"Gidley bragged about his new bill during a speech to the Eagle Forum of Alabama, and insisted he wasn’t trying to “put religion back in the public sphere” but rather “return what was there originally.”"
And, as I'm sure wreck knows, it's not just all the way back to slavery--The 1901 Alabama Constitution was adopted to legally disenfranchise black voters and establish white supremacy. It was ratified on November 11, 1901, by a vote of 108,613 in favor and 81,734 opposed. And passed in the name of Jesus Christ. Literally.
And, slavery is found throughout the bible… the Southern Baptists came together to set themselves apart from the northern Baptists who were abolishionists.
Wreck: What are you slamming in such a hateful obscene way? My gender? My womanhood? My faith? My intelligence? My social competence? My mental stability? My age? PLEASE be specific about who is “Snarky”. I gave up a lot to get my education and I’m glad I did. It was hard work and self disciplined study and practice that qualified me. To guide language development and articulation in children and adults who for miriad’s of reasons have trouble communicating their thoughts. I taught cancer patients, stroke and accident victims, disfluency and vocal abuse of all kinds. Loved every moment, then when my third baby was born, the cost of daycare exceeded my earnings. That was when I gave up my professional career to be full time mother! I loved that job too. Hey… I rose when the children were older after 9/11/01 to fight terrorism for DHS….
You are correct about me. I just don’t understand “snarky”. It offends me. But I’m a tough old bird so don’t fret.
Going back to 1688 overlooks the fact that the early colonies operated as companies under warrant from the British crown, which also made them part of England's established religion, the Church of England.
The United States itself wasn't officially established until the Treaty of Paris in 1783. While religious disestablishment was slowly happening, unofficially, as church attendance was dropping, it didn't become the law of the land until the First Amendment was ratified in 1791. Even after the First Amendment was adopted, there was still a long battle to enforce the Establishment Clause.
It wasn't until 1962 that SCOTUS ruled school-sponsored prayer was unconstitutional. And let's be honest, these christian nationalist types have been angling to get prayer and other religious nonsense back into public schools ever since.
One last thing: Anybody else ever notice that no other religious sects are so determined to shove their religions on the rest of us? You never see Jews or Muslims or Hindus or anyone else pushing these laws. It's always the christians..... Makes you wonder who they're trying to convince, eh?
Sad to say, if Jews or Muslims or Mormons or Scientologists had a majority of Americans subscribing to their particular flavors of insanity, they too would probably be trying stunts like this on their own behalfs. (The Amish and Quakers, probably not.) There's something about being convinced down to the depths of what passes for their brains that they're absolutely 100% right about all the spooky woo-woo stuff they've swallowed, and that alone gives them all the justification they need to force everyone else to go along as well.
You're absolutely right, Bob. The same thing happened in the mid-to-late 18th century in VA. The reaction from the christian majority then was the same as now, try to force state funding, etc., through the legislature. That's why James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason and others started writing counter measures that prohibited state establishments. These people today who keep selectively quoting history don't know the full story - or choose to ignore it.
They white-wash a revisionist history that never existed, like that weird guy who claims he alone understands history (I forget the name David Barton maybe?).
Yes, I have noticed the most repugnant people, pushing their bastardized faith on the rest of us. I can think of no worse fate than living under their stupid, regressive Theocracy.
Alabamian here. Born and raised in the rural Sipsey wilderness, attended the whites only Southern Baptist church Aiken Grove, and even as a young child, realized that something wasn’t right.
Why can’t blacks come to our church? I go to school with black kids, yet they’re not allowed in the church I attend. I heard the N word from many of my relatives and church goers on a daily basis who missed the good ole slavery days.
Alabama has been a theocracy for many years now thanks to the Republicans who realized the churches have the greatest political power in our state. They harnessed this political power using the ministers in the pulpits every Sunday who preached the Christianity of Republicans and the evilness of Democrats. A good Christian cannot, by definition, be a Democrat. And, whoo boy, has it worked out well for them.
Democrats are so defeated, they don’t even run for most offices. The Democratic Party will not waste money on losing campaigns. Yet, not running ensures nothing will ever change. That leaves Republicans unchallenged in the lies and propaganda they spout, and most Alabamians eat it up. Just look at the ridiculous bills the Republicans try to push through the legislature such as defining what a man and a woman is, jailing librarians for giving kids porn, and now the Ten Commandments again.
