An alternative possibility for the Alabama "Holy Rock"

[Some Friggin Guy]

I have a question, posing it purely hypothetically.

Assume that Judge Moore was not a ravening fundamentalist. Assume, instead, that he was interested in preserving the history of written law.

Now, the monument was not, in this scenario, an individual piece, but was 1 of 3: the first being an equal size monument of the Code of Hamurabi and the third and eaual size monument of the US constitution (or Bill of Rights for simplicity's sake).

Would there then be a case for ordering the 10 commandments part of this trio removed?

[Yahweh]

The Bill of Rights is fine.

The Code of Hammurabi (http://www.lawresearch.com/v2/codeham.htm) is questionable. For instance the first code says "If any one ensnare another, putting a ban upon him, but he can not prove it, then he that ensnared him shall be put to death", HOLY CRAP! Lets not forget law six "If any one steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death", HOLY FRIJOLES!

I dont think many people would find the Codes of Hammurabi morally acceptable (that Hammurabi fella sure was intense for petty little things).

The 10 Commandments are unacceptable, they are not moral statements (what kind of morals could possibly be inferred by the first 3 commandments), they are a form of establishment of religion, call it religious propaganda if you will. Might as well build a monument celebrating the 11 Satanic Rules while we're at it, see how much the Christians protest those. By all technicalities, the 11 Satanic Rules are just as acceptable than the 10 Commandments.

For a refresher course in Satanism, the 11 Satanic Rules go like this:
1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.

2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.

3. When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there.

4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.

5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.

6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.

7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.

8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.

9. Do not harm little children.

10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.

11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.
(Source: http://www.churchofsatan.com)

[Some Friggin Guy]

You are right, Yahweh, about the morals and ethics of both the code of Hammurabi and the 10 commandments.

I, perhaps, should have been more clear. I was refferring to this as the progression of written laws through history. Hammurabi's being the first, the 10 commandment (right or wrong) being anoth famous one in history, and ending (at least in the US) with the Bill of Rights.

[Ladewig]

In the South Courtroom of the U.S. Supreme Court, there is a frieze depicting a procession of 18 important lawgivers: Menes, Hammurabi, Moses, Solomon, Lycurgus, Solon, Draco*, Confucius, Augustus, Justinian, Mohammed, Charlemagne, King John, St. Louis, Hugo Grotius, William Blackstone, John Marshall, and Napoleon.

So to answer your question, yes, I could live with some contextual placement of the 10 Commandments.


__________
* no relation to Harry Potter's oppugnant schoolmate, nor to Xena's do-wop-sporting enemy.

[triadboy]

Originally posted by Some Friggin Guy
I have a question, posing it purely hypothetically.

Assume that Judge Moore was not a ravening fundamentalist. Assume, instead, that he was interested in preserving the history of written law.

Now, the monument was not, in this scenario, an individual piece, but was 1 of 3: the first being an equal size monument of the Code of Hamurabi and the third and eaual size monument of the US constitution (or Bill of Rights for simplicity's sake).

Would there then be a case for ordering the 10 commandments part of this trio removed?

We have the Hamurabi Code, and the Constitution...but we don't have the Ten Commandments. They were stolen by another army during battle. All we have is redacted heresay.