Louisiana becomes first state to require that Ten Commandments be displayed in public classrooms

[Revoltingest]

Then I fully retract my statement with my sincere apology. I missed the part of the law that mandates displaying the acceptance of slavery along with the 10 Commandments.

I'm missing some nuance here.

 

[Kathryn]

it explicitly allows participation in the slave trade, where Israelites were allowed to buy human beings as property that could be inherited and forced to breed and keep offspring of slaves as slaves them selves

Here we go with this again. Lord have mercy. For starters, that's the Old Testament, not the new Testament, and secondly, it's relaying information. "Here is what happened."

 

[mangalavara]

Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday.

What they have done is both dangerous and silly.

It is dangerous in the sense that the ‘have no other gods before me’ precept would be used by some students as a reason to other and bully students of non-Christian religions.

It is silly because the Ten Commandments Statements were not addressed to people in Louisiana. They were addressed to B’nei Yisrael. Louisiana was not brought out of Egypt. Louisiana does not have the custom of observing Shabbat. The promise of living a long life in the land of Canaan if father and mother are honored was not a promise made to Louisiana.

Commandments, by the way, are for people who must be ordered what to do when it comes to ethical behavior. Why not have a list of virtues in classrooms instead? Virtue is more about having good character rather than being someone ordered about in order to be good. The four cardinal virtues would be a good start, and they would be more neutral.

 

[Kathryn]

What they have done is both dangerous and silly.

It is dangerous in the sense that the ‘have no other gods before me’ precept would be used by some students as a reason to other and bully students of non-Christian religions.

It is silly because the Ten Commandments Statements were not addressed to people in Louisiana. They were addressed to B’nei Yisrael. Louisiana was not brought out of Egypt. Louisiana does not have the custom of observing Shabbat. The promise of living a long life in the land of Canaan if father and mother are honored was not a promise made to Louisiana.

Commandments, by the way, are for people who must be ordered what to do when it comes to ethical behavior. Why not have a list of virtues in classrooms instead? Virtue is more about having good character rather than being someone ordered about in order to be good. The four cardinal virtues would be a good start, and they would be more neutral.

The state has parishes instead of counties for goodness' sake! There are differences between the Catholic and Protestant ten commandments!

 

[SalixIncendium]

sure sounds like outrage.

Okay.

 

[Argentbear]

Does the "Ten Commandments" include an outline on how to enslave people?


Where did I say it was?

Post #227

 

[SalixIncendium]

I'm missing some nuance here.

Which part do you have? Perhaps I can help you find the rest...

 

[SalixIncendium]

Post #227

Nope. I called your comparison asinine, not your objection. Try to keep up.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

And apparently He did. News flash, slavery was considered to be OK by many groups of people for many years, and still is by some groups. Not just Southern USAers. The New Testament doesn't state anything positive or negative about slavery from what I can recall.

It would seem to me impossible for anyone, at any time, could suppose slavery was okay if they were also people who asked themselves, "how would I feel if it were me, or my children?" Any honest soul would know in that instant that it is wrong, and to then go on and behave otherwise is deeply hypocritical -- driven, one may hope, by nothing worse than cognitive dissonance.

And every religion of which I am aware has its version of the Golden Rule, as do many of the non-religious philosophies I know (like Humanism, for example).

Therefore, for anyone to suppose that slavery is OK is to thumb one's nose at one's own vauted beliefs.

 

[Kathryn]

It would seem to me impossible for anyone, at any time, could suppose slavery was okay if they were also people who asked themselves, "how would I feel if it were me, or my children?" Any honest soul would know in that instant that it is wrong, and to then go on and behave otherwise is deeply hypocritical -- driven, one may hope, by nothing worse than cognitive dissonance.

And every religion of which I am aware has its version of the Golden Rule, as do many of the non-religious philosophies I know (like Humanism, for example).

Therefore, for anyone to suppose that slavery is OK is to thumb one's nose at one's own vauted beliefs.

Nowhere in the New Testament does it condone slavery. I haven't looked up slavery for a long time, but it seemed very common in lots of communities in the Old Testament, not just Jewish communities. Where was the golden rule then?

 

[Argentbear]

Nope. I called your comparison asinine, not your objection. Try to keep up.

is it more or less asinine than saying one has no business being interested or concerned about something if it's not taking place in your local area?

 

[Argentbear]

Nowhere in the New Testament does it condone slavery. I haven't looked up slavery for a long time, but it seemed very common in lots of communities in the Old Testament, not just Jewish communities. Where was the golden rule then?

"Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and equitable but also to those who are perverse." 1 Peter 2:18
"Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ" Ephesians 6:5–8
"Those who are under the yoke of slavery must regard their masters as worthy of full respect, so that the name of God and our teaching* may not suffer abuse" 1 Timothy 6:1

 

[fantome profane]

"Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and equitable but also to those who are perverse." 1 Peter 2:18
"Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ" Ephesians 6:5–8
"Those who are under the yoke of slavery must regard their masters as worthy of full respect, so that the name of God and our teaching* may not suffer abuse" 1 Timothy 6:1

it's relaying information. "Here is what happened."

Seems like these commands are going way beyond just saying "Here is what happened".

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Yes, the Bible was used by abolitionists -- just as it was used by slave-owners. Abraham Lincoln once said, in effect, that he had been advised by religious folks on both sides of the matter, but he was certain that on a matter so central to his duty, that the deity would confide in him directly.

Sorry, it took me a while to find Lincoln's quote:

"I am approached with the most opposite opinions and advice, and that by religious men, who are equally certain that they represent the Divine will. I am sure that either the one or the other class is mistaken in the belief, and perhaps in some respects both. I hope it will not be irreverent for me to say that if it is probable that God would reveal his will to others, on a point so connected with my duty, it might be supposed he would reveal it directly to me; for, unless I am more deceived in myself than I often am, it is my earnest desire to know the will of Providence in this matter. And if I can learn what it is I will do it!"

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Nowhere in the New Testament does it condone slavery.

Ephesians 6:5
Colossians 3:22
1 Peter 2:18

Where does the New Testament disavow slavery?

 

[Kathryn]

Ephesians 6:5
Colossians 3:22
1 Peter 2:18

Where does the New Testament disavow slavery?

I said it does not condone it and it doesn't, according to the scriptures you posted.

Also, for some weird reason, the KJV (which I don't read other than online for comparison) uses the word "slave" for about fifteen different words or combos of words, which range from field hand to beloved house servant. There is a difference.

 

[Kathryn]

Seems like these commands are going way beyond just saying "Here is what happened".

See my above post and also, context, context. The New Testament doesn't involve itself with political stuff for the most part. It's basically saying whatever situation you find yourself in, be content.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

See my above post and also, context, context. The New Testament doesn't involve itself with political stuff for the most part. It's basically saying whatever situation you find yourself in, be content.

So you have 3 values for slavery. Positve as promoting it, neutral as accepting it and negative as opposing it. And you claim is that the NT is the middle one. Is that fair?

 

[Kathryn]

So you have 3 values for slavery. Positve as promoting it, neutral as accepting it and negative as opposing it. And you claim is that the NT is the middle one. Is that fair?

Neutral as in Just Stating What Is. How One Finds Oneself.

 

[fantome profane]

See my above post and also, context, context. The New Testament doesn't involve itself with political stuff for the most part. It's basically saying whatever situation you find yourself in, be content.

Thank you. I am sure we all really appreciate you telling us what it says. But also we can just read it for ourselves.