Alabama is one of the poorest and most uneducated states in the US. We are usually last or next to last in the economy, healthcare, and education. Yet, Alabamians blame Democrats. This is laughable, since the Democratic Party is powerless and has been for years. Unfortunately, they still hold this belief evidenced by our last election results.
But we can’t place all the blame on the Republicans, the churches have been gleefully willful participants. They are ultimately the reason for the sad state of affairs in Alabama. The Republicans and the Church have outplayed us. Now, their outplaying us on a national level. America is being destroyed all in the name of god by the most godless people I’ve ever seen. Oh the irony!
Yep. That sewage is still being cleaned up and hurting Alabamians. However, I believe Trump is putting a stop to the forced clean up by undoing the EPA orders. I remember seeing an article about it the other day. The EPA was also forcing Alabama Power to clean up their toxic, cancer-causing messes they’ve made. That may end now too.
So, I guess those religious posters are more important.
I read somewhere that Biden’s infrastructure bill/spending provided funds for some of the works in Alabama as well as some of the works required to sort out the water in Jackson, Mississippi.
I am for the display of the 10... I mean 11 commandments in public schools*, but I see a problem. When they were, allegedly, enacted, christainsanity didn't exist yet, so follow this marvelous idea to the end and convert all talibama public schools' children and staff to Judaism.
* The toilets stalls may be a good choice if children need more toilet paper.
Here we go again. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no use in being a damn fool about it”. Followed by: “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere”.
Christians masturbating over rules they themselves cheerfully disobey when it benefits them to do so.
After all, look at who's running the government now. Spare us your pious hypocrisy, xtians. Get the guy you put in the White House to follow those rules first. Good luck with that. He thinks you useful idiots are "con men" and "full of shit."
To be fair, Trump thinks all people are con men because he is a con man and he is incapable, of thinking beyond himself or putting himself in other people’s shoes. If he is, everyone is.
The same goes for these Christian’s nationalists. If they don’t indoctrinate the kids, someone else will do it first, and with something they don’t like. Because all people are out to indoctrinate others. Empathy and critical thinking are not in their wheelhouse.
I wonder how these “good Christians” would feel if the Ten Commandments were displayed in their “original language”, Hebrew. Considering that the total Jewish population (as of Oct 2024) is 10,325, or 0.2% of the state’s population, and most of those residents, I’m willing to bet, can’t (or no longer can) read Hebrew, the display would be moot.
If we’re talking about Englishes, there are plenty of other options: There’s Scots, Doric, Geordie, Ulster Scots …. And these are just the options in my neck of the woods. The Caribbean could also offer some possibilities …. And what was that language which Clarence Thomas learned as a boy?
(Sort of) Related: On a different thread I posted a comment about Stanley Baxter. He put together a few sketches about Weegie* dialect. It can be found on YouTube under ‘Parliamo Glasgow’. It’s rather funny.
(* Paris - parisien/parisienne = Glasgow - weegie)
For the life of me I can't imagine what they think they're going to accomplish with a law like this, other than forcing rote-conformity on children. There are perfectly good secular justifications for outlawing murder and robbery, but everything else in the Commandments would be unconstitutional should someone try writing them into law. Attempting to force religion into the public school classrooms should be a felony with serious jail time attached.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thou shall not kill has never stopped a single person from killing. Not by people who follow the Ten Commandments, not even by Moses himself. Read the fucking Bible, it’s right there in the same chapter god gave Moses the Ten Commandments. It hasn’t even slowed them down.
When all Christian churches permanently prominently display the Ten Commandments then I might think that they are important ti Christianity, but they are not, so I know these bills are just bluster for inept politicians and poorly masked attempts at instilling Christian nationalism onto our children. If churches aren’t even interested in the displays, why should the schools put them up?
If Yahweh actually existed and was actively zapping people left and right, it would be one thing. There's hardly a even semi-intelligent person on this planet who hasn't observed that this is not the case. Fear of some deity amounts to nothing more than an empty threat.
Tell me about it. My father was a martinet, a bully, and an egotist if not a narcissist. I was less bullied physically than mentally and psychologically, but the fact is that he scared me.
And I can't see that as healthy in any way, shape, or form.
Because they aren't allowed to shit on everyone in the name of their bastardized faith, (excluding the Jimmy Carter types, actual people who try to follow the J-dude of course.)
"Gidley bragged about his new bill during a speech to the Eagle Forum of Alabama, and insisted he wasn’t trying to “put religion back in the public sphere” but rather “return what was there originally.”"
