There is not a shred of evidence posting the Ten Commandments actually leads to better people. Eight of the Commandments would be unconstitutional if anyone tried writing them into law, so the idea our country is somehow based on them does not fly. In any event, this will be a win-win for the religious right. They either get to force their religion into the public school classrooms, or they get to play the poor, persecuted victims of the godless left. It's that second outcome that actually brings in the most money for them.
I keep saying if they're gonna require the Ten Commandments be posted in every classroom, then teachers need to illustrate the meaning of every one of them using the current President! 😆
Christian nationalists are not "brainwashed". They are exercising or, more frequently, subject to power embedded in a set of institutions and practices. It's a movement! They can't be happy living in a country that allows you to worship as you choose, they want to force everyone to follow their beliefs. That's why I have a shirt that says: “This is our home, not your church“. This one 👇
Oh it's absolutely brainwashing, indoctrination, grooming, what-have-you. I recommend a book called Take Back Your Life by cult specialist Janja Lalich. She compiles research into the thought control, language control, limited choices and other techniques used by cult leaders. And the bottom line is that it's a business, founded on tax-free real estate investment, human trafficking, and other kinds of grift.
I read a long article by a (regular, non-Southern) Baptist that argued that the point of putting the Ten Commandments in schools was to force children to feel shame and guilt so they would "cry out for Jesus." The writer was highly critical, and I wondered whether he was subconsciously deconstructing. Here it is, a Christian (supposedly) spilling the secrets of authoritarian Christians: https://baptistnews.com/article/if-you-want-to-post-the-ten-commandments-in-schools-you-ought-to-learn-more-about-them/
"Authoritarian" isn't scary to them. What they want is "My Kind of Authoritarian." Someone that will hurt the people they want to hurt, but will rely on the gov't to act as their proxy.
Which makes sense, since they already submit to their dream authoritarian.
Yeah, unfortunately, there's some of that on the Left, too. Everyone thinks there's a billionaire John Wayne/Batman out there to save them, instead of them doing it themselves... through, you know, worldwide revolution. That's too much trouble.
I hadn't really thought of the left's version of Billionaire Savior. I just don't trust billionaires overall. Soros maybe, he at least seems to put his money where his mouth is for a better world, but unlike Bill Gates, he doesn't seem to be doing it for his own glory. And unlike other billionaires, he's survived the wrong side of history. Whereas Robert Maxell also survived the wrong side of history and turned into a piece of shit and raised a pedo support animal.
When it comes to the left's version of "My Kind of Authoritarian," it's not so much a benevolent dictator as the kind of authority we had under Obama, guiding rather than the current imposing one's will (or whim of the moment) regardless of who gets hurt and how bad the outcome is for the nation.
I think TACO tRump's game is more an entitled enrichment of himself, and the actual dictator is the group of opportunists surrounding him, coddling his ego to impose Project2025 on the nation. He goes along with it because he thinks it will make him more money. The only thing that is consistent about tRump is his naked greed. Everything else is an act to feed his greed and his ego. He was never going to release the Epstein files, that was just one of the many plot devices to stir up fervor amongst a large swath of society to get himself back into the WH.
He ignore the Constitution because he doesn't care. Republicans support it because they want to dismantle the parts they don't like: separation of church and state, women voting, abolishment. The only free black people republicans like are the slaves they don't have to pay for.
Just one minor update to your post, it's Bruce Wayne, but thinking of John Wayne as Batman is a hilarious crossover.
When evangelicals and Christian Nationalists start talking about the need to post the Ten Commandments, ask them this: Why don't you favor posting the two commandments that Jesus and Paul explicitly said were the greatest--Love God fully and love your neighbor as yourself?
They will sputter and stumble, but you already know the answer that they cannot admit: They don't believe in those two commandments, and they don't want to feel bound by them. They can commit to not murdering someone, or to honoring their elderly parents, and they can at least pretend they will honor the Sabbath and won't covet their neighbor's wife or house. But loving your neighbor means they cannot hate the people they want to hate in their hearts, and they just can't go there. And since the Two Commandments are really just one (as scripture says, anyone who says they love God while hating their neighbor is a liar), they'd rather not post the "love God" commandment either. It's too broad and squishy.
