First Commandment of First Amendment?

Question

How can you reconcile having the Ten Commandments posted in public buildings in light of the First Commandment and First Amendment? Surely one violates the other.

Intresting BHbaritone, hadn't thought of that angle.

I fail to see how "Thou shalt have not other Gods before me" and "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" are complimentary. They are in fact, diametrically opposed ideas.

Mary, does that mean you agree with the Separation of Church and State and feel the Ten Commandments shouldn't be displayed on public buildings?

The Supreme Court has some intresting points, and I might even go along with their reasoning, if not for the First Commandment itself. However, you'll forgive me and other yahoo users if we don't let the Supreme Court or any other body do our thinking for us. By the way, argument from appeal to authority is a logical fallacy. If I had wanted to hear what the Court had said on the subject, I would have asked them. Why don't YOU tell me what YOU think?

Answer 1

Never thought of it that way, good point. Seems you'd offend both the religion AND the government while trying to compliment them.

Answer 2

The Supreme Court, which is decidedly more authoritative on this subject than most Yahoo-ers, has said that the simple presence of the Ten Commandments is not in itself an endorsement of religion that violates the First Amendment. It depends on context and on the intention of those who put it there. Basically, it is okay as a historical remembrance of humans attempting to implement laws for their society, if there is no intention to promote a religious viewpoint and if other viewpoints are similarly honored. When the display is intended to promote a religious viewpoint or when the Commandments are the only or the main item displayed, then the First Amendment is violated, because that tends to make some religious views seem to have official sanction (contrary to the Establishment Clause). The question is not at all as cut-and-dry as you have suggested.

Answer 3

I personally believe in the separation of church and state in todays society. Ideally, however, church and state have always in the past been inseperable. This is something that it is harder and harder to reconcile these days because church doctrine is not law and state law is not always in agreement with scripture.

This argument - which i agree with- about not having the comandments ona public building is easily extended. Where does it end?

Eventually we will not say the pledge of alliegance - "One Nation Under God"

Or "In God We Trust" will be taken off of all of the United States money.

Should Churches be able to run schools - education is, after all, state and federally regulated

Whiel we're at it - should politicians (since they run the government) be allowed to follow a particular religion. There may be a certain bias especially on religious issues.

You have to draw the line somewhere, and although it's a weak argument, the fact is that the commandments are not just a religious document -they're also a historical one.

there is no law saying historical document 9or replicas) can not be displayed. On the same note, a Naxi swastika and confederate flag may be safe using the same argument.

So there are different ways of looking at it, but in the end, it really depends on who is makign the decision. That is why the Justices of the Supreme court interpret the laws, not decide upon them. One year it could be constitutional , one year, with a different set of judges or cultural circumstances, it could be illegal.

Answer 4

Erecting the 10 commandments violates both the 1st commandment and 1st amendment. No Gods includes not placing the 10 commandments above God himself.

Answer 5

Ten Commandments were "added",
and "because of the transgression".
But where no law, no transgression.
So there had to be law prior to Ten.
Aha, maybe Gen 2:17 contradicts 16.
Maybe Christ abolished this one law,
called "the law" of "commandments".
Such effectively abolished all laws,
which were added because of 1 law,
leaving you all with grace of Gen 2:16.

To sum it up in a couple of verses:

The law (and lie) were given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

He taketh away the first,
that he might establish the second.

Law: press DELETE to take away.
Grace: press SAVE to e-stablish.

Then what have you got, but "the end";
whereby all saved(only) by grace(only):

The GRACE of our Lord JC with you all. Amen.

Answer 6

Serving God first and foremost in your life is the MOST important commandment of all of them. The government is separate from God.
God is supremacy.

Answer 7

Both are rules written by men, both just made to be broken. Personally the Bill of Rights holds more clout for me.

Answer 8

Interesting point, Skippy.

Answer 9

I think that they compliment each other.