Just like slavery was there originally!
And, as I'm sure wreck knows, it's not just all the way back to slavery--The 1901 Alabama Constitution was adopted to legally disenfranchise black voters and establish white supremacy. It was ratified on November 11, 1901, by a vote of 108,613 in favor and 81,734 opposed. And passed in the name of Jesus Christ. Literally.
And, slavery is found throughout the bible… the Southern Baptists came together to set themselves apart from the northern Baptists who were abolishionists.
👆👆🎯I believe that is their ultimate goal "make Slavery great again."
Native American Tribal lives and before them were others!!! Get off your high horse and walk among humanity for enlightenment.
Geez, all those degrees and you don't recognize snark when you see it. Get your head out of your ass for enlightenment.
Wreck: What are you slamming in such a hateful obscene way? My gender? My womanhood? My faith? My intelligence? My social competence? My mental stability? My age? PLEASE be specific about who is “Snarky”. I gave up a lot to get my education and I’m glad I did. It was hard work and self disciplined study and practice that qualified me. To guide language development and articulation in children and adults who for miriad’s of reasons have trouble communicating their thoughts. I taught cancer patients, stroke and accident victims, disfluency and vocal abuse of all kinds. Loved every moment, then when my third baby was born, the cost of daycare exceeded my earnings. That was when I gave up my professional career to be full time mother! I loved that job too. Hey… I rose when the children were older after 9/11/01 to fight terrorism for DHS….
You are correct about me. I just don’t understand “snarky”. It offends me. But I’m a tough old bird so don’t fret.
By the way…”Wreck”, You can go jump in a lake or take a flying leap. And if you’re good I’ll buy you a train ticket ….
These effin' people and their history!
Going back to 1688 overlooks the fact that the early colonies operated as companies under warrant from the British crown, which also made them part of England's established religion, the Church of England.
The United States itself wasn't officially established until the Treaty of Paris in 1783. While religious disestablishment was slowly happening, unofficially, as church attendance was dropping, it didn't become the law of the land until the First Amendment was ratified in 1791. Even after the First Amendment was adopted, there was still a long battle to enforce the Establishment Clause.
It wasn't until 1962 that SCOTUS ruled school-sponsored prayer was unconstitutional. And let's be honest, these christian nationalist types have been angling to get prayer and other religious nonsense back into public schools ever since.
One last thing: Anybody else ever notice that no other religious sects are so determined to shove their religions on the rest of us? You never see Jews or Muslims or Hindus or anyone else pushing these laws. It's always the christians..... Makes you wonder who they're trying to convince, eh?
Precisely. This is why I think that ceremonial deism is purely a Christian phenomenon.
Ceremonial deism is a perfect description. Maybe performative, too.
Matthew 6:5 : “Don’t make the religion into a vaudeville show!”
Christians: “Let’s make our religion into a vaudeville show!”
Indeed. All show and no go. Didn't James say something about: "Faith without works is dead?"
Sad to say, if Jews or Muslims or Mormons or Scientologists had a majority of Americans subscribing to their particular flavors of insanity, they too would probably be trying stunts like this on their own behalfs. (The Amish and Quakers, probably not.) There's something about being convinced down to the depths of what passes for their brains that they're absolutely 100% right about all the spooky woo-woo stuff they've swallowed, and that alone gives them all the justification they need to force everyone else to go along as well.
The fundies are always the problem. In every religion.
Couldn't agree more.
Desperation. They know that their numbers are in serious decline and churches are closing all over the world.
They also know that without indoctrinating the young the decline will accelerate.
You're absolutely right, Bob. The same thing happened in the mid-to-late 18th century in VA. The reaction from the christian majority then was the same as now, try to force state funding, etc., through the legislature. That's why James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason and others started writing counter measures that prohibited state establishments. These people today who keep selectively quoting history don't know the full story - or choose to ignore it.
They white-wash a revisionist history that never existed, like that weird guy who claims he alone understands history (I forget the name David Barton maybe?).
Yup, that's the a-hole. David Barton. His book on Jefferson was so bad his publisher withdrew it from book shelves!
Thanks, I couldn’t remember the fake historian wanna be’s name.
He's not a fake historian, he's a liar.
Yes, I have noticed the most repugnant people, pushing their bastardized faith on the rest of us. I can think of no worse fate than living under their stupid, regressive Theocracy.
