The Buddhas displayed at the Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii are incredible. One is at the top of a staircase going outside so you have to look up at it as you climb towards the archway. It's surrounded by misty gardens and certainly injects even more of a feeling of peace and serenity in an already peaceful and serene paradise.
I think your point which has been made by others is that there is freedom of religion which should mean equal opportunity for all religions. Promoting only one in a public space is quite simply unfair and in this case, arrogant and unfeeling and ignorant.
Part, LW. The other part is the Ten Commandments itself. I have always had trouble believing Moses came down that mountain with these stone tablets that God had written in a fiery hand. The first miracle is that he didn't slip and kill himself.
I suppose one could look at the Commandments as ecumenical. That first part about no other Gods and graven images is what set three major religions on their path of monotheism. After that, it became practical - we still have cases of aduterous women stoned to death. But it is always assumed that God is a he (in the Judeo-Christian-Muslim world). Many other religions either make it a she, or use both shes and hes.
Ah, what the heck. It's only a big stone, after all.
mamajuana wrote:Part, LW. The other part is the Ten Commandments itself. I have always had trouble believing Moses came down that mountain with these stone tablets that God had written in a fiery hand. The first miracle is that he didn't slip and kill himself.
Hmmm...haven't watched much Mel brooks, have you?
I've mentioned that scene before, hobitbob -- Mel is Moses treking down the mountain with three tablets in his "History of the World, Part I". He's reciting the line about having these "fifteen" commandments, loses control of his burden and drops one which breaks into a thousand pieces, to which he adds, "ooops...these ten commandments." Very funny and very pointedly satiric (like someone decided the commandments should adhere to the metric system). Of course, Heston did it with fake stone made out of foam (after they'd been carved out by some 4th of July fireworks). That is likely the most ridiculous scene in the movie other than some of the soap opera drivel between Moses and Nefertiri.
Whether you are or are not a Christian does it matter?
There are statues of lots of things that people could find offensive that are not questioned, Billboards are terrible, monuments to people who maybe controversial etc.....
so why Pick on the 10 commandments?
I don't agree with a lot of the things I see out and about generally, in shops, TV, whatever, its the ways things are, if you don't like it don't look.
There are no billboards in courthouses and I doubt you'll find a statue of Martin Luther King in a courthouse. The Ten Commandments do not belong in a courthouse thoroughfare -- only two of them even relate to actual laws. Trying to ignore that particular monument that was removed is like trying to ignore an alligator in your living room.
This discussion is rather dead until this may or may not make its way to the Supreme Court -- on this one, I don't think they will touch this case.
an interesting experiment would have been to replace the protestant 10 commandments in the courthouse with the catholic 10 commandments. they differ only in numbering but those southern baptists take that stuff seriously.
Good point, ye110man, and welcolme to A2K.
Southern Baptists also advocate (at least the clerics) that women should be relegated to the kitchen. I would think the Catholic Ten Commandments in front of a courthouse would be declared "out of order."
I just read with great interest (
HERE!) "that the Ten Commandments ["Hand written by the one living God" (sic!)], along with the Magna Carta and Mayflower Compact, were pillars of the U.S. legal system and society."
By Jove, God almighty!
It seems like more than coincidence that Christian *groups* think that Christian *concepts* are the foundation of the US constitution and policy.
The religious right seems to have mastered the art of grandiose self righteous display, but I'm inclined to listen to those who make the most sense, rather than those that make the most noise.
Kind of update:
Today's Montgomery Advertiser reports that Alabama taxpayers are stuck with over a half-million dollar payment for legal fees after the state reached a settlement Wednesday with the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, and the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State who had sued former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore over a Ten Commandments monument he had placed in the rotunda of the state judicial building. Moore was found guilty of state judicial ethics violations when he did not obey a federal court order to remove the monument. Moore's legal fees had to paid by state taxpayers because he was sued in his official capacity; had the groups sought to recover their full fees taxpayers would have had to pay an additional $1 million.
Quote:State to pay legal fees of $549,000
By Jannell McGrew
Montgomery Advertiser
Alabama taxpayers are getting slapped with more than a half-million dollar tab left by former Chief Justice Roy Moore's legal showdown over his Ten Commandments monument.
The state reached a settlement Wednesday with the attorneys of three groups that sued Moore about the 5,280-pound monument that was eventually removed from the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building by state authorities last year.
According to the settlement agreement, the state will pay $549,430.53.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama and the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State will have to divvy up the settlement. The groups sued the "Ten Commandments" judge and won the case in 2002.
Along with the monument, Moore also was removed from office after a judicial panel found him guilty of several ethics violations and of willfully disobeying a federal court order to remove the monument. Moore currently is appealing the ruling in the Alabama Supreme Court.
"It's unfortunate that the state had to be exposed to this kind of liability. This is a serious amount of money," said Danielle Lipow, SPLC staff attorney.
Lipow added the matter could have cost the state nearly $1 million if the groups suing Moore hadn't reduced their bill for the high-profile case.
"The Southern Poverty Law Center cut their fees by about $250,000, and the other organizations involved also took substantial hits," Lipow said. "The fact remains that former Chief Justice Moore's actions cost the state over half a million dollars."
In a statement Wednesday to the Montgomery Advertiser, Steve Melchior, Moore's attorney during the court battle, criticized former state Attorney General Bill Pryor, who prosecuted Moore in November.
"On the bright side of things, the people of the state of Alabama only had to pay approximately 10 cents per person to expose former attorney general Bill Pryor for the moral and ethical coward that he is, and the extent to which activist federal judges will go to rewrite American history and the First Amendment," Melchoir said.
While Moore paid for attorneys to argue his appeal, the bill for his defense falls on taxpayers because he was sued in his official capacity as chief justice.
Lipow said the settlement will go toward helping to fund other cases "on behalf of people whose rights have been violated."
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And the Plaintiff Melinda Maddox has been run out of town...
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truth
I would like to see someone or some organization place religious icons and commandments from scores of tribal and world religions in front or within public places where Christians insist on placing in front or within their commandments. If the Christian symbols are accpeted all the others would have to be accepted as well, lest the charge be discrimination.
truth
This reminds me of an experience in a flea market "antique" store. I saw a statue of the Buddha with a light bulb and lampshade over his head. I asked the manager to give me a call if he ever comes across a Christ on the cross with a lamp extending from his head or the cross.
Re: truth
JLNobody wrote:I would like to see someone or some organization place religious icons and commandments from scores of tribal and world religions in front or within public places where Christians insist on placing in front or within their commandments. If the Christian symbols are accpeted all the others would have to be accepted as well, lest the charge be discrimination.
We could start by using symbolic avatars. I'll go first
To revive a very old thread:
Quote:Reporting from Atlanta—
Try this one out as a sort of 11th commandment of Southern politics:
Thou Shalt Not Dismiss an Alabama Politician Who Earned National Notoriety for Sticking a Humongous Statue of the Ten Commandments in a Government Building.
That's right, y'all. Judge Roy Moore is back!
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