Subject: Re: [LPNY DISCUSS] Ten Commandments Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 10:13:06 -0400 To: From: Bob Armstrong On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 09:33:06 -0400, Bonnie wrote: >=A0Put the Bill of Rights there instead if you want a= appropriate, >=A0meaningful statement. An excellent notion , the sort that could have helped defuse ( diffuse ) the situation . Here's a posting from Niederhoffer's Junto I found quite educational : --- Original Message --- From: soyamaven@aol.com To: =A0 Sent: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 17:07:58 EDT Subject: [nycjunto-discuss] The "Ten Commandments" Controversy >=A0In the United States, the situation at the Alabama Supreme= Court has focused >=A0attention on a controversy that has persisted for many years= regarding the >=A0placement of the "Ten Commandments" in public schools and= public buildings. But >=A0one critical question seems to have escaped most of the public= dialog on the >=A0subject: Whose "Ten Commandments" should we post? > >=A0The general perception in this country is that the "Ten= Commandments" are >=A0part of the common religious heritage of Judaism, Catholicism= and Protestantism, >=A0part of the sacred scriptures that we all share, and should not= be >=A0controversial. But most people involved in the debate seem to= have missed the fact that >=A0these three religions divide up the commandments in different= ways! Judaism, >=A0unlike Catholicism and Protestantism, considers "I am the L-rd,= your G-d" to be >=A0the first "commandment." Catholicism, unlike Judaism and= Protestantism, >=A0considers coveting property to be separate from coveting a= spouse. Protestantism, >=A0unlike Judaism and Catholicism, considers the prohibition= against idolatry to be >=A0separate from the prohibition against worshipping other gods.= No two >=A0religions agree on a single list. So whose list should we= post? > >=A0And once we decide on a list, what translation should we post?= Should >=A0Judaism's sixth declaration be rendered as "Thou shalt not= kill" as in the popular >=A0KJV translation, or as "Thou shalt not murder," which is a bit= closer to the >=A0connotations of the original Hebrew though still not entirely= accurate? > >=A0These may seem like trivial differences to some, but they are= serious issues >=A0to those of us who take these words seriously. When a= government agency >=A0chooses one version over another, it implicitly chooses one= religion over another, >=A0something that the First Amendment prohibits. This is the heart= of the >=A0controversy. > >=A0But there is an additional issue in this controversy that is of= concern from >=A0a Jewish perspective. In Talmudic times, the rabbis consciously= made a >=A0decision to exclude daily recitation of the Aseret ha-Dibrot= (10 Utterances) from the >=A0liturgy because excessive emphasis on these statements might= lead people to >=A0mistakenly believe that these were the only mitzvot= (commandments) or the most >=A0important mitzvot, and neglect the other 603. By posting these= words >=A0prominently and referring to them as "The Ten Commandments,"= (as if there weren't any >=A0others, which is what many people think) schools and public= buildings may be >=A0teaching a message that Judaism specifically and consciously= rejected. > >=A0According to Judaism, the Aseret ha-Dibrot identify the= following ten >=A0categories of mitzvot. =A0Please remember that these are= categories of the 613 mitzvot, >=A0which according to Jewish tradition are binding only upon Jews.= The only >=A0mitzvot binding upon gentiles are the seven Noahic= commandments. > >=A01. Belief in G-d >=A0This category is derived from the declaration in Ex. 20:2= beginning, "I am >=A0the L-rd, your G-d..." > >=A02. Prohibition of Improper Worship >=A0This category is derived from Ex. 20:3-6, beginning, "You shall= not have >=A0other gods..." It encompasses within it the prohibition against= the worship of >=A0other gods as well as the prohibition of improper forms of= worship of the one >=A0true G-d. > >=A03. Prohibition of Oaths >=A0This category is derived from Ex. 20:7, beginning, "You shall= not take the >=A0name of the L-rd your G-d in vain..." This includes= prohibitions against >=A0perjury, breaking or delaying the performance of vows or= promises, and speaking G-d's >=A0name or swearing unnecessarily. > >=A04. Shabbat >=A0This category is derived from Ex. 20:8-11, beginning, "Remember= the sabbath >=A0day..." It encompasses all mitzvot related to shabbat,= holidays, or sacred >=A0time. > >=A05. Respect for Parents and Teachers >=A0This category is derived from Ex. 20:12, beginning, "Honor your= father and >=A0mother..." > >=A06. Prohibition of Murder >=A0This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not= murder." > >=A07. Prohibition of Adultery >=A0This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not= commit >=A0adultery." > >=A08. Prohibition of Theft >=A0This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not= steal." It >=A0includes within it both outright robbery as well as various= forms of theft by >=A0deception and unethical business practices. It also includes= kidnapping. > >=A09. Prohibition of False Witness >=A0This category is derived from Ex. 20:13, saying, "You shall not= bear false >=A0witness against your neighbor." > >=A010. Prohibition of Coveting >=A0This category is derived from Ex. 20:14, beginning, "You shall= not covet your >=A0neighbor's house..." > >=A0Source: http://www.jewfaq.org/10.htm > > >=A0Regards, > >=A0Walter Greenspan --=A0 =A0Bob Armstrong -- http://CoSy.com -- 212-285-1864 Liberty : http://cosy.com/Liberty.htm =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A02003/08/28 10:02:53 AM