Freethought & Rationalism Archive

hezekiah jones · 02-15-2002, 12:11 PM

Good.

RufusAtticus · 02-15-2002, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Democratic Sen. R. Edward Houck was concerned about what version of the commandments which are sacred to Jews, Catholics and Protestants would be posted and whether secularizing them for public school was sacrilege.

At least someone has some sense to ask tough questions.

-RvFvS

02-15-2002, 02:09 PM

Common sense may have won in Virginia, but Alabama is a different story.

<a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-ten-commandments-alabama0215feb15.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dnationworld %2Dheadlines" target="_blank">Alabama Senate votes unanimously to post Ten Commandments</a>

Euromutt · 02-15-2002, 06:14 PM

I find myself in two minds about the defences thrwon up by the opponents of these bills, along the lines of "trivialising religious documents" or "sacrilege."
On the one hand I think "Brilliant tactic!"
On the other, I think "Why should anyone feel the need to pretend (who are we kidding? - €mutt) that separation of church and state exists to safeguard religion from the sordid, tawdry affairs of state?"

I wonder if in Alabama, teachers will be encouraged to tell children "And these are the Ten Commandments; laws from ancient times, when legislators had to tell the people that some non-existent supreme being had ordained the laws to get them to comply. Fortunately, these days we have democracy..."
Who am I kidding?
(Note to self: stay at least 1500 metres from the Alabama state line, forever.)

02-15-2002, 09:49 PM

The question about *which* version of the Ten Commandments is a great one. Do they want the Protestant version? The Catholic version? The Jewish version? If the fundy legislators are forced to name which version they want posted, that bill would IMMEDIATELY fail the so-called Lemon test and be found unconstitutional.

[ February 15, 2002: Message edited by: atheist_in_foxhole ]</p>

smalso · 02-16-2002, 04:48 AM

I'm new here so please forgive me if I say some things that have already been said, but there is no way I can stay out of this discussion. The attempts of the right to cram Christianity down our throats whether or not we want or like it scares me to no end. I heard a news item last week that North Carolina wants to post "In God We Trust" in public school classrooms. Everybody wants into the act and they are trying to out-do each other. I resent the implication that I am unpatriotic because I am not a Christian. I believe that those of us who fight against this attempt to establish a state religion are more true patriots anyway.

Kvalhion · 02-16-2002, 05:06 AM

I am actually surprised that religious advocates are going forward with some of these things. All it will do is give people more ammunition to show that idealistic religion will not solve real problems.

Usually religious advocates will stay away from anything that can actually have a finger pointed at it. They prefer to use the wishful thinking concept of "if only more people were religious, everything would suddenly be better!"

Obviously posting the Ten Commandments is going to affect nothing. No doubt some other apologetic reason will be given when violence in schools continue.

If something doesn't work, do it more. Glad I am not in school and that I don't have children!

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02-15-2002, 12:11 PM	#11
hezekiah jones Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: WI Posts: 4,357	Good.

02-15-2002, 02:09 PM	#13
atheist_in_foxhole Guest Posts: n/a	Common sense may have won in Virginia, but Alabama is a different story. <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-ten-commandments-alabama0215feb15.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dnationworld %2Dheadlines" target="_blank">Alabama Senate votes unanimously to post Ten Commandments</a>

02-15-2002, 06:14 PM	#14
Euromutt Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The Netherlands (the Kingdom of the Dammed) Posts: 687	I find myself in two minds about the defences thrwon up by the opponents of these bills, along the lines of "trivialising religious documents" or "sacrilege." On the one hand I think "Brilliant tactic!" On the other, I think "Why should anyone feel the need to pretend (who are we kidding? - €mutt) that separation of church and state exists to safeguard religion from the sordid, tawdry affairs of state?" I wonder if in Alabama, teachers will be encouraged to tell children "And these are the Ten Commandments; laws from ancient times, when legislators had to tell the people that some non-existent supreme being had ordained the laws to get them to comply. Fortunately, these days we have democracy..." Who am I kidding? (Note to self: stay at least 1500 metres from the Alabama state line, forever.)

02-15-2002, 09:49 PM	#15
atheist_in_foxhole Guest Posts: n/a	The question about which version of the Ten Commandments is a great one. Do they want the Protestant version? The Catholic version? The Jewish version? If the fundy legislators are forced to name which version they want posted, that bill would IMMEDIATELY fail the so-called Lemon test and be found unconstitutional. [ February 15, 2002: Message edited by: atheist_in_foxhole ]</p>

02-16-2002, 04:48 AM	#16
smalso Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 9	I'm new here so please forgive me if I say some things that have already been said, but there is no way I can stay out of this discussion. The attempts of the right to cram Christianity down our throats whether or not we want or like it scares me to no end. I heard a news item last week that North Carolina wants to post "In God We Trust" in public school classrooms. Everybody wants into the act and they are trying to out-do each other. I resent the implication that I am unpatriotic because I am not a Christian. I believe that those of us who fight against this attempt to establish a state religion are more true patriots anyway.

02-16-2002, 05:06 AM	#17
Kvalhion Regular Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Southern CA Posts: 441	I am actually surprised that religious advocates are going forward with some of these things. All it will do is give people more ammunition to show that idealistic religion will not solve real problems. Usually religious advocates will stay away from anything that can actually have a finger pointed at it. They prefer to use the wishful thinking concept of "if only more people were religious, everything would suddenly be better!" Obviously posting the Ten Commandments is going to affect nothing. No doubt some other apologetic reason will be given when violence in schools continue. If something doesn't work, do it more. Glad I am not in school and that I don't have children!

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