Date: Tue Nov 18 09:15:55 1997
To: Frank Grose
From: Rob Weinberg
Subject: Re: Night Off
Switching gears, it occurs to me just this a.m. what a serious disadvantage you've been at, not having read the cases "in the original" as it were. There's generally been a lot of hysteria and hyperbole about what the Supreme Court said and did in those cases from the 60's forward. I've been reacting to what you say with what I've read in the original as opposed to what you've been *taught*, as though we were on level playing field. In order for us to objectively discuss the issue, you really need to read "the source." People learn at their own pace (as I'm doing with the Bible), so you tell me what cases you're most interested in reading, and I'll get them to you.
Switching gears again, this time about the different version of the Ten Commandments. As you know, they are found in Exodus and Deuteronomy. Yesterday I went to the Bible Gateway site and pulled up the commandments and compared a few between versions, i.e., KJV and others. I also visited the Torah site you gave me, which is on my web page BTW, and printed those out. I'm no scholar on this subject, so the differences aren't jumping out at me as much as I've read elsewhere, but the major difference between versions most talked about is that some say "thou shalt not kill," and others say "thou shalt not murder." The Torah says the latter, your Bible I think says the former. It's an important distinction for many purposes, including the abortion/capital punishment debate. There are other distinctions between the Christian versions themselves as well as between them and the Torah, but I've not examined it close enough to see whether *within* any particular version there are differences between Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Oh, I just did another Bible Gateway search, just on Exodus 20:1-17, you can do an "all" versions search that will bring up a comparison line for line between the NIV, RSV, KJV, Darby, and YLT versions. Thus, if there are multiple versions that are subject to different interpretation in nuance between faiths, would you concede that putting one version up on the wall may be the promotion of a particular denomination?
Here's another thought I had this a.m. How would you *feel* about the legality of a state law requiring the posting of a crucifix and depiction of Jesus in every classroom above the blackboard on the wall behind where the teacher stands? Include in the law a requirement that the state and national flags should also be prominently displayed in each classroom at each corner of the room on that wall. Without regard to what the Supreme Court has said, *should* such a law be legal? Knowing there will be the occasional Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, atheist, agnostic in those rooms, does that make a difference to you? Would it make a difference if you were the Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, etc.?
Finally, while we're thinking about the Ten Commandments, have you considered the idea that of the ten, only four have ever been employed by the secular laws in this country, or at least since the Constitution? Murder, Adultery, Theft, and false testimony, commandments VI, VII, VIII and IX. The rest are strictly religious commandments with no inherent secular purpose: (I) no other gods, (II) no graven images, (III) not taking the name of God in vain, (IV) keeping the Sabbath, (V) honor thy father and mother, and (X) envy of (in the Torah) or coveting they neighbor's stuff. Laws regulating Sunday blue laws have only been upheld on the basis that they were equally applied to all, never for religious reasons; laws having to do with children have never been challenged that I'm aware of, but the purpose is clearly an exercise of the state's police powers to protect, so for that reason they've probably never been challenged on religious grounds. The question then becomes, for purposes of the argument that the Ten Commandments are the origin of America's laws, what are we supposed to do with the other six, or what purpose are we saying they serve when the government is posting them?
Time to get to work. Hope I didn't overload you. I meant to just say hello back.
-Rob
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