- 09 Mar 2005 12:16
#586240
There is no place for the following in government buildings:
Those are all quite blatantly religious and encoding them into law would violate the establishment clause.
This is a nice sentiment, but not part of any basis for any law. Plus it has that incentive portion to it that the government couldn't do anything about.
That's not illegal any more in most states, though it is grounds for divorce. We'll give it a half point.
Until we get the Thought Police together, this is not illegal nor can it be.
So, the Commandments as they pretty much apply as the whole "basis for the law" are:
That works as long as you take "bear false witness" to mean perjury or slander, both of which are illegal.
Now, we don't really need monuments to the Three and a Half Commandments Plus One Nice Sentiment that really apply in the secular world. If you're going to have a monument to religious commands, try "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You." Pretty much anybody who doesn't agree with that, deserves to be slapped around with a large fish anyway.
-Wayne
There is no place for the following in government buildings:
I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the House of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Those are all quite blatantly religious and encoding them into law would violate the establishment clause.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
This is a nice sentiment, but not part of any basis for any law. Plus it has that incentive portion to it that the government couldn't do anything about.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
That's not illegal any more in most states, though it is grounds for divorce. We'll give it a half point.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Until we get the Thought Police together, this is not illegal nor can it be.
So, the Commandments as they pretty much apply as the whole "basis for the law" are:
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
That works as long as you take "bear false witness" to mean perjury or slander, both of which are illegal.
Now, we don't really need monuments to the Three and a Half Commandments Plus One Nice Sentiment that really apply in the secular world. If you're going to have a monument to religious commands, try "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You." Pretty much anybody who doesn't agree with that, deserves to be slapped around with a large fish anyway.
-Wayne
- By RealPolitic
- By FiveofSwords
- By Robert Urbanek
- By litwin