Of course, they won't tell you with their words that they hate God. But their actions speak loudly enough that everyone gets the message.
Thank you for applying the judicial pressure washer to this particular urine stain. Those of us here on the ground with mops are thankful. One would hope that this will send a message to the Christian Nazionalists that their territorial marking behaviors will not be tolerated in a free society.
"Trump babies will be so strong they can lift Chris Christie over their heads."
From Trump Sperm Bank (c) in Dictator for a Day. Available at Dictatorforadayshow.com and coming soon to streaming (if Trump doesn't stop it with another lawsuit).
That should be copy and paste all over the Christian websites, maybe then they (Christians) would have a better understanding of the world. If nothing else it would cause some Christians to get their knickers in a knot, a cheap form of entertainment for the rest of us!
Too late, I was already called by a Christian a number of words that this Christian didn’t understand. I was called “A fascist, communist, Satan worshipping atheist, an imperialist hippie”. That just prove to me that this Christian had no idea what any of these words mean, except that he was told these words were bad.
I think that this Christian thought if he put all these words in one badly worded sentence, he was equating me as the worst of the worst. Just one step away from being the Antichrist (in his mind). So now I expect Christians not to know the meaning of any of the words that get toss around, because dictionaries/encyclopedias are woke and anti-Christian so Christians won’t use them.
People like that should not be allowed out in public without supervision, and should have a sign that says: “I am a goddamm fucking moron, please don’t let me hurt myself on sharp and pointed objects”.
Here's hoping the circuit court agrees with him on the inevitable appeal.
I am somewhat afraid that if it goes to SCOTUS, Alito will treat this like Cakeshop and rule that the case needs to be sent back because the judge's expressive languages demonstrates animus to the defendents. But even if that happens, we are probably at least a year away before it gets sent back and maybe another year before a different ruling would take effect. So Texas schoolkids have, I'd estimate, at least a two year reprieve.
Here's a question regarding the whole issue of animus: Is it hostility toward the defendants that is evidence, or toward their insistence that State / Church separation be set aside so that they can indulge in territory-marking? This is clearly not a trivial issue, since most believers so subsume themselves in their beliefs that any attack on those beliefs is perceived as an attack on them, personally.
I'm not a judge, not even a lawyer, but I think this issue needs to be pointed out at any appeal of the original ruling, because it plays directly to the believers' desire to claim persecution when it is not THEY that are being questioned but the principle they wish to promulgate.
Well it's up to the next court to decide on whether this court showed animus. I have zero knowledge about the circuit court that would see this. But it's a reasonable guess, I think, that the conservative supremes would see animus here.
The current conservative supremes have also, I think, been known to simply ignore case evidence that contradicts their opinion. So it's possible they would simply not discuss, mention, or provide counterpoint to the judges' discussion of the clear religious endorsement reasons for the law which were stated - in public - by Texas lawmakers.
Yep, we are seeing a slew of these cases rise up everywhere (abortion, birth control access, gay marriage, commandments in schools, trans people existing) all with hopes to reach SCOTUS. A flood the zone of sorts with plenty of time to spare as those justices (for now) aren’t going anywhere. They will be the downfall of this country as we know it. Forget Dear Leader, my eyes are on them.
What a waste of resources. No wonder Texas ranks so low in virtually every metric except affordable housing. That's because no one really wants to live there.
Most excellent news! Granted that I wouldn't expect Ryan Walters to quit now, but he can't treat this as anything other than a setback to his desire to use the Oklahoma public school system as a Christian indoctrination tool.
No doubt, Walters will appeal ... though how appealing HE is is a topic for debate!
Edited to correct: not Texas but Oklahoma (though what's the difference???)
Ignorant, superstitious xtian lawmakers in Texass want to enforce a collection of rules that were meant only for ignorant, superstitious nomads 5-6,000 miles away. Nomads who had no idea the western hemisphere even existed.
