Congressman Wants Citizens of ALL Religions to Reflect on the Ten Commandments (Redux)

Shallah Kali

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Sun Apr-17-11 12:38 AM
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Congressman Wants Citizens of ALL Religions to Reflect on the Ten Commandments (Redux)

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2011/4/16/162432/056/Front_Page/Congressman_Wants_Citizens_of_ALL_Religions_to_Reflect_on_the_Ten_Commandments_Redux_

This year, the resolution comes from Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX). On April 7, Gohmert introduced H. Res. 211, a resolution "Expressing support for designation of the first weekend of May as Ten Commandments Weekend to recognize the significant contributions the Ten Commandments have made in shaping the principles, institutions, and national character of the United States."

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There is, however, one important difference between last year and this year that should be noted. While the Democrats controlled the committees, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the committee to whom resolutions like this are typically referred, did a good job of keeping these resolutions from even getting to the floor for a vote. But now, with the Republicans in control, and eight members of Rep. Randy Forbes's (R-VA) Congressional Prayer Caucus, including Louie Gohmert, on this committee, I'm nowhere near as confident that this resolution will be stalled as I was last year. After all, we just saw the House Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on the Constitution order that Forbes's resolution "Reaffirming 'In God We Trust' as the official motto of the United States," and supporting "the public display of the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions" be sent to the floor for a voice vote.

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These kinds of resolutions almost always contain a dose of Christian nationalist American history revisionism, and Gohmert's resolution, H. Res. 211, is no different. In fact, just like Sen. Sam Brownback in his 2008 Ten Commandments Weekend resolution, and Broun in his, Gohmert includes a quote from John Quincy Adams in one of his "Whereas" clauses: "Whereas the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams, declared the Ten Commandments to be 'laws essential to the existence of men in society, and most of which have been enacted by every nation, which ever professed any code of laws.'"

And, just like Brownback and Broun did in their resolutions, Gohmert omits the part of the quote in which Adams made it clear that many of the laws of the Old Testament were "adapted to that time only" and binding only on the ancient Jews. Here's what Adams actually wrote, in a letter to his son:

{link http://books.google.com/books?id=hYtIAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=it+contained+many+statutes+adapted+to+that+time+only,+and+to+the+particular+circumstances+of+the+nation+to+whom+it+was+given;+they+could+of+course+be&source=bl&ots=-U3xZbGuRe&sig=Fx_hPCHmLDgqZFU-8E83Rj-Kexo&hl=en&ei=AXyqTfXEH9Dwtgeur_zRBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA } "The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code; it contained many statutes adapted to that time only, and to the particular circumstances of the nation to whom it was given; they could of course be binding upon them, and only upon them, until abrogated by the same authority which enacted them, as they afterward were by the Christian dispensation; but many others were of universal application -- laws essential to the existence of men in society, and most of which have been enacted by every nation, which ever professed any code of laws."