OK Supreme Court: 10 Commandments must come down

[Jose Fly]

Oklahoma Supreme Court orders removal of Ten Commandments monument

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a Ten Commandments monument placed on State Capitol grounds must be removed because the Oklahoma Constitution bans the use of state property for the benefit of a religion.

The 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter) stone monument, paid for with private money and supported by lawmakers in the socially conservative state, was installed in 2012, prompting complaints that it violated the U.S. Constitution's provisions against government establishment of religion, as well as local laws.

Seems pretty straight forward.

Lawmakers have argued that the monument was not serving a religious purpose but was meant to mark a historical event.

Um.....what? What historical event are they talking about? But then, as is happening all across the country...

That opened the door for other groups, including Satanists and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, to apply for permission to erect their own monuments on Capitol grounds to mark what they say are historical events.

Yep. So once again we see the continued erosion of Christian privilege. They're all for religious displays, as long as...wink, wink...we all know only Christian displays will be allowed. As soon as other groups say "Hey, us too!" the whole charade crumbles.

 

[drbrumley]

Yep. So once again we see the continued erosion of Christian privilege. They're all for religious displays, as long as...wink, wink...we all know only Christian displays will be allowed. As soon as other groups say "Hey, us too!" the whole charade crumbles.

so, what charade?

 

[Jose Fly]

so, what charade?

The idea that religious displays on government property are just fine and/or that the separation of church and state is a myth.

Those arguments are made right up until a non-Christian religious group asks to put up their own display. Then suddenly it's, "You can't do that".

 

[drbrumley]

The idea that religious displays on government property are just fine and/or that the separation of church and state is a myth.

Those arguments are made right up until a non-Christian religious group asks to put up their own display. Then suddenly it's, "You can't do that".

So in other words, much ado about nothing.

 

[Jose Fly]

I guess. The 10 Commandments monument never should have been put up in the first place. The government should focus on government business, not...as you put it..."nothing" issues like deciding who's religion to promote.

 

[drbrumley]

I guess. The 10 Commandments monument never should have been put up in the first place. The government should focus on government business, not...as you put it..."nothing" issues like deciding who's religion to promote.

Posting the Ten Commandments has nothing to do with “an establishment of religion” and is entirely a state matter.

Until you figure that out for yourself, you will whine about the ten commandments.

 

[Jose Fly]

Posting the Ten Commandments has nothing to do with “an establishment of religion”

It most certainly has to do with promotion of a religion, and in this case since other religions were denied the ability to put up their own displays, it was the deliberate promotion of a single religion over others.

and is entirely a state matter.

Then you shouldn't have any problem with the ruling, since it was from the OK State Supreme Court.

Until you figure that out for yourself, you will whine about the ten commandments.

Who's whining? As I noted in the OP, this is yet one more bit of erosion of Christian privilege. :up:

 

[drbrumley]

Does the US government or any state government make Jose Fly to be a christian? If not, your argument is bogus!

 

[bybee]

Oklahoma Supreme Court orders removal of Ten Commandments monument



Seems pretty straight forward.



Um.....what? What historical event are they talking about? But then, as is happening all across the country...



Yep. So once again we see the continued erosion of Christian privilege. They're all for religious displays, as long as...wink, wink...we all know only Christian displays will be allowed. As soon as other groups say "Hey, us too!" the whole charade crumbles.

Do you suppose the word G-o-d shall be banned? Or the wearing of a cross?

 

[Jose Fly]

Does the US government or any state government make Jose Fly to be a christian? If not, your argument is bogus!

So as long as the government isn't directly forcing you to convert to a religion, anything else it does doesn't constitute endorsement of a religion?

The government could put up billboards in every city saying "Satanism is the one true religion" and you would be just fine with that?

 

[Jose Fly]

Do you suppose the word G-o-d shall be banned? Or the wearing of a cross?

Of course not. Try and understand the difference between private activities conducted by citizens, and public activities conducted by the government.

 

[Daniel1611]

The lawyers, judges and politicians dont want to look at a sign that says not to lie and steal while they're in court.

 

[Angel4Truth]

Easy solution, sell the little slot of land it sits on, to a private citizen.

 

[bybee]

Oklahoma Supreme Court orders removal of Ten Commandments monument



Seems pretty straight forward.



Um.....what? What historical event are they talking about? But then, as is happening all across the country...



Yep. So once again we see the continued erosion of Christian privilege. They're all for religious displays, as long as...wink, wink...we all know only Christian displays will be allowed. As soon as other groups say "Hey, us too!" the whole charade crumbles.

You are aware that some form of the ten commandments has been around since long before Moses received The Ten Commandments by which many of us have sought to live?

 

[gcthomas]

Easy solution, sell the little slot of land it sits on, to a private citizen.

Great idea - sell one little slot of land to an evangelical christian, one to a Shia muslim, one to a satanist, one to a jew, one to a secularist, one to a new atheist ...

 

[bybee]

Great idea - sell one little slot of land to an evangelical christian, one to a Shia muslim, one to a satanist, one to a jew, one to a secularist, one to a new atheist ...

Or honor the separation of Church and State and get on with the business of the day. So long as my freedom to practice my religion remains inviolate I am willing to overlook the specious, niggling, twittering little twerps who have taken exception to and can't stand that symbols of historical significance which have time honored approval of a large segment of our population thump their little chests and win this battle. Let all public spaces be devoid of any traditional symbolism which smacks of faith in a deity.
We Believers must go about our business in private in order to be safe from the abrasiveness of those who lie in wait to take issue with the slightest hint of religious expression in public.

 

[Angel4Truth]

Great idea - sell one little slot of land to an evangelical christian, one to a Shia muslim, one to a satanist, one to a jew, one to a secularist, one to a new atheist ...

They sure can buy their own land and put whatever they want on it, but i would think the voters would have something to do with the sale of it (government land which is course government is supposedly of and by the people majorally), and doubtful you could get enough voters in those other categories to land it.

 

[Jose Fly]

You are aware that some form of the ten commandments has been around since long before Moses received The Ten Commandments by which many of us have sought to live?

Yes...not sure what that has to do with anything though. The Code of the Hammurabi is pretty old too.

 

[bybee]

Yes...not sure what that has to do with anything though. The Code of the Hammurabi is pretty old too.

It is part of an ancient code that has served society well. Likely, it is viewed as an historical monument by most folks. But, since it is also part of a religious format it may rightly be required to be taken down if some find it transgressing the separation of church and state.
It seems making a mountain out of a molehill to me but Heavens! Where shall this end?

 

[gcthomas]

It seems making a mountain out of a molehill to me but Heavens! Where shall this end?

Perhaps it'll end with activist politicians adhering to the constitution instead of wilfully breaking it and expecting no-one will have the energy to litigate.

Shouldn't legislators value the rule of law above religious posturing in public office?