Hamilton County (TX) May Install Ten Commandments Monument Outside Courthouse

[columbus]

I don't think todays moralistic value has any real meaning if its applied other periods of history

But Biblical morality, applied to other periods of history, does?
Tom

 

[Darkforbid]

But Biblical morality, applied to other periods of history, does?
Tom

And?

 

[We Never Know]

In which case angered citizens may exercise the right of the sledge hammer---actually, I'd like to see the thing put up just to see it torn down.

"For some reason, the commissioners in Hamilton County, Texas think it’d be a great idea to install a stand-alone Ten Commandments monument outside the local courthouse, despite a very clear Supreme Court ruling that says that very thing is an illegal promotion of Christianity.

There’s already an “In God We Trust” sign outside the courthouse which skirts the boundary of church/state separation but has traditionally been on the “legal” side of it. The Ten Commandments one, however, would cross that boundary without question.

When the commissioners met this week, the discussion went in the wrong direction when a local judge cosplaying Roy Moore insisted there was nothing wrong with the potential Christian monument.

“I have no problem bringing it before the court and the will of the people in my opinion will be served,” County Judge Mark Tynes said.

“There have been those who waved the Constitution at me and I said, ‘OK wonderful, show me in the Constitution where what we are doing is against the Constitution?’”​

It’s in the amendments somewhere. One of the first few, I think. Pretty early in the bunch.

Christ, that man is a judge…"
source
​

What is it, the water they drink down south?

.​

Unless they are trying to make me read it, preaching it to me or trying to make me follow them, squabbles like these are pointless IMO.

How does it cause harm to anyone?
I don't believe in santa but have to see all the santa things every year that decorate the streets and etc but they cause no harm to anyone either.

I understand it's a religious symbol yet it harms no one. You can go on about all the different religions and why don't they also put their religious symbols up, my question would be how many of those existed here when America became America and did our founders follow those religions. It's pretty obvious America has a history of christianity dating back to the writing of the declaration of independence and the words god or the divine are mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall. The word "In God We Trust" first appeared in U.S. coins in 1864.

The town I live in, the city police and county sheriffs cars all have "In God We Trust" stickered/painted on them(usually the back bumper). It hurts and harms no one, doesn't affect their performance and every one still calls them when they are needed.

IMO, in reality it all comes down to people just wanting things to argue about that can't find better things to do with their time.

 

[columbus]

And?

Is that a yes or a no?
Tom

 

[columbus]

Unless they are trying to make me read it, preaching it to me or trying to make me follow them, squabbles like these are pointless IMO.

So, why do Christian people keep doing it? Why keep starting these squabbles, if it isn't to stick a finger in the eye of everyone else because they are the majority and can get away with it?
Tom

 

[We Never Know]

So, why do Christian people keep doing it? Why keep starting these squabbles, if it isn't to stick a finger in the eye of everyone else because they are the majority and can get away with it?
Tom

It takes two to squabble.

 

[columbus]

It takes two to squabble.

But when one is the government and one is the rest of us that isn't just "two".
Tom

 

[We Never Know]

But when one is the government and one is the rest of us that isn't just "two".
Tom

Two groups, to religions, two people, etc. It takes two.

 

[columbus]

Two groups, to religions, two people, etc. It takes two.

And when one is the government and the other the little people
You really think that's "two"?
Seriously?
Tom

 

[We Never Know]

And when one is the government and the other the little people
You really think that's "two"?
Seriously?
Tom

Tell me something Tom. If they put up the 10 commandments at the court house where you live, how will that harm you or affect your life?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Well ain't you the embodiment of presentism. Don't you understand regardless of the Reasons , we cannot apply modern standards of judgements on the historical events.

If that's how things worked we wouldn't have institutional review boards. Judging and evaluating the past with modern standards is why the US Constitution reads "Congress shall make no laws respecting the establishment of religion," because in the past when the state respects the church bad things often happened. And of course learning from our mistakes requires us to judge our past by our present.
Unless, of course, you want to say it wasn't a problem that slavery used to be a common practice.

 

[Revoltingest]

Not saying that. I am saying that the Clause does not apply to municipal or county governments, it only apply to the federal government by virtue of the 1st amendment and to states by virtue of the 14th

You should read the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution.
Article VI, Clause 2....
"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in
Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the
Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the
Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution
or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding."

Are those municipalities or counties within a state?
If so, the Constitution applies to them too.

 

[Darkforbid]

And when one is the government and the other the little people
You really think that's "two"?
Seriously?
Tom

Yes, one is just the judge

 

[Darkforbid]

If that's how things worked we wouldn't have institutional review boards. Judging and evaluating the past with modern standards is why the US Constitution reads "Congress shall make no laws respecting the establishment of religion," because in the past when the state respects the church bad things often happened. And of course learning from our mistakes requires us to judge our past by our present.
Unless, of course, you want to say it wasn't a problem that slavery used to be a common practice.

They don't

 

[Revoltingest]

Local government is restricted in some things but not all things by the Constitution. There is nothing in the language of the Clause that says it applies to local governments and federal and state jurisdiction over them can only go so far.

So a local government could reinstitute slavery?
Deny blacks & women the vote?

It sounds like you're advocating that the Constitution be a
cafeteria style of governing document, ie, pick what you want.

 

[We Never Know]

And when one is the government and the other the little people
You really think that's "two"?
Seriously?
Tom

Also this is about religion, "Florida clarifies license photo rules to allow women to wear hijab".
Do you complain and fight against that too?

 

[Revoltingest]

Tell me something Tom. If they put up the 10 commandments at the court house where you live, how will that harm you or affect your life?

I must jump in here.....
It is personally harmful in that it puts all on notice that the court is a Christian
affair....their version of Sharia. I've already endured the choice of pretending
to be one of them when affirming that I'll testify truthfully...or asking that I be
given a secular oath. The former is forced prayer of a sort. The latter is to
tacitly notify a judge &/or jury I'm not of their tribe, & perhaps not to be trusted.
Religion should not be made a factor in decisions & enforcement of justice.

Would you want your life or fortune to be ruled over by those who are likely
to look down upon you as an infidel?

 

[Revoltingest]

So a local government could reinstitute slavery?
Deny blacks & women the vote?

It sounds like you're advocating that the Constitution be a
cafeteria style of governing document, ie, pick what you want.

If so, what use would it be?

 

[We Never Know]

I must jump in here.....
It is personally harmful in that it puts all on notice that the court is a Christian
affair....their version of Sharia. I've already endured the choice of pretending
to be one of them when affirming that I'll testify truthfully...or asking that I be
given a secular oath. The former is forced prayer of a sort. The latter is to
tacitly notify a judge &/or jury I'm not of their tribe, & perhaps not to be trusted.

IMO I disagree. It shows they believe in the commandments which most try to to with being moral.
I don't believe in god but the commandments are a good list to follow even for me.
If they where supposedly written by John Doe instead of a god, no one would care.

 

[We Never Know]

If so, what use would it be?

Do you reply to and question yourself often