A big tip of the hat to Hemant over at FriendlyAtheist.com for breaking this story.
Apparently our beloved Senate has a resolution in committee that would declare the first weekend in May 2008 as... wait for it....
TEN COMMANDMENTS WEEKEND
Unfebuckinglievable!!
Senate resolution 483 is Sponsored by Sam Brownback and co-sponsored by Joe Lieberman.
You can read the resolution for yourself here .
Perhaps the most ridiculous part of the resolution is that it:
"encourages citizens of the United States to reflect on the integral role that the Ten Commandments have played in the life of the Nation"
Integral role in the life of our nation, huh?
I suppose the good lord made an Ethereal Exemption in the case of America, and actually sanctioned stealing of the land from the natives and killing as many of them as we could; after all they worshiped the dirt and not the Big Guy. Maybe this is where god "blessed"America. And, not to split hairs here, but isn't there freedom of religion in this country. Doesn't that mean that you are free to worship whatever god (or none) that you choose? Isn't this in DIRECT opposition of the FIRST commandment? Hmm?
I like George Carlin's take on the Commandments:
This is but another banana peel placed on the slippery slope of our beloved nation becoming a theocracy, where the only 'separation' remaining is the tax exempt status the church enjoys.
Call your senator and tell him that you do not sanction this silliness!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Congressional Clownery
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7 comments:
'Organized religion' is responsible for many atrocities, but keep in mind that there are many other constructs which can be just as easily perverted. Religion, government, and science are like guns; in the right hands and used properly they can do good things, in the wrong hands and used inappropriately they can do great harm.
Consider K's (MIB) words:
"A person is smart; people are stupid creatures who follow the mob and you know it."
If you zap out all forms of religion tomorrow do you think we will suddenly find ourselves on the pollen path? What would fill the void?
EX: The US was born out of the principle that we are all endowed by our creator will certain unalienable rights. What framework would you use to replace it ? Science ? The scientific community agrees on very little; there are as many opinions as there are scientists. Do you suggest majority rule ?
The key to facilitating productive change is to develop/test/get buy-in for the new paradigm BEFORE you trash the old one.
So, we meet again, Mr Bond.
As you seemed determined to do, you once again rail against a point I did not make here. My point here is simply that our congress seems mandated to do a far greater thing than fondle the religious interest in this country and make such RIDICULOUS resolutions. Please don't tell me you are drinking the Kool-Aid and take no umbrage to this tax-payer funded chicanery.
And pointing to the Declaration's use of the term "endowed by their creator..." certainly does not identify the nature of said "creator" and most certainly does not adopt Christianity and the 10 commandments as the official state dogma.
Now, you know I'm usually 100% in agreement with your arguments here. But, I feel like you may have made one small mistake here in one of your arguments. You said, "I suppose the good lord made an Ethereal Exemption in the case of America, and actually sanctioned stealing of the land from the natives and killing as many of them as we could; after all they worshiped the dirt and not the Big Guy." Well, the Christian god that I have come to know and love would not need to make any exceptions to make stealing the land acceptable! God would have been 100% behind the efforts of the British to take the land from the indians! Here's a great example:
"Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors. "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him." (Deuteronomy 13:13-19 NLT)"
or maybe this one:
"Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed. (Exodus 22:19 NAB)"
He said it, not me :)
I see your point Scott, but I was speaking only in reference to the commandments- other old testament drivel notwithstanding.
:-)
You realize that you and I arguing over scripture...well.....damn!
I'm on target, but I'm not as interested in the minutia as I am in the big picture. US law is replete with references to the Judeo-Christian deity. The US government is based on Judeo-Christian principles. You don't like those facts ---- I am not entirely comfortable with them either ---- but my point is ---- what do we change to?
I used to tell my troops that I would only entertain their complaints if they were willing to propose a viable solution to the problem. This bit of legislation is a symptom of a disease process --- don't get hung up a symptom ----- cure the disease and the symptom will resolve.
I admit I don't have a wholesale solution to the problem of religion and all its ills. But I certainly can propose that we stop indulging it on the governmental level- especially since we like to believe that the country was founded on principles of freedom of religion. In order to have true freedom of religion, you must have freedom from religion.
What to do?
Call your senator and speak up rather than bleat!
Wow -- all spun up and quoting scripture !!! Someone ate his Wheaties this morning ;)
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