Americans seem ready to accept Ten Commandments displays

Are we seeing the birth of yet another absurd wedge issue Republicans will use against Democrats to divert attention from real issues?

CNN just had a report on a new poll that shows 56% say a display of the Ten Commandments in their state capitol would be "appropriate. 20% say it would be inappropriate and 24% don't care.

It seems that a solid majority of Americans support this:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/03/01/national/w225148S43.DTL

Ten Commandments displays are supported by a majority of Americans, according to an AP-Ipsos poll. The poll taken in late February found that 76 percent support it and 23 percent oppose it.

And then there is this from Michigan:

http://www.freep.com/news/politics/granholm12e_20050212.htm

Ten Commandments display is backed
February 12, 2005

BY DAWSON BELL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Taking a position practically indistinguishable from that of Christian conservatives, Gov. Jennifer Granholm endorsed Friday the display of the Ten Commandments in government buildings, including the state Capitol.

In an interview for the public television program "Off the Record," Granholm said she has no objection to display of the commandments in public buildings "because the Ten Commandments are universal."

Although government should not be promoting religion, Granholm said, the values expressed in the commandments from the Old Testament reflect a "universal desire for people to behave with dignity and honor God."

She said she would have no problem with the installation of a Ten Commandments display in the rotunda at the state Capitol.

eom

The question should have continued to ask:

"Do you support Public Display of Affection (PDA) on
the state capitol grounds?"

I'm dying to know the poll response on *that*.

;)

Just wondering.

"Thou shall not criticize a Republican President"

is one of the 10 commandments

Does that mean that the Swift Boat Liars are not good Christians?

And the group that lied about AARP?

if you are a Republican and you are doing it to thwart the evil machinations of the traitorous America-hating liberals.

they are the hypocrite party of Adulterers, killers, liars, thieves. and they follow the 10 commandments, not.
Maybe if they put the commandments in front of the lemmings they will see that their party is NOT the party of gods vision of inclusion and tolerance, helping the needy, and not coveting riches.

the commandment is 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.' If the swift boat liars were not Kerry's neighbors , the commandment wasn't broken.

This commandment apparently has a geographical requirement.

Nothing like a good loophole.

Of course, Jesus had a little parable about the meaning of "neighbor". But the politically oriented fundies are a lot more interested in evading, and applying to others, the shall-nots of the Old Testament than following Jesus.

Is this what the fundies say the commandment means?

they would deem it appropriate to display the Ten Commandments in government facilities. However, they seem to have lost sight of some of our founding principles, (1) the separation of Church and State and (2) the rights of the minorities. If political decisions are always made solely on the basis of majority positions, the ultimate outcome will be a mono-lithic from of totalitarianism as one finds in Iran today.

Almost as surprising as Iraq's shiite majority backing majority rule.

of a GOOD Democracy is that it also takes care of it's minorities.
That is not to say that the minorities should be allowed to dominate the majority.

Anyone who thinks that the essence of democracy is majority rule misses the point. Esp. when the Bushites are thrilled to find high turnouts in the majority Shiite poplulation in Iraq. It is the restrictions on majority rule, not majority rule, and individual rights that makes it a free society..

I agree with Granholm.

from other texts and other religions?

How about a display that incorporates all the major documents that have influenced the development of American jurisprudence: The Code of Hammurabi, the Ten Commandments, the Magna Carta, the Napoleonic Code.

It would be appropriate to display the battle flag as part of an exhibit on all the flags that have flown over the state at one time or another.

In that context, it is historical and educational in nature and not intended as a political statement.

All they have to do is prove, as the ten commandments proponents did, that those passages are as universally respected as the ten commandments. But a religion followed by only a small minority of Michigan residents, by definition, lacks any universal aspects. No movie, no interest groups, no politicians quoting it--no, a minority religious text just doesn't meet that fair and objective test.

Catholic? Protestant? Torah? Which bible translation? Should the government decide which is the "official" version and require all churches to post the same one?

Our founders knew how important it was to keep government out of religion.

whichever version Roy Moore says is OK.

now I just see Roy Moore. <shudder>

arguments today on this issue, and a decision is expected some time in June. Whatever it is, that should end the issue for politicians.

ended debate on abortion? flag burning? the death penalty?

If the decision is framed in a "protect all religions from interference of the State" manner, it should be OK. If it's framed as a 5-4 edict by the court, you're right, it won't go away anymore than the abortion issue has.

civil rights, with Dred Scott.

Even Brown v. the Board of Education didn't end debate on school desegregation.

then it becomes a vote on every single public monument--and the application to some other overtly religious symbol. It won't end because the fundies really want express and constant declarations of religion by government.

If the anti commandments win, then the fundies have an issue as to why we have replace the current court by electing conservatives forever and ever and ever.

It never ends because it's backed by extremist christians.

Half of them deal with a specific god, however that god is interpreted by the various branches of Judism and Christianity. Only three translate into civil law - the prohibitions on theft and murder and bearing false witness. One of them is a blatant attempt to undermine the foundations of western economies -- coveting is the primary building block of capitalism. Without coveting there would be no ad industry.

And while I respect other peoples' right to have whatever god they choose (doesn't that very idea also weigh in against universality?) I have no interest in honoring any god myself, and I tend to doubt that I am the only atheist in the country.

If you want universality, post the first 10 Amendments, not the 10 Commandments.

How quaint.

The first commandment prohibits the worship of any deity other than Jehovah; this condemns such religions as Buddhism (some traditions), Hinduism, Sikhism, Wicca, etc. It is in direct conflict with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which guarantees freedom of religious belief. It is intolerant of other faiths and could generate hatred and violence against minority religions.


The second commandment prohibits the use of religious statues, the taking of photographs, drawing of paintings. etc. It promises that God will punish anyone who worships statues. In addition, their children, grand-children, great-grand-children and perhaps great-great-grand children will also be punished by a God of intolerance and wrath. These concepts are deeply offensive to many people who believe that a person should be held responsible for their own sins and crimes, not those committed by parents, grandparents, great-grand-parents, etc. Also, this is in conflict with the First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom. Many religious groups and individuals use statues in various ways. Prohibiting or belittling these practices could also generate religious friction and even violence.

The fourth commandment calls for people to not work on Saturday. This intrudes on the lives and practices of many people, particularly followers of faith groups that do not worship on Saturdays.

The tenth commandment treats women as objects that are owned by their husbands. It recognizes human slavery as a normal part of society. The commandment is sexist and has racist overtones.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_10c2.htm