Alabamian here. Born and raised in the rural Sipsey wilderness, attended the whites only Southern Baptist church Aiken Grove, and even as a young child, realized that something wasn’t right.
Why can’t blacks come to our church? I go to school with black kids, yet they’re not allowed in the church I attend. I heard the N word from many of my relatives and church goers on a daily basis who missed the good ole slavery days.
Alabama has been a theocracy for many years now thanks to the Republicans who realized the churches have the greatest political power in our state. They harnessed this political power using the ministers in the pulpits every Sunday who preached the Christianity of Republicans and the evilness of Democrats. A good Christian cannot, by definition, be a Democrat. And, whoo boy, has it worked out well for them.
Democrats are so defeated, they don’t even run for most offices. The Democratic Party will not waste money on losing campaigns. Yet, not running ensures nothing will ever change. That leaves Republicans unchallenged in the lies and propaganda they spout, and most Alabamians eat it up. Just look at the ridiculous bills the Republicans try to push through the legislature such as defining what a man and a woman is, jailing librarians for giving kids porn, and now the Ten Commandments again.
Alabama is one of the poorest and most uneducated states in the US. We are usually last or next to last in the economy, healthcare, and education. Yet, Alabamians blame Democrats. This is laughable, since the Democratic Party is powerless and has been for years. Unfortunately, they still hold this belief evidenced by our last election results.
But we can’t place all the blame on the Republicans, the churches have been gleefully willful participants. They are ultimately the reason for the sad state of affairs in Alabama. The Republicans and the Church have outplayed us. Now, their outplaying us on a national level. America is being destroyed all in the name of god by the most godless people I’ve ever seen. Oh the irony!
Alabama - the place where they had raw sewage problems so bad that the UN was shocked.
Maybe, just maybe it’s more important to deal with hookworm in children than putting up religious posters in schools?
Yep. That sewage is still being cleaned up and hurting Alabamians. However, I believe Trump is putting a stop to the forced clean up by undoing the EPA orders. I remember seeing an article about it the other day. The EPA was also forcing Alabama Power to clean up their toxic, cancer-causing messes they’ve made. That may end now too.
So, I guess those religious posters are more important.
I read somewhere that Biden’s infrastructure bill/spending provided funds for some of the works in Alabama as well as some of the works required to sort out the water in Jackson, Mississippi.
They'd have to care about the children though, other than indoctrinating them, they don't.
"The Ten Commandments were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries."
The USA is only 248 years old.
You know what else we had 300 years ago. A King. You don't want to go back to that do you?
Strike that last question.
Some other prominent part of public education were corporal punishments.
Does he also want to reintroduce this barbaric tradition back into the schools?
Oh, wait this is about Alabama. Silly me.
Elvis is still alive somewhere!
He hangs out with Bigfoot and the aliens.
So is the anti-Elvis.
Elvis is everywhere
youtu.be/5DcTY9i-fx8
Old movie. Toll was only a quarter.
Did it again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSZe-DM_o6I
Repost under correct link:
Old movie. Toll was only a quarter.
Not really surprised that he failed both Math and History classes.
Wow. I had almost forgotten about Roy Moore...and my life was better for it.
He picked up his (now) wife at her high-school dance recital, why he was there I'll never know.
I am for the display of the 10... I mean 11 commandments in public schools*, but I see a problem. When they were, allegedly, enacted, christainsanity didn't exist yet, so follow this marvelous idea to the end and convert all talibama public schools' children and staff to Judaism.
* The toilets stalls may be a good choice if children need more toilet paper.
These 15 commandments...
Oy.
TEN. Ten Commandments for all to obey!
Oy... 15 I say.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmZFGw5CeWE
Yup. That's the scene I was referring to. :)
+10 for Talibama.
Also Yall’qaeda.
Meal Team Six and Talabama.
Read in a comment, I don't remember when.
of course the GOP has been obsessed with this crap forever, but MAGA is using it to further the destruction of our democratic republic. damn it.
They’re the same picture.
Here we go again. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no use in being a damn fool about it”. Followed by: “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere”.
The caged bird thinks that flying is an illness.
Christians masturbating over rules they themselves cheerfully disobey when it benefits them to do so.
After all, look at who's running the government now. Spare us your pious hypocrisy, xtians. Get the guy you put in the White House to follow those rules first. Good luck with that. He thinks you useful idiots are "con men" and "full of shit."
