Protesters Rally For Ten Commandments Sign
Published: October 12, 2009
LOCKLAND, Ohio—Scores of people have rallied in suburban Cincinnati to show support for a town hall Ten Commandments display that’s the target of a lawsuit.
A sign depicting the commandments has long stood outside the hall in Lockland. The suit filed recently by village resident Christopher Knecht claims the display is unconstitutional.
Sign supporters at the rally on Sunday included Lockland Mayor Ronald Johnson. Speakers described the legal challenge as part of a broader assault on Christian rights and values.
Protest organizer Mark Mason says if the Ten Commandments display doesn’t fare well in the lawsuit, his side is prepared to take the fight to an appeals court.
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“but quite frankly the laws of Moses with the 10 commandments being the cornerstone are part of legal history. “
I find the above claim to be a bit dubious. Laws were around well before the 10 commandments were made. Our current laws are based off the common law system, which is what English law is based off of, which borrows from Roman, Greek, and likely, many other cultures along the way. It is true that the bible, and the commandments, have influenced laws over time, but to say it is the basis is stretching it.
If religion taught peace and love I would agree that it might be a good thing, and many people say that it does, but in practice, it does not. Take time and read the comments that Christians make here and on other message boards, particularly the fox news message boards, and I don’t see love. I see a protective shield for hate. It is okay to hate gays because they are going against god. It is okay to hate muslims because it is going against god. It is okay to hate so many people, and the bible is used to justify it all.
What really strikes me as hilarious are all the different interpretations of god. Many religous posters will reply to another religous poster’s comments with, “Well, MY GOD, doesn’t belive xxx”.
Really, god is a part of your subconscious that tells you what you want it to. Man isn’t built in god’s image, god is built in man’s image.
Even the word of god is easy to manipulate. The bible has been translated for more than a thousand years, passed down through generations of people, the words are vastly different now than what they were. You ever played the telephone game as a child? Multiply that by 1800 years or so and see what you get.
The only reason you support the 10 commandments is because you are a christian. If those commandments came from the Qu’ran, or the church of the flying spaghetti monster, I think you would be totally outraged.
Laws don’t need god involved, because god isn’t the one administering, maintaining, and applying those laws. Man does that all on his own, and has since well before Jesus ever lived.
As I read the comments, I am struck by the establishment clause and the fact that the government may not establish a state religion. Say 10 commandments and everyone immediately wants to jump to the religious side, but quite frankly the laws of Moses with the 10 commandments being the cornerstone are part of legal history. These laws were a framework to at least start the discussion of laws that may not have anything to do with religion as much as give human beings a legal system to decide disputes and point out a basic set of morals. It is for example wrong to steal and murder in just about any society out there. So do I look at the 10 commandments as trying to establish a religion? Not near so much as I look at them as trying to establish a set of laws for living in a society. Think about it, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t sleep around on your spouse, and take at least a day off every week. When put into those terms, who can get all upset about those ideas? Remember, people have done terrible things in the name of religion, but it doesn’t make religion bad if religion teaches peace love and good common sense decency. It just makes those guilty of doing wrong things in the name of religion terrible. I don’t have to do terrible things too if for example I obey the commandment against murder or stealing.
Mrsgryan wrote:
“In schools they take a way the right to pray, read the bible, etc. But others can be allowed to wear their cultures dress and also have a bathroom in the school shut down so the children can “worship” during school hours. To me that is definitely allowing only one religion to worship and not the others.“
You’re missing big differences between allowing an individual student to worship alone during class hours and the whole class or school holding organized worship services of its own, or the difference between being “forced to learn about” other religious holidays and “not (being) allowed to celebrate Christmas at school.“ If your children can celebrate Christmas in a way that doesn’t involve or indoctrinate their classmates, I don’t see how the school could tell that it was happening, much less try to prevent it from happening.
You also seem to blur the distinction between “culture” and “religion.“ You might associate some cultural indicators with particular religions, but they are not one and the same.
Too bad that Cincy is a couple hours away or I would go and counter protest.
I don’t want the ten commandments put up on our court buildings, or any government building.
I don’t want the teachings of the Qu’ran posted either, nor the torrah or any other religious works.
I don’t remember hearing about any schools forbidding prayer, they just forbid forced, group prayer, or prayer led by a teacher. If a student wants to pray on their own accord that is fine.
As far as teaching religion is concerned, the study of religion is an appropriate school activity.
I don’t need the bible as a moral compass, I believe in personal freedoms, private property, and the natural rights of man.
That’s not a horrible idea, but what if a religion you strongly disagree with wants to put up symbols of their faith? Are you going to be cool with Satanists erecting something from their church on the Statehouse lawn? Probably not.
My children are not allowed to celebrate Christmas at school but are forced to learn about Chanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other religous holidays. The constitution states that states should not express only “one” religion. Why can we not show all? Instead of fighting to get one religion’s things removed why not fight to get yours added. In schools they take a way the right to pray, read the bible, etc. But others can be allowed to wear their cultures dress and also have a bathroom in the school shut down so the children can “worship” during school hours. To me that is definitely allowing only one religion to worship and not the others. This country is unbelievable anymore. That is why we are in the state that we are in. Why can’t we all get along and let others worship the way they want. There is a freedom of religion in the country and Christians are getting the freedom taken away from them.
It’s not a commentary on any particular faith. The Ten Commandments are not an appropriate display for a government building, even if the meaning behind those Commandments are moral building blocks for all people.
Yes, cause only religious figures molest and rape children. WHATEVER!!!! All walks of life commit these crimes including doctors, lawyers, politicians, plumbers, movie directors, CEO, teachers and the list goes on!!!!
I don’t want the ten commandments up if this is any indication of religion:
California: Pastor Jessica Banks sentenced to life in prison for physically and sexually abusing her five adopted daughters.
Illinois: Jung Hee Chang charged with trespassing for refusing the leave the home of a woman who did not want her soul prayed for.
Ohio: Pastor Dale Griffin charged with six counts of raping a parishioner.
California: Pastor Lonnie McGowan charged with defrauding an 86 year-old parishioner of over $500K.
Maryland: Rabbi Jay Wagner charged with embezzling funds from the Orthodox school where he is vice principal.
Florida: Pastor Ronnie McGill, who is serving a 20 year sentence for real estate fraud, re-offended from behind bars by using the phone to attempt to con someone out of $40K for a new church.
Arizona: Youth Pastor Joshua O’Bannion confesses to sex with 14 year-old female congregant.
North Carolina: Pastor James William Rupard arrested for selling fake insurance policies. Thirty years ago Rupard was convicted of murdering his grandparents.
Connecticut: Convicted child molester Father Paul Stanley has assembled over 100 scientists and psychologists to discount the validity of repressed memory syndrome, which was used by witnesses against him.
Nova Scotia: Seventy men will share a $13M class action settlement for sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests, providing a court certifies the offer made by the church. Three priests have been convicted in the case.
Florida: Father David Dueppen slapped with restraining order by stripper who claims he fathered her baby. She claims he threatened to kill her and her baby if she persisted in her demand for a DNA paternity test.
This Week’s Winner—
Missouri: Father Gerald Howard has been accused of child molestation by three more men after word got out that Howard had changed his name after confessing to the same crime in 1982. Howard says that Catholic Church authorities had told him to change his name after the conviction, then transferred him from New Jersey to Missouri under the new name. News of Howard’s former name came out earlier this summer when Mark McAllister, now 39, received a $600K settlement from the church. McAllister says that Howard kept up his sexual relationship with him even after pleading guilty to molesting him.
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