"...by a monument of the 10 Commandments? None." says Melinda Penner about today's Supreme Court decision. She says they got it wrong:
If the Ten Commandments represents an establishment of religion, my question is: Which religion is established? "Religion" as used in the Constitution means a specific denomination or doctrine, such as Roman Catholic or Presbyterian. Several religions, at least, ascribe to the Old Testament and the Torah that include the Ten Commandments. A non-exhaustive list: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah Witness. If several religions can be identified with the Ten Commandments, then no one religion is being established.
And...
encouragement of religion in public life isn't the same as establishing a religion.
For a really thorough, insightful and loooooong explanation & perspective of the role of the 10 Commandments in American history and law, get yourself a cup of coffee, go here, scroll down thru the legal stuff, and be fascinated. David Barton summarizes:
The fact that some may not agree with all of the commandments...does not mean it should be prohibited from display any more than does the fact that not everyone agrees with all of the protections in the Bill of Rights requires that the Bill of Rights should not be displayed-or that because not everyone agrees with what the American flag represents requires the flag should not be displayed.
To prohibit the display...simply because the first four commandments are more religious in nature than are the other six is like permitting the display of George Washington’s “Farewell Address” or Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” speech or the “Mayflower Compact” only if each document is displayed without its religious portions. In a display of any of the aforementioned works, it is not the advocation of religion that is occurring but rather the recognition of a significant historical contribution made to America that also happens to include religion.
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