No. Simply…no. Posting the 10 Commandments is not “teaching history” or “suggesting guidelines”.
It is blatant promotion of a religious belief. For those who hide behind arguments that “it’s generic, innocuous and doesn’t really matter”, YES it does.
This is NOT a Christian nation. If we live up to our ideals rather than political expedience, the state does not espouse OR deny on the basis of religion. Hanging religious rules subtlely but strongly promotes the faith showcased.
Don’t tell me, don’t EVER tell me, that this doesn’t draw lines. And it separates kids, already prone to tribal alliances, into adult sanctioned boundaries.
It is wrong, simply WRONG, to force kids in a public school into outcast status based on their family religious beliefs. It offends me on a basic level that putative Conservatives (thanks and roast in hell, Reagan) co-opted principle for votes.
Simple 60’s and proud fact: the state doesn’t dictate–or promote–religion. No child, of any religious background, should have basic, CIVIL opportunities for education colored by any religious bias.
No child, Jewish, Hindu, or whatever, should EVER have to feel excluded in a secular educational setting. And for those who promote the 10 Commandments; exactly how far will your principles extend for postings from the Torah, Koran, etc.?
On this, I have little patience. Carefully innocuous religious “historical” postings have a way of mutating into very unforgiving lines. Read history, damnit.
BTW, Passover started today at sundown, one of the most beautiful, ancient and meaningful religious observances known. Want wisdom, history and faith? Well, none of those should be even symbolically placed in conflict with CIVIL rights.
There is no state religion…and the conservative camp lost me for good when they equated national/local values with narrowly defined religious expedience.
Take down the Commandments. And don’t go the stupid liberal route of counter-posting of every other religious dogma.
Keep the whole roiling mess out of civic live. People of faith will LIVE that faith.
On a pissed-off roll,
Veb