Paxton has done a SPECTACULAR job of advertising some of the Commandments - his adulteries are legend, and so are his lies trying to conceal the adulteries and block access to divorce legal records. Way to go!
Hey Christian Nazionalists! Secular does not now mean, and never has meant atheistic or anti-Christian. It has always meant neutrality towards religion. When applied to the government, that means that your religion does not get oppressed, neither does it get privilege. It must stand on its own. Christianity, while in decline now, has flourished here in the US thanks to that secular government.
Why are you so afraid of fair and equal treatment? Are you afraid that given actual fair treatment alongside other religious ideas yours will be found wanting, thus accelerating the decline? Are you afraid that if you don't have the power of the majority, you will be treated badly? We are not like you. We don't care who you worship or if you worship. We don't care what religious rules you want to follow. We just do not want to be forced to follow your religious rules.
Put up the Ten Commandments anywhere you want that actually belongs to you. Just don't put them in shared spaces that we all own. If your argument is "tradition", then the 5 pillars of Islam should be posted next to those, since the evidence shows that there were very likely at least 2 Muslims who fought against England inf th Revolutionary War. Jefferson owned at least one Koran.
Indeed. The Five Pillars of Islam ... and right next to that, the Seven Tenets of The Satanic Temple. Jubal Harshaw said it a long time ago: "All names belong in the hat."
I also think that if they - the evangelical christians - are going to force this down everyone else's throats, they should offer up some proof. If their god is so all fired powerful, let him come down here and wiggle his nose and put those posters in all the classrooms himself. He might also tell everyone exactly how he expects to be worshipped and maybe why. End all dispute. Why does the World have to contend with over 45,000 different sects of christianity. There should be only one - and just one true gospel instead of 4. edit - added 'one'.
I don't get it. What is forcing school districts to display the Ten Commandments supposed to accomplish? How this is going to improve test scores or find more money to put toward education? This is a fool's errand, being advocated for by fools. This isn't about kids at all - it's about adults and their fucking fragile egos.
As an aside, it has always amused me that school districts in Texas all have Independent School District as part of their name. I assume that is to make locals think they can control their local schools whereas the state tells them what to do.
This school district thing is so strange, a kind person here on Substack explained it to me a while ago. Because it just seems so daft (to me) that managing schools is not a function of (normal) local government, just like street lighting and bin collections. Why have a separate local structure? Why?
Maybe they should just let them post these 10 Commandments all over the place. If you look at them rationally they’re kind of ridiculous. To counteract the display, they could put a board next to it and post all the Bible verses that they never teach in in church because they’re so violent and disgusting. It’s the best way to create atheists.
Seriously though, it’s a violation of the first amendment’s establishment clause and this crap has no place anywhere kids are being educated.
I used to be Christian. I used to believe in the bs and I really did believe that being a good person meant following God's law and the law of the land. I also believed that our fine country was founded on certain principles. One principle was that we were tired of being governed by monarchs who ruled by divine right. I also believed that we were free to worship in our own way and there were other people in the US who worshipped in their own way. I believed that government should stay out of the business of our church.
Today, I am better. I am better for leaving all of the magical thinking behind and I think our nation would be better if we all did the same thing. In the meantime, the idea that a sizable portion of our nation wants to go back to living under divine rule is a completely foreign concept to me. As far as I'm concerned, people like that are traitors to the principles of our nation.
I cannot say this loudly or emphatically enough: GOOD!!! This is the brand of blowback I've been aching to see, in Texas, one hopes in Oklahoma and my home state of Ohio (which is now giving thought to the same 10Cs BS), and anywhere else that wants to try to sneak religion in where it doesn't belong. It's a shame that this had to happen at all: the lawsuit and the attendant waste of public money and time and effort, that could go in many more deserving directions.
But Paxton has decided that this is the hill he wants to die on. Again I say, good. Someone call the coroner.
The blowback should have personal consequences. Teeth. Penalties. Especially when this behavior is recurring. It will again and again. There's not much hope for adults to modify their behaviors especially ones deep into fundamentalist beliefs. And so to make the suffering less, the courts need to be cruel. Within the confines of the law of course.
