# Latest Ten Commandments nutjobbery **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 20, 2005, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700 "2005-01-20T10:04:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/61 "2005-01-22T22:08:08Z")
Or whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/62 "2005-01-22T22:23:25Z")
If I bought the land, I’d probably put up a monument with a few patriotic quotations from some of the Founding Fathers: > [@](#): > > I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. – [Thomas Jefferson, 1802](http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html) > [@](#): > > It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. We hold this prudent jealousy to be the first duty of Citizens, and one of the noblest characteristics of the late Revolution. The free men of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise, and entangled the question in precedents. They saw all the consequences in the principle, and they avoided the consequences by denying the principle. We revere this lesson too much soon to forget it. Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects? that the same authority which can force a citizen to contribute three pence only of his property for the support of any one establishment, may force him to conform to any other establishment in all cases whatsoever? – [James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments, 1785](http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions43.html) > [@](#): > > Religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together. [James Madison, 1822](http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/madison_livingston.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/63 "2005-01-22T22:34:40Z")
**MEBuckner** , that is a most excellent set of quotes. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/64 "2005-01-22T22:36:41Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Dumbass. He suggested a statue of Karl Marx, who, with Engels, wrote, “The Manifesto of the Communist **Party**.” And as we all know, Communist Parties are bad. Actually, they are pretty dull. Too much class struggle, not enough fun, drugs and orgies. There’s usually plenty of vodka though, but no punch to put it in. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/65 "2005-01-22T22:38:02Z")
**Liberal** _It’s just the incredible ineptitude. […] This is completley the wrong approach._ **Lib** , old buddy, I’m not sure you are the best person to turn to for advice on effective approaches to persuade adversaries into agreement with one’s own ideological position. However, you do seem to be very good at pissing people off, so if **jin** ’s really out to offend and annoy these people, maybe she **should** be taking her cue from you. Just not quite in the way you meant it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/66 "2005-01-22T23:34:08Z")
(I’m going to regret this, I just _know_ I’m going to regret this…sigh) > [@Liberal](#): > > It’s just the incredible ineptitude. The right has mastered symbology, and the left has lost the knack for it completely. Karl Marx? Charles Darwin? This is completley the wrong approach. All it does is provide ammunition for the crowd to nail the coffin of leftist extremism shut. If you must build a statue to counter theirs, then build a statue of Jesus. And put this on a plaque at its feet: The principle isn’t, or shouldn’t be, which ‘side’ is most adept at hijacking religious symbols, inserting them govermental venues to further their political agendas. The underlying principle is the misuse of religion. My spin-off from **jin’s** counter-example was an attempt to highlight the fundmental wrongness of _any_ belief being used in such a manner. Know what still boggles my mind? (No, Veb, what?) It’s the hideous extent to which the neocons violate classic conservative principles. It goes way beyond the deft use of symbols, cant, scapegoats, etc. Both parties do it but this crowd has stretched it until it swamped the principles they supposedly uphold. It’s a disgrace to conservatism but answering it in kind would just play into their distorted “you’re one of us or agin’ us” framing. Seems like some people have to be smacked upside the head with a brick before they notice the obvious. Contemplating a toxic game of religious one-upsmanship is satisying only in the sense of wondering how _big_ a brick would be needed to make clear how wrong this holier-than-thou game is in principle. Or…just read **MEBuckner’s** quotes, then say putting up a bigger statue of Jesus with a different Bible verse would be an appropriate response by the decadent Left. And I say this as an Independent who’s been driven quite decisively from the neocon’s “big tent” by their cynicical use of religion as a poltical bludgeon. Veb I’m far from a Biblical scholar but my long-ago lessons taught rather strongly that Jesus wouldn’t have liked one bit being used as politcal wallpaper. It strikes me as incredibly disrepectful on a religious level as well. He was pretty specific about tending to the needs of one’s own soul before busily improving others. ---
**Author:** ![Alonzo\_John\_Blitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@Alonzo\_John\_Blitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alonzo_John_Blitz)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/67 "2005-01-23T00:38:23Z")
Perhaps I’m missing something - but why are these Christian Fundamentalists so anxious to exhibit the Ten Commandments? Aren’t these, in fact, **Hebrew/Jewish** writings? Or have they (the Commandments) been so co-opted by these lunkheads that their origins have been willfully forgotten or gang-pressed into the service of Lunkheadedness? Are the Lunkies picking and choosing from the Pentateuch? Exodus is in the Torah, right? What else from these five books have they called their own? What are they not buying? Marrying the widowed wives of their brothers? Disingenuous minds want to know. Also: totally agree with **Veb** : _I’m far from a Biblical scholar but my long-ago lessons taught rather strongly that Jesus wouldn’t have liked one bit being used as politcal wallpaper. It strikes me as incredibly disrepectful on a religious level as well. He was pretty specific about tending to the needs of one’s own soul before busily improving others._ ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/68 "2005-01-23T09:26:03Z")
> [@Alonzo John Blitz](#): > > Perhaps I’m missing something - but why are these Christian Fundamentalists so anxious to exhibit the Ten Commandments? Aren’t these, in fact, **Hebrew/Jewish** writings? Or have they (the Commandments) been so co-opted by these lunkheads that their origins have been willfully forgotten or gang-pressed into the service of Lunkheadedness? > \* Hey, I’ve always thought that Christianity was one big copyright-infringement suit waiting to happed. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/69 "2005-01-23T09:59:13Z")
You know what’d be funny? If they sold 'em the land, then told them that zoning restrictions say they can’t erect _anything_. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/70 "2005-01-23T15:37:12Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > The principle isn’t, or shouldn’t be, which ‘side’ is most adept at hijacking religious symbols, inserting them govermental venues to further their political agendas. The underlying principle is the misuse of religion. My spin-off from **jin’s** counter-example was an attempt to highlight the fundmental wrongness of _any_ belief being used in such a manner. > > I’m far from a Biblical scholar but my long-ago lessons taught rather strongly that Jesus wouldn’t have liked one bit being used as politcal wallpaper. It strikes me as incredibly disrepectful on a religious level as well. He was pretty specific about tending to the needs of one’s own soul before busily improving others. An eminently sensible argument. You’re right, and I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/71 "2005-01-23T16:13:44Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > You know what’d be funny? If they sold 'em the land, then told them that zoning restrictions say they can’t erect _anything_. There’s a Christian impotence joke in there somewhere, but damned if I can find it. ---
**Author:** ![LucyInDisguise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucyindisguise/32/18064_2.png) [@LucyInDisguise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucyInDisguise)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700/72 "2005-01-24T21:19:12Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > (I’m going to regret this, I just _know_ I’m going to regret this…sigh) … I do not know why you would feel that way. > [@Liberal](#): > > An eminently sensible argument. You’re right, and I stand corrected. I stand in awe. (Or, maybe even ahhhh …) Humbled, in the presence of a true master … ::ducks and hides behind nearest snowdrift:: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-ten-commandments-nutjobbery/285700.md?page=3)