Limits of Religion in Public Life

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | June 27, 2005

[shadowfighter]

Limits of Religion in Public Life

Court acts wisely on Ten Commandments rulings

The Monitor's View

On the stage on which the American culture clash over religion is playing out, enter the Supreme Court. Monday's twin decisions allowing the display of the Ten Commandments on the Texas State Capitol grounds, but not in Kentucky courtrooms, settle a major contentious issue between political religious conservatives and secular humanists.

In this contest, religious conservatives seek to advance a brand of morality in America by actively promoting religious themes and ideas in government. On the other side, secular humanists demand a strict elimination of religious themes from the public square - whether it be on a town common, in the Pledge of Allegiance, or on the US currency.

[shadowfighter]

The readers poll associated with this editorial finds substantial agreement with the Court's decision.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45014

"...In a stinging rebuke to the court, Scalia said, "What distinguishes the rule of law from the dictatorship of a shifting Supreme Court majority is the absolutely indispensable requirement that judicial opinions be grounded in consistently applied principle." ...[snip]"

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I'm very confident that the overwhelming majority of Americans would like the 10 Commandments posted more-- not less, in government buildings.

[thomaswest]

Perhaps so. But a good majority also believe in ghosts and UFOs. This doesn't make them real.

There actually seem to be 613 Commandments:
http://www.jewfaq.org/defs/rambam.htm
http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"Perhaps so. But a good majority also believe in ghosts and UFOs. This doesn't make them real."

And of course, you are quite certain they do not exist? And your statement does what? Prove that some people think the masses can't possibly know what's best? Maybe some people have seen things you have not seen. I'm glad the court can't decide the existence of those things yet, like some high and mighty Greek philosophers who couldn't think their way out of a paper bag.

"There actually seem to be 613 Commandments"

Attempting to trivialize the two tablets upon which all modern law is founded? Why do that? Do you have a problem with one of them?

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Actually, your 613 commandments claim is a prime example of how the courts have treated the Constitution. Over time, layer upon layer is added to the basic foundation, until Justice Black, former clansman, added the 'Separation of Church and State' myth, founded on some letter written by a man who was in France when the Bill of Rights was created. [Thomas Jefferson.] And even that letter was taken out of context.

There are 10 Commandments. And then Jesus streamlined that down to Two Commandments. That's what good leaders do-- they keep things simple.