I read the entire case and I found it rational and in line with our Constitution. I recently retired after 41 years of trial law and now just do mediations and sit as a binding arbitrator when requested. The parts about religion and US history are educational and everyone could learn something, I did. My favorite parts are the statements about the various families and their reasons for joining the lawsuit. Three families speak to my concerns about childhood indoctrination. Families Helwig and Martin & Baker, pages 32-33 and Fitzpatrick, page 38. All three (3) object to the law since they want their children to be able to develop their own beliefs and views about religion INDEPENDENTLY. I love this attitude and practice since that is how I grew up and I have never spent one day or hour worrying about going to Hell! This is the way to move the world away from dogma, religious or otherwise and give us a chance to survive climate disaster and the possibility of WWIII. The vast majority of religious hardliners who want a theocracy based on their religious dogma, were never given a chance to think on their own and were indoctrinated with fear of Hell and the promise of Heaven when they were too young to question or challenge authority figures such as parents, grandparents, clergy or their local culture.
Sometimes there’s sanity emanating from our government and it gives me hope. I’m still cynical, mind. We just need to get folks to continue to stand against the fascists.
This ruling is a masterpiece. There’s no sane reason for the Ten Commandments to be placed in any classroom, let alone all of them.
The sanity will be countered by Trump ordering a DoJ investigation into this judge and removal proceedings in 3, 2, 1... (Or, Abbot doing it at the state level.)
There is not a shred of evidence posting the Ten Commandments actually leads to better people. Eight of the Commandments would be unconstitutional if anyone tried writing them into law, so the idea our country is somehow based on them does not fly. In any event, this will be a win-win for the religious right. They either get to force their religion into the public school classrooms, or they get to play the poor, persecuted victims of the godless left. It's that second outcome that actually brings in the most money for them.
If christians haven't raised moral children, how do they expect the gov't to raise moral children? What ever happened to parental rights?
The same thing that happens to every right that goes through conservative interpretation: it turns into rights for me, rules for thee.
I keep saying if they're gonna require the Ten Commandments be posted in every classroom, then teachers need to illustrate the meaning of every one of them using the current President! 😆
Christian nationalists are not "brainwashed". They are exercising or, more frequently, subject to power embedded in a set of institutions and practices. It's a movement! They can't be happy living in a country that allows you to worship as you choose, they want to force everyone to follow their beliefs. That's why I have a shirt that says: “This is our home, not your church“. This one 👇
https://libtees.dashery.com/products/74215684-this-is-our-home-not-your-church-t-shirt
Oh it's absolutely brainwashing, indoctrination, grooming, what-have-you. I recommend a book called Take Back Your Life by cult specialist Janja Lalich. She compiles research into the thought control, language control, limited choices and other techniques used by cult leaders. And the bottom line is that it's a business, founded on tax-free real estate investment, human trafficking, and other kinds of grift.
I read a long article by a (regular, non-Southern) Baptist that argued that the point of putting the Ten Commandments in schools was to force children to feel shame and guilt so they would "cry out for Jesus." The writer was highly critical, and I wondered whether he was subconsciously deconstructing. Here it is, a Christian (supposedly) spilling the secrets of authoritarian Christians: https://baptistnews.com/article/if-you-want-to-post-the-ten-commandments-in-schools-you-ought-to-learn-more-about-them/
Good link!
"Authoritarian" isn't scary to them. What they want is "My Kind of Authoritarian." Someone that will hurt the people they want to hurt, but will rely on the gov't to act as their proxy.
Which makes sense, since they already submit to their dream authoritarian.
Yeah, unfortunately, there's some of that on the Left, too. Everyone thinks there's a billionaire John Wayne/Batman out there to save them, instead of them doing it themselves... through, you know, worldwide revolution. That's too much trouble.
I hadn't really thought of the left's version of Billionaire Savior. I just don't trust billionaires overall. Soros maybe, he at least seems to put his money where his mouth is for a better world, but unlike Bill Gates, he doesn't seem to be doing it for his own glory. And unlike other billionaires, he's survived the wrong side of history. Whereas Robert Maxell also survived the wrong side of history and turned into a piece of shit and raised a pedo support animal.
When it comes to the left's version of "My Kind of Authoritarian," it's not so much a benevolent dictator as the kind of authority we had under Obama, guiding rather than the current imposing one's will (or whim of the moment) regardless of who gets hurt and how bad the outcome is for the nation.