Not just yes, but HELL, YES! Make that PERSONAL penalties, penalties that impact Paxton and anyone else supporting this illegal proposition. Shuffling fines off onto the government is too easy. He should be staring down the same barrel that Kim Davis is with the penalties and fines she is currently facing for failing to do her job.
The Ten Commandments don’t make a difference in the churches, why would they make a difference in schools? Oh wait, the difference in the schools is that they get to proselytize to children they don’t already have access to, that’s what.
It also helps the GOPeePee defund public education by using the money set aside for education on these ridiculous lawsuits. The Repubelicans are trying to make the USA a hellscape for all but the 1%. But in the words of Dee Snider, “we’re not gonna take it.”
I have a lot of respect for the Bible for what it is, but the Ten Commandments are not special. They are not profound. They are not even advanced for the time they were written. The basics of civilization require us to refrain from murder and theft. Somehow humanity got by for hundreds of thousands of years without the Ten Commandments telling us that was wrong.
God and faith are not magic either. Posting them will not make people better than we are. It will not fix poverty, depression, hopelessness, abuse, nor the nihilism and hatred that attracts so many young men to violence anymore than having Christianity and the Bible be ubiquitous in the past kept people from massacres, pogroms, or lynchings. You might do better with more social workers, support for families and parents, and empowering teachers. Hell, you might do better with a poster of Mr. Rogers' quotes.
You would certainly do better with stronger, national gun laws.
Now that I see the bible (and other suchlike texts), I have precious little respect for any of them. They've been touted as being supreme standards for morality and goodness, but even a cursory inspection of their contents makes a lie of that assertion. The bible suborns slavery, homophobia, misogyny, and promotes patriarchy and scapegoating as positive values. Its deity was well described by Richard Dawkins as "the most unpleasant character in all fiction," and rightly so. The putative "savior" of the NT talks out of both sides of his mouth entirely too often to be credible, and he isn't, really.
Indeed, the bible as a whole is unworthy of belief or credibility. I give it none.
The people who never stop trying to force their religion into the public school classrooms would be the same people whose heads would explode at the mere suggestion any religion other than their own be represented. As they always do, they will completely miss the point. Posting the commandments won't solve a single problem in the real world, but they want to get children used to a particular religion being present in their lives.
Maybe they should put up a copy of the Ten Commandments in Ken Paxton's office, seeing as how he's violated a few himself.
It's not his fault, it's Satan's !!!!
Could it be maybe ... SATAN?!?
https://media1.tenor.com/m/ywr1SmQbI54AAAAC/church-lady.gif
Or maybe …. Santa!
I want you to meet a good friend of mine: Liz Dexia! 😁
NO Satan, jut ths asshole
Indeed. That advice goes for pretty much all court office, police stations, etc..
I.e. If you're going to put up a 10C monument, turn it around, because it's not the visitors that have the systematic trouble following it.
Yup!
Paxton has done a SPECTACULAR job of advertising some of the Commandments - his adulteries are legend, and so are his lies trying to conceal the adulteries and block access to divorce legal records. Way to go!
Hey Christian Nazionalists! Secular does not now mean, and never has meant atheistic or anti-Christian. It has always meant neutrality towards religion. When applied to the government, that means that your religion does not get oppressed, neither does it get privilege. It must stand on its own. Christianity, while in decline now, has flourished here in the US thanks to that secular government.
Why are you so afraid of fair and equal treatment? Are you afraid that given actual fair treatment alongside other religious ideas yours will be found wanting, thus accelerating the decline? Are you afraid that if you don't have the power of the majority, you will be treated badly? We are not like you. We don't care who you worship or if you worship. We don't care what religious rules you want to follow. We just do not want to be forced to follow your religious rules.
Put up the Ten Commandments anywhere you want that actually belongs to you. Just don't put them in shared spaces that we all own. If your argument is "tradition", then the 5 pillars of Islam should be posted next to those, since the evidence shows that there were very likely at least 2 Muslims who fought against England inf th Revolutionary War. Jefferson owned at least one Koran.
