Contradiction that boggles my mind

[zbdent]

(and no, this is not a "gun thread/topic")

Right-wingers often cite the moronic one-liner "If you post a sign that says it's illegal to enter this building with a handgun, then do you really believe that a criminal is going to turn around and say 'whoops, my bad, I guess that I cannot hold up this place . . .'?"

So, with that line of "logic" in place, what makes them think that seeing the Ten Commandments on every piece of public property available is really going to do the trick, either? The person already has made up his or her mind that he/she is going to commit the crime . . . (and the death penalty has been such a GREAT deterrent . . .)

shaking my head . . .

[Az]

1. Its the appeal to a higher power

The idea being that reminding people of fallible secular approach to crime and punishment pails when compared to the all seeing eye of God.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. You know, I never had a problem with the 10 C's

because of their historical role in the development of the law. But I think they should be accompanied by the Laws of Hammerabi, the Magna Carta, etc.

[arwalden]

4. No Killing, No Stealing... Two Out Of Ten?

The rest are just filler. Fact is, that it's a religious document, not a legal one. Display it on church property, or private property.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

7. Hmmm

Religious documents have historical significance sometimes. It is hard to completely split the two. In addition, many of our laws grew out of religious mores. It's fine to separate church and state and it is fine to celebrate secularism in justice, but you can't pretend history didn't happen.

I also think a few of the Leviticus laws would be interesting, too, if only to see how things have changed.

How about the one about not bearing false witness against your neighbor? Early perjury concerns? The blue laws closing businesses on Sundays for generations came out of the sabbath commandment.

[trotsky]

11. Did the laws really grow out of religious mores?

Certainly long before humans put together anything resembling a legal system, and even long before they started postulating anything close to "religion," there were tribal codes of conduct. Breaking a rule might result in expulsion from the group, which would probably mean death in the earliest human times.

Chimpanzee societies have codes of conduct, too. I don't think their rules came from religion!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

12. Good questions!

I teach art history, and specialized in pre-civilization art. I think it depends on how you define "religion." The earliest paintings on cave walls probably had some spiritual/ritualistic significance. Early sculptures are often goddess fertility figures. So the yearning for the spiritual appeared to be well in place by the time we started creating art. These were early "tribal" peoples.

Hammurabi (sp?) united all his people under one religion for the first time, and then put out his laws. I would imagine there is some correlation there.

So, yeah, I think that if you define religion as a belief in unseen things, the spiritual, etc., that it would be historically correct to say many laws grew out of that belief. It all probably developed simultaneously. Some tribal rules might have to do with "don't kill my kid or I'll kill yours" and eventually morphed into "don't kill my kid because it will piss out the Gods AND I'll kill yours."

Interesting subject. And of course farther up the line the Church was heavily involved in legislating law.

[Az]

8. And the irony is the no killing seems optional

at least according to those that support war and the death penalty.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

10. Yes, it is the situational ethics they claim to deplore. n/t

[Az]

6. The first couple are the problem

Have no god before me etc. Thats the sticking point. Throw in the issue of which actual ten commandments to hang and it just becomes a hornets nest.

[FM Arouet666]

15. I almost jumped on you

Till I read the text. Fanatical opposition to the tenC denys the historical role the commandments played in the development law.

[RobertSeattle]

3. Here's mine

RW'er: "We can't release any more Abu Grahib photos it will inflame Al Queda"

(ten seconds later)

RW'er: "We have done nothing to cause Al Queda to attack us"

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

5. Don't confuse the Gun Nuts with the Jesus Freaks

There is an intersect between the two, but it is entirely comprised of people who are completely insane. So logic doesn't hold much sway.

[Seansky]

9. sounds like new bumper sitcker is needed...

[heidler1]

13. I believe that when a person is at the end of his/her rope, with no

recourse within their perceived ability they will act like any cornered animal and do what ever it takes to survive, even if it turns out stupid. IMO This is why society must have safty nets for the desperate which in turn make it safer for the potential victim of the person who is at the end of his/her rope. Yes, I'm an Atheist.

[Disturbed]

14. Thou shalt not kill."

I think that somewhere the translation got waylaid. Doesn't he commandment state "Thou shalt not murder'?

There is a difference between "murder" and "kill". The god of the Israelites, according to the OT instructed the Israelites to kill humans and animals many times. Their god was one of War and ritual animal slaying.