To be fair, Trump thinks all people are con men because he is a con man and he is incapable, of thinking beyond himself or putting himself in other people’s shoes. If he is, everyone is.
The same goes for these Christian’s nationalists. If they don’t indoctrinate the kids, someone else will do it first, and with something they don’t like. Because all people are out to indoctrinate others. Empathy and critical thinking are not in their wheelhouse.
I think he thinks of most people as marks. Probably those in power he thinks of as con men, they had to do something to get where they are.
Most of the time that is true.
👆🎯My friend calls that "viewing others through the lens of your own malice". Good people generally think others are good, until they learn otherwise.
That may be the only time he will ever be correct.
From the opening act of Dictator for a Day, 'Trump vs. God:'
"I think I could run for God, and I'd probably win." -- Donald Trump
Dictatorforadayshow.com. Sign up to watch this opening act!
Coming soon to streaming!
I wonder how these “good Christians” would feel if the Ten Commandments were displayed in their “original language”, Hebrew. Considering that the total Jewish population (as of Oct 2024) is 10,325, or 0.2% of the state’s population, and most of those residents, I’m willing to bet, can’t (or no longer can) read Hebrew, the display would be moot.
That’s actually not a bad idea, put the commandments in Hebrew and the disclaimer in English? Or wingdings for the lot!
Like so.
https://www.chazstevens.store/10-commandments-louisiana
Chaucer English ?
Oh, now you’re talking!
If we’re talking about Englishes, there are plenty of other options: There’s Scots, Doric, Geordie, Ulster Scots …. And these are just the options in my neck of the woods. The Caribbean could also offer some possibilities …. And what was that language which Clarence Thomas learned as a boy?
(Sort of) Related: On a different thread I posted a comment about Stanley Baxter. He put together a few sketches about Weegie* dialect. It can be found on YouTube under ‘Parliamo Glasgow’. It’s rather funny.
(* Paris - parisien/parisienne = Glasgow - weegie)
Old English. It's more like German than anything.
That's because it evolved from the Saxons, IIRC.
I believe the Gullah language is the one you are referring to about Thomas.
For the life of me I can't imagine what they think they're going to accomplish with a law like this, other than forcing rote-conformity on children. There are perfectly good secular justifications for outlawing murder and robbery, but everything else in the Commandments would be unconstitutional should someone try writing them into law. Attempting to force religion into the public school classrooms should be a felony with serious jail time attached.
Indoctrination with a side bonus of destroying critical thinking skills.
All critical components for a successful theocratic dictatorship.
Like our 2,500 Arabic In God We Trust signs in Texas and our 500/100 IGWT/10C signs in Louisiana, we stand ready to make more good trouble.
And we desperately could use your support!
www.chazstevens.store/donate/
"The use of public funds is not allowed to defend these displays in court."
Meaning: "The sponsors who donated the ten commandments posters must also pay for the lawsuits."
First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thou shall not kill has never stopped a single person from killing. Not by people who follow the Ten Commandments, not even by Moses himself. Read the fucking Bible, it’s right there in the same chapter god gave Moses the Ten Commandments. It hasn’t even slowed them down.
When all Christian churches permanently prominently display the Ten Commandments then I might think that they are important ti Christianity, but they are not, so I know these bills are just bluster for inept politicians and poorly masked attempts at instilling Christian nationalism onto our children. If churches aren’t even interested in the displays, why should the schools put them up?
Funny how most criminals in prison claim to be Christians. 🤔
They dominate US prison populations more than any other group. Atheists barely register as a blip.
Yet atheists are the 'immoral' ones?
Because the parole-boards buy that lie, it gets them out earlier.
If Yahweh actually existed and was actively zapping people left and right, it would be one thing. There's hardly a even semi-intelligent person on this planet who hasn't observed that this is not the case. Fear of some deity amounts to nothing more than an empty threat.
Sadly, Gidley & Co. don't get this.
Fear him, but he's supposed to be a loving father. Loving fathers would be absolutely horrified to find their children feared them.
Tell me about it. My father was a martinet, a bully, and an egotist if not a narcissist. I was less bullied physically than mentally and psychologically, but the fact is that he scared me.
And I can't see that as healthy in any way, shape, or form.
NSGOP pissing on the constitution. Again.
Why do Christians hate America?
For the same reason they hate reality.
Because christains are enemies of humanity.
Because they aren't allowed to shit on everyone in the name of their bastardized faith, (excluding the Jimmy Carter types, actual people who try to follow the J-dude of course.)