Texas lawmakers have begun filing bills for the 82nd Legislative Session, which begins in January. Among the early legislation is House Bill 79 by state Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van:
POSTING OF TEN COMMANDMENTS. The board of trustees of an independent school district may not prohibit the posting of a copy of the Ten Commandments in a prominent location in a district classroom.
Expect more legislation like this. At a time when the Legislature is faced with a massive budget deficit, some lawmakers simply can’t resist trying to distract voters with divisive and unnecessary “culture war” battles. Indeed, the culture wars to some politicians are like light bulbs to June bugs.
You might recall that Rep. Flynn also spoke before the Texas State Board of Education earlier this year in favor of the board’s politicized rewrite of social studies curriculum standards.
And then, when it gets shot down, the wingnuts will scream that the liberals are trying to ban religion in America.
Instead of the 10C, how about Leviticus 20? That’ll give schoolkids something to think about.
Leviticus 20
Punishments for Sin
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. 3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4 If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, 5 I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.
6 “‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.
7 “‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.
9 “‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.
10 “‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.
11 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
12 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, both of them are to be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.
13 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
14 “‘If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.
15 “‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he is to be put to death, and you must kill the animal.
16 “‘If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
17 “‘If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.
18 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.
19 “‘Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.
20 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.
21 “‘If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.
22 “‘Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. 24 But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations.
25 “‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those that I have set apart as unclean for you. 26 You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.
27 “‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’”
Therefore, the constitutional reply is simple:
The Ten Commandments of Moses relate to and are about “religion.” Therefore, their posting or establishment, as well as the posting of the propositions of any religion whatsoever, including “God,” upon public property at any location, by any public school district or any governmental body within the United States of America, is unconstitutional on its face.
I like the idea of them pulling this crap and then having it go before the Roberts court and voted down. I have confidence even the Roberts court will vote properly on this. This will cost the state millions, probably and the lawmaker should be held accountable.
What happens when the Wiccans want to post their “and it harm none” rede? I guess we will just have to litigate freedom of religion right up to SCOTUS.
Idiots.
OK, which version of the Commandments, Protestant or Catholic? Old English or current English? Spanish? Why can’t this simply be left to houses of worship (churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, Sunday schools, homes and families)? Does religion really need to be propped up by government? — Edd Doerr, President, Americans for Religious Liberty, http://www.arlinc.org
Very good question, Edd. Which version, Rep. Flynn?
Edd,
That’s easy. We use the version from the King James with Roman numerals in front of each commandment. That’s the version that was originally engraved on the stone tablets by God for Charlton Heston.
As for Leveticus 20:15….”You must kill the animal” ? Talk about blaming the victim!
So… So… Monty Python help me here. Roman numerals were not invented by ancient Roman scribes. Instead, they originated in heaven long before the Romans and their empire and…and… We would have never known that if Cecil B. De Mille had not filmed it live when the 10 Commandments were given to Moses 4000 years ago and…and… DeMille transported the film forward in time to 1956 so Richie Cunningham could see it at his local movie house so…so…a Biblical linguist would see it …and… and… then he would pass it onto ABC TV and… and… they would pass it onto other people like you and me.
So, how did the Romans get them? I’m totally confused. I need an expert. Call for Phillip Morr… uh… Don McLeroy!!!!!
@ Jim Ramsey: Yes, and actually the Commandments in the movie were written in Phoenician letters. Anyone notice? So if they’re to be posted, the question is: should the Phoenician or Hebrew alphabet be used?
@ Ben: Actually, connies would agree with all of Leviticus 20. Especially the parts about killing people who engage in sex outside of that which is between one man and one woman.
@ Gene Garman: Connies only complain when religion is constitutionally prohibited or restricted. When they want to use it freely or promote it for their own purposes, the Constitution does not apply.
Could this be a diversion to screw you up with something far more sinister while everyone is screaming religious crap?
I find the whole American religion thing to be cheap theatre. Instead of ******* up your country even more (how?), why not address the issue that the dollar is in the toilet? Or that no one wants to fly to your miserable country because you make air travel so miserable that only hardened masochists would want to fly.
You also have a literacy problem, an immigration problem and recent movies have all sucked.
Bunny. You are obviously not aware of an ancient American tradition. We Americans can criticize each other with vile acidity using the words you wrote above and worse. Outsiders are not allowed to do that without considerable social sanction in most quarters (TFN excluded). This is when we circle the wagons and load the Winchesters.
