Positive Atheism Forum![]()
Ten Commandments
In The Schools?
Jim Rollins![]()
From: "Jim Rollins"
Subject: Ten Commandments Poll
Date: Friday, June 18, 1999 3:00 PM Take the Harris/Excite poll.
Today's question:
Will displaying the Ten Commandments in schools instill values in children influenced by violent images in popular culture?
Your choices:
Yes -- It's an important step to promoting the moral teachings that have disappeared from our nation's culture.
No -- It violates the separation of church and state, and fails to address the fundamental problems with youth today.
Unsure -- It seems like violent movies, video games, music, and real life are larger contributing factors to the nation's moral decay.
Jim Rollins
"The religious right has many people crippled and blinded... They're cowering when there's no need to cower. The government's job is not to suggest, promote or choose religious thoughts to be recommended to the people." -- Tennessee State Sen. Steve Cohn, in response to a Tennessee Senate resolution urging people to post and observe the Ten Commandments.
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From: "Jonas S. Green"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Re: Ten Commandments Poll
Date: Saturday, June 19, 1999 11:32 AM
The trouble with these polls is the options are too limiting. Actually on close examination of the question, the answer is Yes. However the question is not "Is posting the Ten Commandments an effective way to curb school violence?" to which the answer is No.
The value or values instilled by the Ten Commandments is "Christianity is the Best Religious Outlook ever" and Faith, Obidience and prayer to a superior being i.e. God belief is better than a rational and humanistic outlook on life. How well you do at being pious toward your God is more important than how kind, and compassionate your are to your fellow human.
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From:
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Re: Commandments: Take the Harris/Excite poll.
Date: Friday, June 18, 1999 5:03 PM
Hi Cliff,
My answer to today's question is NO, it is a violation of state, church separation.
Thanks,
Bobbi Needham
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From: "Kelly Jowett"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Re: House Okays Ten Commandments in Schools
Date: Friday, June 18, 1999 6:04 AM
Sorry, I had to respond to this. First, anyone who thinks that a child needs to be told killing another human being is wrong or they will think otherwise is a complete idiot. Children, as humans, have the same survival instinct as adults (maybe more) and as intelligent beings, do realize that others feel the same way. Second, even if one was to assume that a child did not know killing was wrong, they would still need motivation to do such a thing. They would need the hate enough to feel removing someone's life would make them happier. For this to occur requires a very screwed up life. Both atheists and Christians have their share of screwed up families, it's not in the religion boys and girls, but the demeanor. Thank you for reading my ramblings, this is not the end, believe me.
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