dont make that argument at all. I do not think it violates the 1st Amendment. I just had questions as to what it may imply, especially if no other historical documents are posted.
Judge Moore hasn't "established" a religion nor given any impression that you will be prosecuted in his court for violating the Sabbath.
Again, I was just asking what others may think. Posecuted, no. Equal in the eyes of the court? That may be questionable.
My opinion would be irrelevent. The First Amendment in no way precludes that.
You thought you had a checkmate, but just served up a red herring.
Crimes are defined by Legislatures, not by public displays in courthouses. Do you really think that if the words, or even the original document containing the words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident; That all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights..." were displayed in a COURT HOUSE, that such a display would imply that disavowing those self-evident truths would be a crime, punishable by the court? Get a grip.
Cordially,
What if we call this God Allah? Vishnu?
Prove it.
Cordially,
Wrong! The only governmental structure ever conceived that fully supports freedom of religion is a product of Judeo-Christian tradition. Religious and personal freedom in India? China? Any Muslim nation? Russia? Africa?Other than the date (written according to the convention of the day), show me one reference to Judaism, Christianity, or the Bible in the Constitution.
You should read the real words of our founding fathers (such as the Federalist Papers or personal writings).Such as?:
As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion--as it has itself no character of enmity against the law, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims]
-Article 11, Treaty of Peace and Friendship between The United States and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary," 1796-1797.
Where the preamble [of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom] declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting the words "Jesus Christ," so that it should read, "A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.
-Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography
I am for freedom of religion and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Elbridge Gerry, January 26, 1799
I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibit the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state.
-Thomas Jefferson, as President, in a letter to the Baptists of Danbury, Connecticut, 1802
Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity in exclusion of all other religions may establish, with the same ease, any particular sect of Christians in exclusion of all other sects? That the same authority which can force a citizen to contribute threepence only of his property for the support of any one establishment may force him to conform to any other establishment in all cases whatsoever?
-James Madison, "A Memorial and Remonstrance," addressed to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1785
Strongly guarded as is the separation between Religion & Govt in the Constitution of the United States the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history. (See the cases in which negatives were put by J. M. on two bills passd by Congs and his signature withheld from another. See also attempt in Kentucky for example, where it was proposed to exempt Houses of Worship from taxes.
-James Madison, "Monopolies. Perpetuities. Corporations. Ecclesiastical Endowments,"
-Eric
Almost seems as strange as that story the other day about blaming a gun for somebody's killing. I suppose the next thing will be that we have a court order to erase the inscription engraved on the Liberty Bell.
Funny you bring that up considering that all men not being equal was codified in our law for many years, and when certain people with a certain skin color tried to live up to the creed, they were punished. Ironic isn't it?
Is Jesus God in this scheme? I'm not so sure that the founding fathers would have agreed. Most did not believe in a personal God.Some such as Jefferson and Franklin believed in God in a Deist sense. Jefferson disbelieved in the divinity of Christ, Franklin had doubts.
-Eric
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