County Board in Tenn. Approves Ten Commandments Displays for Public Schools

[cleanhippie]

Last edited Mon Feb 11, 2013, 02:21 PM - Edit history (1)

A Tennessee school board has approved the placement of Ten Commandments displays in public schools, along with other historically significant documents.

At a meeting in late January, the Cumberland County Board of Education voted to allow Decalogue displays along with other notable documents, including the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Aarona VanWinkle, Director of Schools for Cumberland County, said in a statement that the displays would be more about historical heritage than religious doctrine. "The public schools are charged with teaching our history and heritage to students; we are not responsible for religious instruction – matters wisely left to families and religious organizations," said VanWinkle.

Over the past ten to fifteen years the debate over Ten Commandments displays in public facilities has been heated and often involved lawsuits and differing court decisions. In Tennessee, legislative efforts have existed for the past several years to legalize such displays in the context of them being part of overall sets of documents considered integral to American history.
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/county-board-in-tenn-approves-ten-commandments-displays-for-public-schools-89741/#mGPLyIk5tD6oBIjz.99

The only way nonsense like this will be stopped is for moderate and liberal believers to stand up and oppose it. But I won't be making any bets on it happening.

[kestrel91316]

1. Highly unconstitutional. They know better than to try this crap in CA.

[edhopper]

2. This should also be attacked on the basis

Last edited Sun Feb 10, 2013, 09:50 AM - Edit history (1)

that the ten commandments are either simplistic or irrelevant.

[meeshrox]

3. Yet another reason to donate to the ACLU...

off to their webpage I go! Thanks for the reminder!

[SpartanDem]

4. This is about asserting privilege

every time I read one of these stories, it's my belief that this is about these right wing Christians wanting to show that they are still in control. They're pissed that their version of Christianity is losing it's privilege(OMG teh gays are getting married!), these "historical heritage" displays are the equivalent of pissing on a tree.

[cleanhippie]

5. The lack of response from liberal/moderate believers mirrors the nationwide feeling.

And that makes me sad.

[Leontius]

6. Settled law, reaffirmed many times, time to move on.

[cleanhippie]

7. And by settled law you mean that it's unconstitutional to put up the 10 commandments, right?

Of course you don't.

But you can believe whatever you want. That's the good thing about not living in a theocracy.

[2ndAmForComputers]

8. Go easy on him.

He lost two good buddies yesterday.

[cleanhippie]

9. not buddies, laundry.

That dryer monster gets a sock every time.

[Leontius]

12. The continued false accusations and characterizations about me and what I post

seem to indicate what some people would classify as classic case of serial refusal to be truthful and honest about anything which I have posted. Why do you seem have such a hard time about being truthful and honest ? Do you realize that there are other methods to debate or argument than distortion of positions and outright falsehoods that would give your view perhaps some credibility? Even giving in context citations of posts you claim I have made would be a start on the road to rehabilitating your reputation of lacking veracity with many who read your posts in response to what I have actually said in this group.

[cleanhippie]

13. So by settled law you mean that it's unconstitutional to put up the 10 commandments, right?

[Leontius]

14. Put up by the state in state facilities, it is a clear violation of the establishment clause

of the First Amendment.

[cleanhippie]

15. Excellent. Taken as your response to the school district for trying to do just that, yes, move on.

How can we get our secular government entities, such as this school district, to cease these clearly unconstitutional attempts to insert their religion, like the 10 Commandments?



And you have my apologies for assuming you felt otherwise.

[Leontius]

16. You can't unless you're willing to deny the right of some citizens

to fully participate in the governance of the state by seeking and holding elected offices. The only counterbalance to overreach of religion or those whose sole motivation seems steeped in their form of religious truth as the basis for the state, into state action is to form alliances to support a clear line that says 'This far and no further', and offer alternative candidates to keep civil government from morphing into some form of clerical government. The choices are sometimes clear and sometimes less so and that is the danger of an ill-informed, inattentive or apathetic electorate.

[cleanhippie]

17. Wow. We really agree!

I guess the next question is, how do we determine, within this alliance, just how far, 'This far and no further' really is.

I have some opinions on that, but you have likely heard them. How would you go about defining 'This far and no further', and where is that line for you?

[Leontius]

20. That is a problem isn't it, where is the line?

How do you determine the purpose of allowing religious expression in the 'public domain' which is usually controlled or owned by the state for the common use of society at large. Just as a start the use of prayers and religious symbols in state offices where state business is conducted while not perhaps intended to exclude or intimidate should not be allowed, a complete neutrality should be maintained.

[cleanhippie]

21. Is anyone trying to control religious expression "in the public domain"?

I don't think so. I think that most would be perfectly happy if those in a government position would respect our secular government, be it a school board, county librarian, public school bus driver, city council person, state representative, congressperson, senator or even president, did not espouse their personal religious views and beliefs while they are executing the duties of their job and not base laws and ordinances based on their personal religious beliefs. That's a great place to draw the line for starters, don't you think?

[Leontius]

22. Yes I do believe there are people who wish to control or even eliminate religious expression

just as there are people who believe that it should be allowed to dominate and exclude other forms of expression. I want our government to remain civil without regard to any religious viewpoint. I agree that in the performance of their jobs they must set aside their personal religious views or if they can't they must remove themselves from the job. As to using their religious views in trying to pass laws and forming opinion I personally have no problem with it since I don't consider religious views to have any more importance or be any more valid than any other reason someone has for promoting their political positions but I do understand that "because God wants it this way" has a great sway with many people and agree it would be better left out of the political debate.

[onager]

10. Another "historically significant document" they can display...

[Phillip McCleod]

11. i used to have a hardback copy

super duper creepy. for those who don't know it's the manual for witch burning.

[pokerfan]

18. Wikipedia

The Malleus Maleficarum[2] (meaning "Hammer of the Witches[3]" in Latin; "Der Hexenhammer" in German) is a treatise on the prosecution of witches, written in 1486 by Heinrich Kramer, a German Catholic clergyman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum

[Angry Dragon]

19. Which set of Ten are they posting??

The Catholic Ten??
The Protestant Ten??
The Jewish Ten??
Can someone else post their Ten??
The first or second set of Ten in the Bible??


Does Islam have a set of Commandments??