I think TACO tRump's game is more an entitled enrichment of himself, and the actual dictator is the group of opportunists surrounding him, coddling his ego to impose Project2025 on the nation. He goes along with it because he thinks it will make him more money. The only thing that is consistent about tRump is his naked greed. Everything else is an act to feed his greed and his ego. He was never going to release the Epstein files, that was just one of the many plot devices to stir up fervor amongst a large swath of society to get himself back into the WH.
He ignore the Constitution because he doesn't care. Republicans support it because they want to dismantle the parts they don't like: separation of church and state, women voting, abolishment. The only free black people republicans like are the slaves they don't have to pay for.
Just one minor update to your post, it's Bruce Wayne, but thinking of John Wayne as Batman is a hilarious crossover.
“Coercive & divisive” describes the Texas GOP perfectly
Exactly.
When evangelicals and Christian Nationalists start talking about the need to post the Ten Commandments, ask them this: Why don't you favor posting the two commandments that Jesus and Paul explicitly said were the greatest--Love God fully and love your neighbor as yourself?
They will sputter and stumble, but you already know the answer that they cannot admit: They don't believe in those two commandments, and they don't want to feel bound by them. They can commit to not murdering someone, or to honoring their elderly parents, and they can at least pretend they will honor the Sabbath and won't covet their neighbor's wife or house. But loving your neighbor means they cannot hate the people they want to hate in their hearts, and they just can't go there. And since the Two Commandments are really just one (as scripture says, anyone who says they love God while hating their neighbor is a liar), they'd rather not post the "love God" commandment either. It's too broad and squishy.
Of course, they won't tell you with their words that they hate God. But their actions speak loudly enough that everyone gets the message.
Yet they voted in a man who breaks most of them.
But he embodies the one commandment they all really want to impose, the one they actually follow: do as I say, not as I do.
Check this out: https://baptistnews.com/article/if-you-want-to-post-the-ten-commandments-in-schools-you-ought-to-learn-more-about-them/
Judge Biery:
Thank you for applying the judicial pressure washer to this particular urine stain. Those of us here on the ground with mops are thankful. One would hope that this will send a message to the Christian Nazionalists that their territorial marking behaviors will not be tolerated in a free society.
I have nothing but praise for that judge. Combining such wit and wisdom aimed at this ridiculous power play gave me a much needed laugh today.
Brilliant recapitulation and perspective, Hemant. You deserve a Pulitzer Prize.
Ditto!
Ditto, ditto!
Do you realize that that is the mating call of obese conservatives?
"Trump babies will be so strong they can lift Chris Christie over their heads."
From Trump Sperm Bank (c) in Dictator for a Day. Available at Dictatorforadayshow.com and coming soon to streaming (if Trump doesn't stop it with another lawsuit).
Atheist 10 suggestions:
1.“Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.
2. Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.
3. The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.
4. Every person has the right to control their body.
5.God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.
6. Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.
7.Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.
8. We have the responsibility to consider others, including future generations.
9. There is no one right way to live.
10. Leave the world a better place than you found it.”
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c41fa2997acc2efd8385668af7065f48e9b6578daf6e0ac86d3fd7103e32cd5c.jpg
Sadly, that is their delusion.
That should be copy and paste all over the Christian websites, maybe then they (Christians) would have a better understanding of the world. If nothing else it would cause some Christians to get their knickers in a knot, a cheap form of entertainment for the rest of us!
They would just call you a fascist/communist/Marxist/socialist without any comprehension of how those things are not all alike.
Too late, I was already called by a Christian a number of words that this Christian didn’t understand. I was called “A fascist, communist, Satan worshipping atheist, an imperialist hippie”. That just prove to me that this Christian had no idea what any of these words mean, except that he was told these words were bad.
I think that this Christian thought if he put all these words in one badly worded sentence, he was equating me as the worst of the worst. Just one step away from being the Antichrist (in his mind). So now I expect Christians not to know the meaning of any of the words that get toss around, because dictionaries/encyclopedias are woke and anti-Christian so Christians won’t use them.
Yeah, they are proudly, willfully ignorant and stupid.
People like that should not be allowed out in public without supervision, and should have a sign that says: “I am a goddamm fucking moron, please don’t let me hurt myself on sharp and pointed objects”.
The majority of the human race would need those signs.
