Posted on 08/21/2003 12:27:25 PM PDT by Happy2BMe
| I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. III. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. V. Honour thy father and thy mother. |
VI. Thou shalt not kill. VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. VIII. Thou shalt not steal. IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. X. Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy neighbour's. |
Are the Ten Commandments still relevant?
In American Society, who most would desire to see them eradicated from public view?
#1: The U.S.S.C.
#2: Every State Supreme Court.
#3: Every public polititian.
#4: The Democratic Party.
#5: All othe major political parties.
#6: Murderers.
#7: Thieves, extortionists, Labor Union Chiefs, every CEO of the Fortune 500.
#8: The NEA, NAACP, AFLCIO
#9: Homosexuals, lesbians, pedophiles, pornographers, web hosts, Hollywood, National Foundation of The Arts.
Add a few more . . .
You OBVIOUSLY aren't reading the NY Times, Wash. Post, or feeding at the public trough. You're not an alphabet news worshipper either!
Welcome to reality.
In regard to your comment:
"NO ONE IS FORCED TO READ OR ABIDE BY IT (though it can be argued that they SHOULD)."
That enforcing the Commandments by law is absurd and tyrannical.
Well, for starters, we are talking about the state of Alabama, which as far as I know, still maintains a republican form of government. By the way, so does the US, but we don't have to have that argument here and now, do we? We citizens do not vote on legislation or policy directly. We have representatives. We have a legislative process and a Constitution. So I reject your premise.
Liberty means that even a majority has no legitimate power to violate the rights of others. And it is self evident that free exercise of religion, or lack thereof, is one of those rights.
Well, for starters, the only reason we have a government that recognizes those rights you cherish is because a majority of people at one time, empowered to vote on it, decided it would be so. You probably think you have rights that the government doesn't think you have. Neither do many of your neighbors. I might think it self evident that I have a right to grow marijuana and smoke it. But guess what? I'd be wrong. Why? Because the right is not recognized. Rather, the right of citizens to form a government and criminalize it is recognized. So don't come to me claiming some mystical superrights impeneterable from votes and majorities. You can assert whatever you want, but it's all up for grabs and always has been. We the people could repeal the bill of rights tomorrow if a majority wanted to. hell, we could rewrite the whole constitution, and all it takes is some majorities (3/4s I think?). So c'mon. Let's talk reality.
Don't be afraid of religion; it might do YOU some good.
Of course, only those who advocate anarchy and/or have criminal intentions would be opposed to decency, morality, and self-responsibility to be enforced in law (sounds like the 10 Commandments pretty well cover it, too!)
You are a god unto your own self.
We are all very impressed with this.
You worship yourself, love yourself, do what is best for yourself, and live for yourself.
Your greatest commandment is: "I Love Myself."
Your second greatest commandement is: "All Other Come Second."
And your third: "I Am God."
As for "that other guy's Ten Commandments," you want to see them not just removed from public buildings, but you really, really would like to have them forgotten completely.
And as for those ingorant, pious, self-righteous "Bible-thumpers" and "Christians" you have hated all your life, you would just love it if there were some way a new law could be passed stating such imbeciles could no longer publicly mention even the mere existence of someone so ludicrous as "God."
No one is restricting the judge's freedom of religious expression in his personal life. He could have erected that monument on private property and we'd all support his right to do so. The problem is his placement of it in a government building, using his power as a government official to do so, with the implication (and I believe he's made the direct statement) that his powers as a judge are derived from God.
They are not. His powers are granted by the good people of Alabama.
He has no more right to do what he's doing than he has to jail people for violating the first four commandments.
He hasn't said that, or anything like that. Your #86 is replete with demonstrably false assertions.
Please try to address what he really said.
We have an indirect (representative) democracy. The Constitution no longer poses a significant barrier to the will of elected representatives.
As for your second paragraph, you just made the most compelling arguement that this is a democratic system, devoid of rights. I couldn't have done better.
We the people could repeal the bill of rights tomorrow if a majority wanted to. hell, we could rewrite the whole constitution, and all it takes is some majorities
They already did.
So don't come to me claiming some mystical superrights impeneterable from votes and majorities.
The rights have already been there, and preceded the government. No majority or government can change that, it can only choose to violate those rights.
Hope nobody breaks into your house and steals everything you got. Enforcing your private property ownwerships would be proposterous. (Thou shalt not steal.)
Hopoe nobody sees you walking down the street by yourself after you get out of your nice car, pulls you into an alley, takes your wallet, beats you to an inch of your life then leaves you for dead and takes your car. (Thou shalt not covet.)
Hope nobody kills you. Enforcing someone from killing your would be just downright archaic. (Thou shalt not kill.)
Hope your buddy doesn't take your wife. (Thou shalt not commit adultery.)
Hope those business friends you trust so deeply don't turncoat on you and give that promotion to that guy you've been undercutting so deeply on the job). (Thou shalt not bear false witness.)
Then that is all it ever was. Because the Constitution was created by democratic process. The Bill of Rights was adopted by Democratic process, and was based on earlier state versions which were created by democratic process. And the Constitution itself leaves the power to amend the Constitution rightly with the people, through, you guessed it, democratic process.
That doesn't make us a democracy. Citizens don't vote on legislation. We elect representatives. Checks and balances, etc etc. I don't need to review our entire system, do I?
LOL. Rereading your post. C'mon, freeeee. Indirect (representive) democracy? What is this? The way ee cummings spells republic? It's tortured.
I am a free man. There are no divine traits implied.
You worship yourself, love yourself, do what is best for yourself, and live for yourself. Your greatest commandment is: "I Love Myself." Your second greatest commandement is: "All Other Come Second."And your third: "I Am God."
Are you finding this out from a crystal ball or tarot cards? How do you know what my priorities are? On this thread I have only asserted that I wish to have my rights respected.
As for "that other guy's Ten Commandments," you want to see them not just removed from public buildings, but you really, really would like to have them forgotten completely.
I am insulted. I have the utmost respect for religious liberty and the right of free speech.
And as for those ingorant, pious, self-righteous "Bible-thumpers" and "Christians" you have hated all your life
Your post begs the question, Who is the one full of hate here?
Direct democracy: Every man's vote is directly counted, and the majority's decision is absolute and rights of the majority are not respected. Example: Town Hall meeting with a show of hands for a vote on a law.
Indirect democracy: Citizens vote for representatives. These representative's decisions are absolute, and rights of the majority are not respected. Example: Current US Government.
It's really not all that complicated.
You have only asserted that your rights supercede the rights of anyone who considers the Ten Commandments to be the Highest Law of The Land.
You are not only a god unto yourself, but you are a law unto yourself.
I take nothing back.
If you are insulted - it is a good thing. A very good thing.
I think that's pretty obvious. Have you managed to spit out all the words he/she put in your mouth? They bore no relationship to your position.
rights of the majority are not respected
Should be "rights of the minority are not respected."
I washed them down with a beer.
You want the Ten Commandments removed from public buildings.
Your detest the Ten Commandments being posted in public buildings.
Further, you detest not only them removed, but you are galled by even the thought of someone working inside those public buildings to have such audacity to post such hogwash in public view - let alone try and enforce such rubbish.
Right?
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