# Shove those commandments right up your burning bush you pandering ass! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 16, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072 "2004-12-16T01:36:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/1 "2004-12-16T01:36:25Z")
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Alabama courtroom comes… [McKathan](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,141541,00.html) -son of Moore! Whoever even heard of _anything_ embroidered on judicial robes? My guess: this legal hack wants to go far in state politics and is doing this shit just to get the free press and the Fundie fanbase needed to get elected. It has “publicity stunt” written all over it- I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the attorney who filed a grievance isn’t working in cahoots with Mullah McKathan of the Talabama, and the sad part is it’ll probably work. How long before some Fundie judge finally goes off the deep end and has somebody beheaded in the courtroom for blasphemy and calls it a day? Fuckers. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/2 "2004-12-16T01:49:24Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Whoever even heard of _anything_ embroidered on judicial robes? [Do these count?](http://slate.msn.com/?id=1005611) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/3 "2004-12-16T02:12:20Z")
> [@](#): > > McKathan told The Associated Press that he believes the Ten Commandments represent the truth “and you can’t divorce the law from the truth. … The Ten Commandments can help a judge know the difference between right and wrong.” Since when is a judge supposed to decide what’s “right and wrong?” I thought they were supposed to enforce the law. Sweet Jesus, this country is going backwards. How is something like this even possible? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/4 "2004-12-16T02:20:59Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Since when is a judge supposed to decide what’s “right and wrong?” I thought they were supposed to enforce the law. > > Sweet Jesus, this country is going backwards. How is something like this even possible? I’m with you brother. You reckon the rapture has happened and evil is running the show? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/5 "2004-12-16T02:29:23Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > I’m with you brother. > > You reckon the rapture has happened and evil is running the show? Could be. Someone should check W for sixes on his head. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/6 "2004-12-16T02:30:23Z")
I doubt that it’s illegal for the judge to have something embroidered on his robes, even the Ten Commandments, since the judge probably pays for his own robes. But it’s unseemly. What’s next? Pictures of the judge’s grandchildren? A swoosh ® ? Judges have their own rules about attire for participants in a trial, lawyers, juries and even spectators. If there aren’t any rules about decorum with respect to a judge’s attire, maybe there should be. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/7 "2004-12-16T02:39:39Z")
He’s wearing an official vestment in an official capacity as an agent of the government. It’s a patent Establishment violation. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/8 "2004-12-16T02:40:36Z")
> [@DtC](#): > > McKathan told The Associated Press that he believes the Ten Commandments represent the truth “and you can’t divorce the law from the truth. … The Ten Commandments can help a judge know the difference between right and wrong.” When I was three, I had right and left sewn into my wooly gloves, so I could learn right from left . Is this judge so dim-witted that he can’t remember the difference between right from wrong\* without a kindergarden primer? - Yes, I realise that the 10 Cs aren’t laws, but what the heck ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/9 "2004-12-16T02:53:29Z")
I assure you, he has received his reward in full. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/10 "2004-12-16T03:04:49Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > I assure you, he has received his reward in full. Most fitting response. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/11 "2004-12-16T03:19:17Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Could be. Someone should check W for sixes on his head. Damien had at least some evil/cool charisma going, GeeDubya’s got as much charisma as tapioca pudding. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/12 "2004-12-16T03:19:28Z")
Seconded. Do you think this fellow ever read the Gospel of Matthew? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/13 "2004-12-16T03:23:47Z")
Why are you being so intollerent? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/14 "2004-12-16T03:46:32Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > He’s wearing an official vestment in an official capacity as an agent of the government. It’s a patent Establishment violation. Vestment is probably a good description! 🙂 I actually find this more troubling than the Judge Moore situtation. This is \*\*inside \*\*the courtroom, as if the judge recited them before every case. I wonder what the legal aspects of it are, though. What if he wore a big, visible crucifix? Would that be significanly different? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/15 "2004-12-16T03:54:59Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Damien had at least some evil/cool charisma going, GeeDubya’s got as much charisma as tapioca pudding. What you got against tapioca pudding? Other than it’s blandness of course. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/16 "2004-12-16T03:58:13Z")
I think it’s different than a crucifix. He’s wearing on his official robe- a robe which is used specifically to identify him as an agent of the government acting in an official capacity- actual words which say “Thou Shalt have no other Gods before me…Thou shalt make no graven images…” etc. They are, quite literally, _commandments_ about who and how to worship. I couldn’t think of a more obvious example of Establishment if I tried. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/17 "2004-12-16T04:01:02Z")
A crucifix wouldn’t bother me, by the way. It’s a little obnoxious if it’s excessively ostentatious and designed to provoke a reaction but I wouldn’t pick that hill to die on. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/18 "2004-12-16T04:10:45Z")
The man is obviously doing it to provoke a court case. There will be more of them I’m sure. What colors will “The American Inquisition” wear? And will we be surprised when they show up? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/19 "2004-12-16T04:35:14Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Damien had at least some evil/cool charisma going, GeeDubya’s got as much charisma as tapioca pudding. Um, thanks, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072/20 "2004-12-16T05:18:05Z")
700 Club and many other programs are on TV and radio which I find offensive, so I don’t watch or listen to them. Someone with an ass the size of Baltimore in lavender stretch pants is offensive to me, so I don’t look. Change the channel, shut it off, avert your gaze-it’s all the same. I don’t give a fat rat’s ass if a judge wears the 10 commandments or the lyrics to the Hokey Pokey on his robes. Choose your battles, kids. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-those-commandments-right-up-your-burning-bush-you-pandering-ass/280072.md?page=2)