So... I watched the first part of the State of the Union address on TV the other day.
Upon immediately becoming bored to tears I started looking around at the scenery in the room. The House of Representatives must be so beautiful. The camera angles provided some interesting sweeping glances of the interior.
But I did notice one thing. There was this pretty ornate and powerful looking “In God We Trust” on the wall.
Interesting.
Of course this isn’t a foreign concept to me. It has been printed on of our money since the Civil War. But it is a pretty interesting statement to have it so prominently displayed in one of the central houses of government.
Actually, I just learned that it is the official motto of the United States of America.
Wow!!!
(The things you learn when you write a blog everyday… Thank you Wikipedia.)
This reminded me of an article I read several years ago about the state Supreme Court in Alabama that had a monument to the Ten Commandments. Someone sued and a federal judge ruled that the monument had to be removed.
Furious, the chief justice in that courthouse refused and he was removed from his post.
Dude was pretty gangsta for the cause.
I have no problem with him getting removed from his post and all of that but I do pause a bit when it comes to religious stuff entering government.
I can see both sides.
It’s not like this just started happening. There are references to God in America’s founding texts. It is impossible to completely separate a person from their faith so of course one’s guiding principles will find their way into whatever institutions that they create.
But this country was also founded on the idea of freedom (and specifically economic and religious freedom). As we continue to strive to be a more perfect union do things like “In God We Trust” and monuments to the Ten Commandments have a place in our governmental space? Or are they like Slavery and Jim Crow; relics of the imperfection that generations of Americans have strived to cleanse from our union?
Of course as a Christian I see in the Ten Commandments and the other laws of Moses the foundation for the laws that we live by. So these things don’t bother me as much as they might someone who does not share my faith.
But also as a Christian I see many people in power who use God and Jesus’ name to promote laws and measures that are contrary to my faith.
So I guess there is no easy answer here.
But for those of you who wonder why there is so much hype about the Ten Commandments here they are. Check the link. Read them over. It’s good to read through them once if you haven’t in a while.
If not for any other reason then to know what it is that people like the ex chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court are willing to forsake their careers over.
Enjoy
The Ten Commandments
Today’s Reading: Exodus 21-22: Matthew 19
