Congressman Pushing Ten Commandments Bill

[Nambe]

Associated Press

An Alabama congressman hopes national exposure surrounding the Ten Commandments fight in his state will give traction to his 6-year effort to prevent federal judges from having a role in where the plaques are displayed.

Despite being introduced every session since joining Congress in 1996, Robert Aderholt's "Ten Commandments Preservation Act" has usually been pushed to the back of the congressional to-do list. ---

But the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said Aderholt's effort is blatantly unconstitutional.

"Aderholt wants government to promote religion," Lynn said. "He's on the wrong track. Religion does not need government help to remain healthy and prosper, and the First Amendment prohibits government promotion of religion." ---


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[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. what a jackass

Like there's nothing more importqant for a Congressman to deal with now.

[saigon68]

3. Well, he could be trying to stamp out hunger.

But I guess if you just believe, the fish and loaves will multiply </Sarcasm>

[prolesunited]

6. And that's exactly why

they will bring an issue like this out to the forefront. Weapons of mass distraction. Why talk about Iraq and the economy when we can divide the country over intractable and emotional issues like religion and abortion? I'm sure the flag-burning amendment will re-emerge any day now as well.

It's not ignorance. It's a plan.

On edit: I hope everyone here is a card-carrying member of the ACLU. If not, now's the perfect time to join.

http://www.aclu.org/

[Bandit]

14. ACLU ~ I take it you haven't heard ~ They are child rapers

At least according to a couple of posters (I would call them disrupters) here a couple of days ago. They are thousand plus posters that think ACLU is only for supporting and promoting Child Rapers. :shrug: we are being infiltrated by some dispicable characters.
I would give you the link to the post I mentioned but I seem to have lost my star and can't access the search function. I have rectified that problem but it will take a few days for it to register.

[prolesunited]

21. Whaaaa?

Give me some clues so I can look for that thread. Was it in GD? Did you post on it?

[TheYellowDog]

24. ACLU does not represent child rapists

NAMBLA is the organizaion that represents child rapists.

[LifeDuringWartime]

2. i have a cool bumper sticker

"the opposite of progress is congress"

[hang a left]

4. ah, yeah,

whatever.

[wryter2000]

5. Barry Lynn for President

I love Barry Lynn (and give his organization money).

[Mari333]

7. Give it up, You Lost, end of story.

[ramapo]

8. What a waste

How much time and energy is wasted on these phony issues?

Prayer in schools. Who says you can't pray? Say it in your head.
Ten commandments.
Flag burning. (Not using the flag in endless inappropriate was)

Nero fiddles while Rome burns.

[IggleDoer]

15. Congress should be working on really issues

... like who should be included in the Bowl Championship Series!!!

[mumon]

9. Yeah, it's funny with these Repugnants....

They're "strict interpreationist" until that strict interpretation interferes with their Fascist vision.

And, really, really stupid, too.

This "limit the courts jurisdiction" mentality's been around since the 80's. It won't go anywhere BECAUSE- an appelate court or Supreme Court can just rule it unconistitutional.

Yet another case of Stupid Repugnant Grandstanding.

[arcane1]

10. in other words, he's hoping finally to get some camera time

priorities, after all

[gratuitous]

11. Maybe he can get Henry Hyde to co-sponsor

Well, if not the whole bill, maybe nine-tenths of it. Har de har har.

[goobergunch]

17. Actually he hasn't

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR02045:@@@P

[gratuitous]

18. Well, what the hell's the matter with Hyde?

Doesn't he like the 10 commandments? Or at least eight or nine of them (maybe seven . . . uh, six)? What kind of sanctimonious prick is he if he can't sign on to this piece of crap unnecessary proposal?

Maybe if he put down the Starr Report and shagged his saggy ass out of the House Cloakroom he could get his name on this, too. It would just so . . . complete his legacy, you know?

[otohara]

12. How Will Janklow Vote???

n/t

[CO Liberal]

13. He'll Take a Fifth

Probably vodka................

:-)

[goobergunch]

16. Bill (H.R. 2045) text

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Ten Commandments Defense Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following:

(1) The Declaration of Independence declares that governments are instituted to secure certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, with which all human beings are endowed by their Creator and to which they are entitled by the laws of nature and of nature's God.

(2) The organic laws of the United States Code and the constitutions of every State, using various expressions, recognize God as the source of the blessings of liberty.

(3) The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States secures rights against laws respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof made by the United States Government.

(4) The rights secured under the first amendment have been interpreted by courts of the United States Government to be included among the provisions of the fourteenth amendment.

(5) The tenth amendment reserves to the States respectively the powers not delegated to the United States Government nor prohibited to the States.

(6) Disputes and doubts have arisen with respect to public displays of the Ten Commandments and to other public expression of religious faith.

(7) Section 5 of the fourteenth amendment grants the Congress power to enforce the provisions of the said amendment.

(8) Article I, section 8, grants the Congress power to constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court, and article III, section 1, grants the Congress power to ordain and establish courts in which the judicial power of the United States Government shall be vested.

SEC. 3. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY RIGHTS DECLARED.

(a) DISPLAY OF TEN COMMANDMENTS- The power to display the Ten Commandments on or within property owned or administered by the several States or political subdivisions thereof is hereby declared to be among the powers reserved to the States respectively.

(b) EXPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS FAITH- The expression of religious faith by individual persons on or within property owned or administered by the several States or political subdivisions thereof is hereby--

(1) declared to be among the rights secured against laws respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise of religion made or enforced by the United States Government or by any department or executive or judicial officer thereof; and

(2) declared to be among the liberties of which no State shall deprive any person without due process of law made in pursuance of powers reserved to the States respectively.

(c) EXERCISE OF JUDICIAL POWER- The courts constituted, ordained, and established by the Congress shall exercise the judicial power in a manner consistent with the foregoing declarations.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.R.2045:

:puke:

[chapter32]

19. Welcome to twenty first century.

[Mechatanketra]

20. Is anyone else amazed at how weak and insecure God seems to be?

I mean, for a being who is ostensibly supposed to be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, His followers certainly spend a lot of time huddling around the poor thing to keep nasty people from hurting His feelings. And then they sing songs about how "our god is a mighty god!" Who are you trying to convince? Let Him fend for Himself for once instead of coddling Him -- it'll do wonder for God's self-esteem, I'd have to think.

:eyes:

Eddie Izzard once bemoaned the nonsensical nature of "God Save the Queen" -- "She lives in a big palace, surrounded by guards -- she's f***ing saved." Now the USA brings the world an even more nonsensical notion: (effectively) "The Queen Save God".

[Lindacooks]

22. Beautiful!!

Not to mention how flimsy they feel their belief is. Fundies tell their kids not to ask questions, to be afraid of everything; no wonder they're prime cult fodder.

[goforit]

23. Well look at the poor "anti-constitutionalist"!!!!

I'm sure he follows all 10 every day of his pathetic life.

NOT