By whatever name, they are 'laws of life'
Sunday, June 01, 2008ISSUE: Ten Commandments displays
OUR VIEW: S.C. lawmakers careful to emphasize history but yet could face challenges
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided that religious-related documents such as the Ten Commandments can be displayed in courthouses and public buildings as long as the display is not designed as government sanctioning of religion.
The difficulty in making such a judgment, for the court and for citizens, is trying to interpret intent.
The Ten Commandments and tenets of the Christian faith played an integral role in the founding of this nation. Yet the very strength of the foundation is freedom -- freedom of religion and freedom from religion.
South Carolina lawmakers are taking a stand, approving legislation they believe is legally foolproof in allowing the Ten Commandments to be publicly displayed by local governments.
The legislation allows for the placement of a “Foundations of American Law and Government” display in public buildings. The bill outlines the requirements for the display including the documents that should be included in it. State, county and local government buildings, as well as school boards, are all defined as acceptable places for the display.
The documents are:
* The Ten Commandments.
* The Lord’s Prayer.
* The Magna Carta.
* The Mayflower Compact, 1620.
* The Declaration of Independence.
* “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key.
* The Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.
* The Preamble to the South Carolina Constitution.
* The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
* The national motto “In God We Trust.”
* The image of Lady Justice.
* The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863.
* Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
While the approach by lawmakers emphasizes history and casts light on words and images about which all Americans should be familiar, there is undeniably a religious motivation involved. And that means the potential for challenge as such displays become common.
The more pertinent point is about the Ten Commandments as the laws of life. Under whatever name, the very same tenets are part of the teachings of all great religions, from Buddhism to Islam and Hinduism.
That is why today’s character education initiatives in schools are not embroiled in debate about the Commandments and other religious teachings. They are incorporating the Commandment’s principles as integral to the education process and to solving societal problems.
For example, the national Character Counts Coalition identifies “Six Pillars of Character”: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. And there are ironically 10 basic rules that can form the foundation of character development: honesty, integrity, keeping promises, loyalty, responsibility, pursuit of excellence, kindness and caring, respect, fairness and citizenship.
We’re less concerned about whether the Ten Commandments as posted in a courthouse or public building are called the Ten Commandments or by a name such as the “laws of life.” Whether they are verbatim from the Christian Bible or adaptations such as for character programs, the broader point is to see that mankind learns the rules and lives by them.
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