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This is a statement which is thrown about frequently by members of the religious right. Zeronem posted it in this thread which I didn't want to derail.
If you think the US's law system is based on the ten commandments, you either:
A) Don't know the ten commandments
B) Don't know the bill of rights
or
C) Haven't thought about it for yourself and instead are repeating someone elses rediculous platitudes.
I hope it's C...
Read both. Two of the commandments correspond to laws of any sort (don't murder, don't steal). If you expand it to deal with when you take an oath in court, you get one more (don't lie). If you further expand it (stretch it more likely) to service in the military, you get a fourth (don't cheat on your spouse).
The other 6 go directly against either the freedoms established in the bill of rights or our market system. I think you'll find (if you actually think about it) that the US's law system was based upon the principles of the enlightenment.
Sorry to go off on a rant, but this is one statement which just makes my blood boil. It is so patently false its practically blaring, and the masses just blankly nod and say: "yup, yes it is. And I'm Christian, so I should know!"
It irritates me worst of all when our elected officials spew it. The nimwits who write the laws don't know the 10 first ones. AAAAAARGH
zeronem said:Why do you think the United States, founded by our Four Fathers [sic] based the laws of the United States on the Ten Commandments?
If you think the US's law system is based on the ten commandments, you either:
A) Don't know the ten commandments
B) Don't know the bill of rights
or
C) Haven't thought about it for yourself and instead are repeating someone elses rediculous platitudes.
I hope it's C...
Read both. Two of the commandments correspond to laws of any sort (don't murder, don't steal). If you expand it to deal with when you take an oath in court, you get one more (don't lie). If you further expand it (stretch it more likely) to service in the military, you get a fourth (don't cheat on your spouse).
The other 6 go directly against either the freedoms established in the bill of rights or our market system. I think you'll find (if you actually think about it) that the US's law system was based upon the principles of the enlightenment.
Sorry to go off on a rant, but this is one statement which just makes my blood boil. It is so patently false its practically blaring, and the masses just blankly nod and say: "yup, yes it is. And I'm Christian, so I should know!"
It irritates me worst of all when our elected officials spew it. The nimwits who write the laws don't know the 10 first ones. AAAAAARGH
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