The Ten Commandments .. m*

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-23-2003
The Ten Commandments .. m*
6
Wed, 06-29-2005 - 9:46am

During the last few months, there's been discussions about blending church and state, most notably, having the Ten Commandments in display around government buildings.


In my home, NC,  the removal of the TCs been put on hold.  The TC's now seen as a "historical" document. 


What's your opinion on this?


 


CeeCee


 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-29-2005 - 11:57am

I've got mixed emotions on the subject. I do see them as solid moral advice and part of what our country was founded on, but at the same time, they ARE the 'rules' of one particular religion and our government is not supposed to endorse any one religion over any other.

I think the display of religious stuff like this CAN be done in a non-threatening way, but it's got to be done equally and that's hard to do. And where to you draw the line? Hang up the icons of every group that comes along? Limit it to just those considered major or mainstream? It's a tough call to make. Seems the all-or-nothing approach is the only truly fair one.

I think WHERE these icons are displayed also makes a huge difference. There's a much different implication to the Ten Commandments hung on the wall in a courtroom behind the judge's bench, for example, than a statue of them in a garden outside. One implies that 'these are the rules we go by here' while the other is just art. KWIM?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Wed, 06-29-2005 - 2:09pm

The "Ten Commandments" appear in one form or another throughout history, and are not limited to Judeo-Christian tradition.


iVillage Member
Registered: 06-19-2003
Wed, 06-29-2005 - 3:12pm
I read an article over on Beliefnet a couple months ago, where one man suggested that the religious parts should be taken down (no other gods, keep the Sabbath holy, etc.) and keep the rest up (no killing, no stealing, etc.).
I'd have to find the article, but I thought it was interesting. It might be a good way to compromise.
T

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-26-2004
Sat, 07-02-2005 - 10:08am
That's a tough one!
Last Christmas, In the county I live in, a person complained about the Christmas trees in our Government buildings and the government decided to take down all Christmas decorations because of one complaint. Many people, of all religions, got really upset by this. One Jewish Rabbi said, "Why would Christmas trees bother me? I am comfortable in my faith and love to go into a store and see the beautiful decorations, it puts me in a better mood. Is it not better to be of a religious background and have faith than to have no faith at all?"
After the big uproar, they decided to put up all the trees again and just made Nativities, etc... unacceptable. My thought was, why not add others religions that are celebrated at that time of the year to the trees and everyone could learn of other traditions such as Hanukhah and Kwanzaa instead of making the whole situation one sided.
I know the ten commandments are Christian, but I think that, deep down, everyone finds these commandments to be moral in one way or another. The only one that could raise eyebrows is, I am one God and no other should come before me, and about worshipping false idols. To me, I think Americans need to lighten up a bit on these things...if we complain too much about them, more and more laws are made to supposedly "protect" us, but end up taking our freedoms away. Just like the "War on Terror". We now all get to feel like prisoners in America because of Homeland Security that is starting to get way out of line. Going to the beach now is sad...all the coast guard constantly checking boats in the distance really ruins it's peacefulness and trying to fly anywhere is turning into fear because your afraid you are going to get strip searched or something because of "metal" they can't detect.
To me, why can't they just add other monuments of historical significance to the monuments of the ten commandments? I know, from living down South, that African history is very much a part of America and that slaves brought many different religious views that they incorporated into their Christian beliefs later on, and some of their rituals and stories are gold. More beautiful, heartwrenching , sad and strong than any fiction book I have ever read. Same goes for the sad demise of Native Americans and the guilt that many of us now feel for what we did to the true founding people of our country.
We should view the monument as history of what made us what we are today and add these other stories, too. Face the good with the bad. The facade of America being perfect is long gone with the fifties, now we should try and focus on how we can all learn to live together with all the cultures we've developed and hurt over the last couple centuries.
I don't know if I made any sense, I kind of just started on one thing and it all jumbled into other hidden issues that surround this debate! Sorry for any confusion!
Love and Light,
R-
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 07-02-2005 - 2:19pm
You make perfect sense. I can never understand that in
this day and age there is still all the killing and starvation.
I can't believe these things happen. I like the idea of cleaning up TTC
to modenize it, put it anywhere. Add eat healthy and love yourself.
love, Leila
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2005
Sat, 07-02-2005 - 11:02pm

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision regarding this just this last week:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/27/scotus.commandments.ap/
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/inktomi255698.php

No 10 Commandments allowed in courthouses, but o.k. on a state capitol grounds as part of a group display. The INTENT for displaying the 10 Commandments was part of the deciding factor. There was evidence they were displayed AS religious in the two courthouse cases, but not so for the display on state capitol grounds in Texas.

Interesting and going to prove confusing, this split decision. :=O

Personally, I think all religious references should be absent from government buidlings.

Anna