The Bill of Rights, not the Ten Commandments, should be on our buildings.

[man4allcats]

I just read a Columbus Free Press article by Harvey Wasserman entitled The Fundamentalist attack on separation of church & state defames America and its founders. It is well worth reading. I have included a snip here. Click the article title link above to read the rest.

The right-wing's multi-front war on American democracy now aims at our core belief in separation of church and state. It includes an attempt to say the founding fathers endorsed the idea that this is a "Christian nation," with an official religion.

But the founders---and a vast majority of Americans---repeatedly, vehemently and with stunning clarity denounced, rejected and despised such beliefs.

Nowhere in the Constitution they wrote does the word "Christian" or the name of Christ appear. The very first phrase of the First Amendment demands that "Congress shall make no law concerning an establishment of religion."

snip

It is not the Judeo-Christian Ten Commandments that form the bedrock of American values. It is the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution. If anything should be chiseled in stone on our public buildings, it's the Bill of Rights.

Which is precisely what this attack on our history means to burn at the stake. Awakened America rose up in revolt against King, corporation and clergy. Its rejection of a state-sponsored church, Christian or otherwise, was fiercely explicit and decidedly mainstream.

Today's corporate-funded fundamentalist jihad is at war with America's uniquely diverse revolutionary soul. Spitting in the face of our historic core, the Big Lie of a "Christian nation" is vintage Rove at his most Orwellian.

Check it out. It's too good not to share! :hi:

[Erika]

1. If the founding fathers wanted the 10 commandments

as part of the Constitution, they would have made it part of the Constitution. They didn't.

[beam me up scottie]

2. Thank you, it is too good not to share.

*****
Then comes the astonishing assertion that the incomparably urbane, tolerant and ever-eclectic Benjamin Franklin was somehow a Christian soldier. Never mind that in his Autobiography the Puritan-born Franklin, with his usual wry wit, laments having been dragged by a friend to church, from which he fled back to his books and experiments.

Never mind also that the legendary atheism of the wildly popular Tom Paine and Ethan Allen was embraced throughout a new nation that loved rational reason.
*****

[oscar111]

3. Good idea. Other choices for northern sensible states,

would be

french rationalists' Rights of Man

UN 's Human Rights which we signed to, and are "the supreme law of the land" for signatories, according to our Constitution about all treaties.
UN 's HR says all will "promote total employment".. so you have a right to a job.

[beam me up scottie]

4. Also too good not to share, just the preamble alone is inspiring:

*****
PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
*****

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tux]

5. Wrong

Paine and Allen were Deists. Check out Age of Reason.

[beam me up scottie]

6. Tell it to Harvey Wasserman.

nt

[moose65]

7. What a great idea!

I've often wondered if these people who want the 10 Commandments in the courtroom have actually READ the 10 Commandments. As far as I can tell, only 2 of the commandments deal with something that is actually a crime in the US: Don't steal and don't kill. All the others are purely religious (adultery may still be illegal in some states, but it's never enforced, and it's not a crime to lie unless you're under oath). Do these people really want those ancient laws as part of our legal code? How many "good Christians" would be criminals if it was against the law to work on Sunday, take the Lord's name in vain, or make images or icons? And how many of them even know what "covet" means?? Arrggghhhhhh!! The 10 Commandments flap is just a blatant way to inject religion into government, to equate religious law with secular law. Let's start a "Post the Bill of Rights" movement!!

[Tux]

8. That and

It undermines Christianity which is supposed to follow Jesus. Fundie Christianity is just Messianic Judaism.

[LiberalFighter]

11. In addition, the 10 commandments was not the beginning of ethics/law

Code of Hammurabi was written about 1786 BC

Hebrew Law or 10 commandments about 1505 BC

According to the NIV Bible the Exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage occurred 1446 BC.

Why did god provide his law after the Code of Hammurabi? Why are there so many similarities? Why didn't god provide his law in the beginning of time?

Who served as priests before Levi and his family? Did they have priests before the Exodus?

[highlonesome]

9. Another -- forgotten -- side of it

The Founders ran the gamut of religious belief and for many of those who were devout believers in Christianity, they wanted separation to protect their religion from the coercive influence of government as much as others wanted their government protected from religion.

[LiberalFighter]

12. Back then and for a short time after...

they had to pay a church tax that paid the salaries of ministers belonging to the approved state church. In addition, anyone not attending church could be fined. If they didn't belong to the state church they could not be elected.