Indeed. The Five Pillars of Islam ... and right next to that, the Seven Tenets of The Satanic Temple. Jubal Harshaw said it a long time ago: "All names belong in the hat."
I also think that if they - the evangelical christians - are going to force this down everyone else's throats, they should offer up some proof. If their god is so all fired powerful, let him come down here and wiggle his nose and put those posters in all the classrooms himself. He might also tell everyone exactly how he expects to be worshipped and maybe why. End all dispute. Why does the World have to contend with over 45,000 different sects of christianity. There should be only one - and just one true gospel instead of 4. edit - added 'one'.
That's Qu-ran, there, partner. Q-U-R-A-N.
I don't like the U, but murica don't like them Q words if a U ain't after it.
--Allah
Al-Qua’ran, Infidel!
Quit arguing and figure out how to type in Arabic! ;)
I don't get it. What is forcing school districts to display the Ten Commandments supposed to accomplish? How this is going to improve test scores or find more money to put toward education? This is a fool's errand, being advocated for by fools. This isn't about kids at all - it's about adults and their fucking fragile egos.
It's marking territory. A "subtle" way to say, "This is Christian territory. You heathens need to convert or shut up."
It's all about conditioning children to accept a particular brand of religion.
Or, as many people who graduated from parochial K-12 schools will attest, inadvertently conditioning children to become atheists or "nones".
Haven't you heard? Putting up the 10Cs is supposed to make everyone like Ken Paxton!
EEEEWWWWWWW!
Paxton, the top lawman in Texass, is urging districts to disobey federal rulings. Top Cop is demanding that people break the law.
His bible says otherwise.
Caesar is perplexed.
Paxton is the Attorney General, and has no role as a law maker.
He thinks he is the law.
He thinks he's Judge Dredd.
Oops. Meant to say lawman. Fixed.
You definitely would not want Paxton making laws because he is as corrupt as they come.
Non-religious children should not be subject to religiousity of any kind while in school. It is their 1A children’s right.
Where is the law mandating to put a poster with
- the 'no religious test' clause from art. 6 of the Constitution of the United States
- The 'establisment clause' from the First Amendment
- art. 11 from the Treaty of Tripoli
In every government office in Texas?
Paxton doesn't want to hear that (or see it, either!). It messes with his hallucinations.
So anti-religious/anti-Christian quotes by the Key Founders would be out as well?
Oh, gad! He'd have a seizure!
As an aside, it has always amused me that school districts in Texas all have Independent School District as part of their name. I assume that is to make locals think they can control their local schools whereas the state tells them what to do.
This school district thing is so strange, a kind person here on Substack explained it to me a while ago. Because it just seems so daft (to me) that managing schools is not a function of (normal) local government, just like street lighting and bin collections. Why have a separate local structure? Why?
Maybe they should just let them post these 10 Commandments all over the place. If you look at them rationally they’re kind of ridiculous. To counteract the display, they could put a board next to it and post all the Bible verses that they never teach in in church because they’re so violent and disgusting. It’s the best way to create atheists.
Seriously though, it’s a violation of the first amendment’s establishment clause and this crap has no place anywhere kids are being educated.
Go to Paxton's wikipage and click on "Legal issues."
This is the LAST guy to be pushing religion on anyone.
WOOF! Just had a look. That man is up to his ass in alligators and shows not the least interest in clearing the swamp.
Got to be one of the most corrupt mofos on the planet. Another obituary I look forward to reading.
Why is it the most corrupt amoral persons are behind the efforts to push Christian religion into every aspect of our lives?
Xtianity isn’t about love and peace as xtians claim. It has always been about control of people’s lives.
Xtians call Jesus “Master.” What do they think that term means? Do they not realize that calling someone Master makes them slaves?