What cracks me up is how many of those commandments the politicians break. They elected a President who breaks almost everyone daily.
Yay!
Here's hoping the circuit court agrees with him on the inevitable appeal.
I am somewhat afraid that if it goes to SCOTUS, Alito will treat this like Cakeshop and rule that the case needs to be sent back because the judge's expressive languages demonstrates animus to the defendents. But even if that happens, we are probably at least a year away before it gets sent back and maybe another year before a different ruling would take effect. So Texas schoolkids have, I'd estimate, at least a two year reprieve.
Here's a question regarding the whole issue of animus: Is it hostility toward the defendants that is evidence, or toward their insistence that State / Church separation be set aside so that they can indulge in territory-marking? This is clearly not a trivial issue, since most believers so subsume themselves in their beliefs that any attack on those beliefs is perceived as an attack on them, personally.
I'm not a judge, not even a lawyer, but I think this issue needs to be pointed out at any appeal of the original ruling, because it plays directly to the believers' desire to claim persecution when it is not THEY that are being questioned but the principle they wish to promulgate.
Well it's up to the next court to decide on whether this court showed animus. I have zero knowledge about the circuit court that would see this. But it's a reasonable guess, I think, that the conservative supremes would see animus here.
The current conservative supremes have also, I think, been known to simply ignore case evidence that contradicts their opinion. So it's possible they would simply not discuss, mention, or provide counterpoint to the judges' discussion of the clear religious endorsement reasons for the law which were stated - in public - by Texas lawmakers.
Yep, we are seeing a slew of these cases rise up everywhere (abortion, birth control access, gay marriage, commandments in schools, trans people existing) all with hopes to reach SCOTUS. A flood the zone of sorts with plenty of time to spare as those justices (for now) aren’t going anywhere. They will be the downfall of this country as we know it. Forget Dear Leader, my eyes are on them.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/81aaceb62df3395a43082d4e8ecb4ed6f0b160d53cf24e42f6e534a17cfb8b52.jpg
Truth
What a waste of resources. No wonder Texas ranks so low in virtually every metric except affordable housing. That's because no one really wants to live there.
Most excellent news! Granted that I wouldn't expect Ryan Walters to quit now, but he can't treat this as anything other than a setback to his desire to use the Oklahoma public school system as a Christian indoctrination tool.
No doubt, Walters will appeal ... though how appealing HE is is a topic for debate!
Edited to correct: not Texas but Oklahoma (though what's the difference???)
Isn’t Walters in Oklahoma?
OOPS! My bad. Will edit.
I want to party with Judge Biery. :)
Beer bash with Biery, baby!
Ignorant, superstitious xtian lawmakers in Texass want to enforce a collection of rules that were meant only for ignorant, superstitious nomads 5-6,000 miles away. Nomads who had no idea the western hemisphere even existed.
That's a little crazy.
I read the entire case and I found it rational and in line with our Constitution. I recently retired after 41 years of trial law and now just do mediations and sit as a binding arbitrator when requested. The parts about religion and US history are educational and everyone could learn something, I did. My favorite parts are the statements about the various families and their reasons for joining the lawsuit. Three families speak to my concerns about childhood indoctrination. Families Helwig and Martin & Baker, pages 32-33 and Fitzpatrick, page 38. All three (3) object to the law since they want their children to be able to develop their own beliefs and views about religion INDEPENDENTLY. I love this attitude and practice since that is how I grew up and I have never spent one day or hour worrying about going to Hell! This is the way to move the world away from dogma, religious or otherwise and give us a chance to survive climate disaster and the possibility of WWIII. The vast majority of religious hardliners who want a theocracy based on their religious dogma, were never given a chance to think on their own and were indoctrinated with fear of Hell and the promise of Heaven when they were too young to question or challenge authority figures such as parents, grandparents, clergy or their local culture.
Sometimes there’s sanity emanating from our government and it gives me hope. I’m still cynical, mind. We just need to get folks to continue to stand against the fascists.
This ruling is a masterpiece. There’s no sane reason for the Ten Commandments to be placed in any classroom, let alone all of them.
The sanity will be countered by Trump ordering a DoJ investigation into this judge and removal proceedings in 3, 2, 1... (Or, Abbot doing it at the state level.)