When your country gets 317 Nobel Prizes and your sister can do this, give us a call and maybe we’ll talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0VSK0k0WEo
As a matter of fact, I’m surprised a Christian would do such a thing or want to see such a thing happen. Jesus was supposed to have done away with all that cumbersome, unnecessary “Old Testament” crap. Out with the old, in with the new. It makes no sense that Christians are now turning to the Old Testament. What a wacky, contradictory undecided bunch they are!
It makes no sense to call them Christians.
It’s just seat of your pants, throw -something -up -and see- what- sticks, fascism.
Which is why the Founding Fathers and the First Congress eliminated any confusion and got the wording, concept, and constitutional principle correct from the beginning, by properly framing and strictly constructing terms through use of the word “religion,” not “church.” The word “religion” includes every brand name or proposition related to “religion.” Now, if I could just get separationists, including TFN, to comprehend that simple understanding of the actual words in the supreme law of the land. Perhaps I need to write a book? Oh, I already did. KISS.
Ok everyone stop and remember our Nation was based upon God and religion. So taking our heredity out of the classrooms makes us no more then the ones that are running our country now. We need to get back to where we started from. Once the Nation turns herself back to God then we will start dealing with the rest. Once we took PRAYER out of school our Nation started going down hill. WE as a Nation use to mean something the world trembled when they realized we back others that they we against. So where are we now they say who cares. We don’t even take care of our Veterans like we use to.
“Ok everyone stop and remember our Nation was based upon God and religion.”
This is a joke, right?
Right?
Please tell me you aren’t that miseducated.
The Democrats have greatly improved conditions for the active GI”s, their families, and the veterans.
The only prayer we took out of our schools was a single prayer at the start of the class day. Any student can privately pray any time he or she wants.
God and I have been in communication for a long time. Since I gave up on organized religion when I was 13.
I don’t need anyone to get between me and God. My relationship with God is none of your effing business, Teresa.
Our nation was not founded on God and religion. That’s just a lie. It was founded on the constitution.
Christianity has flourished under a secular governing system, now a bunch of insecure idiots want to upset the apple cart.
Well, OK.
Bring it on.
Ben “aren’t that miseducated.”?
“”….ain’t that ignernt.”
“Please tell me you ain’t that ignernt.”
Well, duh, let’s find out. Are the words “church and state” in the Constitution?
That should of course be ‘misundereducated’ Isn’t our children learning any thing at school? 😉
This Jesus guy also had something to say about people running around displaying their faith in order to be seen and admired.
What about: Don’t pray in public but go into your room and lock the door?
Matthew 6:
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Thanks, Hartmut. That’s one of my favorites. It’s funny how evangelicals have very little interest in the words of Jesus himself.
Nice Palinism, there, too.
As soon as I have some money I’m going on Amazon and buying Gene’s book on the separation of religion and state.
Well, heck. I might just buy Gene’s book too. What’s the going price these days?
Teresa Kight said:
“We need to get back to where we started from. Once the Nation turns herself back to God then we will start dealing with the rest.”
I would be more than happy to turn the nation over to Jesus. It’s ignorant people like you, David Barton, and the other so-called right wing extremist “Christian” leaders that you follow blindly and without questioning that concern me. In their minds, “dealing with all the rest” (as you put it) is trashing Social Security and Medicare so many millions of old people will have no funds, be miserably sick, and die wretched deaths. Tell me where the “thou shalt honor thy father and mother” is in that? Better still, go ask David Barton, Tony Perkins, Dave Welch, or one of those other fruitcakes you follow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb7SbUWw9dM
I posted that link on FB for you, Gene. Hopefully you’ll be able to park your car in your garage soon.
I would love to see something like GE College Bowl back on tv, which would be a serious venue for juxtaposing knowledge with ignorance.
Have scholarship , tuition money, etc. for prizewinners. Make it interactive with college, secondary educational internet networks.
Less dumbed down than are you smarter than a 5th grader. Etc.
Teresa Kight wrote: “Once we took PRAYER out of school our Nation started going down hill.”
With all due respect, that’s B.S. Our nation started going downhill when the first battle against Native Americans took place and the first boatload of African slaves arrived in North America.
And, excuse me, but only a nationalist capitalizes ‘nation.’
It’ s textbook ignorance and obstinance, Cytocop. PBS had a great program on recently, “When Worlds Collide”, about the “discovery” of America by Columbus and subsequent events.
The truth is that we can say that America’s greatest moment was when we defeated fascist Germany and Japan, but in so doing so we set a complex chain of events into motion that threaten our greatness. All cultures and societies are in a constant flux, failing to recognize that is the greatest danger to our survival as a nation.