I used to be Christian. I used to believe in the bs and I really did believe that being a good person meant following God's law and the law of the land. I also believed that our fine country was founded on certain principles. One principle was that we were tired of being governed by monarchs who ruled by divine right. I also believed that we were free to worship in our own way and there were other people in the US who worshipped in their own way. I believed that government should stay out of the business of our church.
Today, I am better. I am better for leaving all of the magical thinking behind and I think our nation would be better if we all did the same thing. In the meantime, the idea that a sizable portion of our nation wants to go back to living under divine rule is a completely foreign concept to me. As far as I'm concerned, people like that are traitors to the principles of our nation.
I cannot say this loudly or emphatically enough: GOOD!!! This is the brand of blowback I've been aching to see, in Texas, one hopes in Oklahoma and my home state of Ohio (which is now giving thought to the same 10Cs BS), and anywhere else that wants to try to sneak religion in where it doesn't belong. It's a shame that this had to happen at all: the lawsuit and the attendant waste of public money and time and effort, that could go in many more deserving directions.
But Paxton has decided that this is the hill he wants to die on. Again I say, good. Someone call the coroner.
The blowback should have personal consequences. Teeth. Penalties. Especially when this behavior is recurring. It will again and again. There's not much hope for adults to modify their behaviors especially ones deep into fundamentalist beliefs. And so to make the suffering less, the courts need to be cruel. Within the confines of the law of course.
Not just yes, but HELL, YES! Make that PERSONAL penalties, penalties that impact Paxton and anyone else supporting this illegal proposition. Shuffling fines off onto the government is too easy. He should be staring down the same barrel that Kim Davis is with the penalties and fines she is currently facing for failing to do her job.
Paxton should be no different.
There are way too many school kids boiling goats in their mother's milk. Something has to be done.
Ken Paxton should follow his own damned Ten Commandments and stop coveting his neighbor's wife while he bears false witness.
Conservatives love hypocrisy.
The Ten Commandments don’t make a difference in the churches, why would they make a difference in schools? Oh wait, the difference in the schools is that they get to proselytize to children they don’t already have access to, that’s what.
It also helps the GOPeePee defund public education by using the money set aside for education on these ridiculous lawsuits. The Repubelicans are trying to make the USA a hellscape for all but the 1%. But in the words of Dee Snider, “we’re not gonna take it.”
I have a lot of respect for the Bible for what it is, but the Ten Commandments are not special. They are not profound. They are not even advanced for the time they were written. The basics of civilization require us to refrain from murder and theft. Somehow humanity got by for hundreds of thousands of years without the Ten Commandments telling us that was wrong.
God and faith are not magic either. Posting them will not make people better than we are. It will not fix poverty, depression, hopelessness, abuse, nor the nihilism and hatred that attracts so many young men to violence anymore than having Christianity and the Bible be ubiquitous in the past kept people from massacres, pogroms, or lynchings. You might do better with more social workers, support for families and parents, and empowering teachers. Hell, you might do better with a poster of Mr. Rogers' quotes.
You would certainly do better with stronger, national gun laws.
Now that I see the bible (and other suchlike texts), I have precious little respect for any of them. They've been touted as being supreme standards for morality and goodness, but even a cursory inspection of their contents makes a lie of that assertion. The bible suborns slavery, homophobia, misogyny, and promotes patriarchy and scapegoating as positive values. Its deity was well described by Richard Dawkins as "the most unpleasant character in all fiction," and rightly so. The putative "savior" of the NT talks out of both sides of his mouth entirely too often to be credible, and he isn't, really.
Indeed, the bible as a whole is unworthy of belief or credibility. I give it none.
Agreed. I've read the bible cover-to-cover in 4 translations and as Thomas Paine famously said in The Age of Reason "I sincerely detest it."
Zero respect.
Is contempt less than zero respect? If so, then less than zero respect.
The people who never stop trying to force their religion into the public school classrooms would be the same people whose heads would explode at the mere suggestion any religion other than their own be represented. As they always do, they will completely miss the point. Posting the commandments won't solve a single problem in the real world, but they want to get children used to a particular religion being present in their lives.