God is mentioned once in the Delcraation of Independence, together with the laws of Nature and "Nature's God," which is not the way Christians see God. There is also a reference to a "Creator" which can mean a lot of things. There is no reference to a bilibal deity, Jesus, or Savior.
Some Christian fundamentalists would love to se a theocracy in America, but that would clearly be contrary to our Founding Fathers' idea of what this country should be like: a place where human freedoms, including religion, are practiced freely -- not shoved down someone's throat! But even freeedom has limits. For, unlimited freeedom is anarchy and slavery to others. You do not have the freedom to invade my freedom!
Christian fundamentalists are wrong (as usual) in that they associate the Ten Commandments with Christianity, Judaism with Christianity. Christianity draws its roots from Judaism, as American society draws its roots from England and Europe, but Christianity is not Judaism, nor is America England.
What defines Christianity is Jesus Christ, and the Christian Bible, the Gospels and letters of Paul. Take out Jesus or the Gospels and you have no Christianity.
Surely, the Ten Commandments are a worthy set of rules that, if obided by, would make the world a lot nicer -- but they are not the way to Christian salvation. The entire purpose of Chirstianity is salvation, and the only way to salvation is to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, not other religions (and every practicing Jew will tell you that Christianity is another theology).
There are no Ten Commandments in the Mycenae Creed (4th century AD), that defines Chritian faith. So, what is this fuss all about?
It's about the fact that Ten Commandments define one and are associated with another specific relgion -- Judaism and Christianity. Their display suggests to anyone with more than a single digit IQ that it is an endorsement of specific religion(s) and is not some faith-nutral monument to the Creator. And that is just plain wrong. And so is swearing by the Bible, because what good does it do if an atheist or a non-Christian swears to it? There is a diference betwen the Ten Commandments (Judaism directly, Christianity indirectly) and a generic reference to God. Obviously one of nine Alabama's Chief Justices can't see the difference -- and neither can uncounted Evangelical fundamentalists who instead of seeing the Light are blinded by it.
Yeah. As if a slab of rock with the Ten Commandments inscribed upon it is shoving itself down people's throat. You err in asserting there is no connection between Christianity, Judaism, and the Ten Commandments:
"Christian fundamentalists are wrong (as usual) in that they associate the Ten Commandments with Christianity . . ."
Christ Himself said He came to fulfill the Law and not abolish it. Sure, there may be some folks who are out to establish an unconstitutional theocracy, but simple displays of the Ten Commandments are hardly going to get them there. Besides, even you yourself have said the Faith is not about the Ten Commandments. If anything, they are a salutary reminder to us all, no matter what faith we might practice.
Cry me a river, all you folks who are so chickenshit about displays of the simple truths spelled out in the Decalog.