So why are you posting to this thread?
The Bible isn't the original source of American law
- Thread starter dbphoenix
- Start date
So why are you posting to this thread?
sorry, I didn't realize it was your short book club. You post an article, and people are supposed to reply what they think about it. Do we get free wine when we show up each week at the meeting? Do I have to make snacks when the meeting is at my house? OMG, I better get my vacuum cleaner fixed if all you ladies are showing up at my house next week.
That's pretty much the point of posting it. If you don't read it, it's going to be difficult to think anything about it.
But then there's always osmosis.
If you want to trace back the roots of the Constitution you would end up at the Magna Carta, 1215. or father back to the Charter of Liberties 1100. While almost all parts of these early documents were repealed and changed they provided the framework for later charters throughout history, even into the original Colonial Compacts. However woven throughout all of these are references to the Bible and the Christian God of the Bible. While the 10 Commandments may not be specifically listed, God's Law was seen as a necessity and prevailing, underlying theme this Governments was built upon. Today's erroneous separation of Church from State does not exist in the framing documents. The 1st Amendment ; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...... was to prevent a copy of the state-run Church of England, which many of the original Colonists fled. The Framers wanted to protect the Church from the Government not the other way around as we interpret it today. Religion, specifically "Christianity" was the fabric this country was founded upon.
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In reality this country was not founded upon Christianity or religion of any kind. First Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion couldn't be clearer. No establishment of religion, Christianity or otherwise.
The so called word of God has never been incorporated into law making here in America. For example, eight of the Commandments are not enforced under statutory law. Never have been.
Only two are relevant, Murder and theft. Lying, is not generally against the law, except in specific circumstances. It's absurd to think the law is based on the 10 Commandments when something over 70% of them are irrelevant to it.
Seeing how all 3, murder, theft and lying, had already been written into Babylonian laws predating all others anywhere, (even those being preceded by earlier law) means everything, including Magna Carter or Charter of Liberties are essentially founded from there. Thousands of years before any Torah /Bible or religious stuff or anything to do with Christianity, natural law and common law was being made and enforced.
Those who expect it's God's word which should be law, might go live in the Middle East to experience first hand what sort of a fuckfest the Almighty inevitably makes of it.
The so called word of God has never been incorporated into law making here in America. For example, eight of the Commandments are not enforced under statutory law. Never have been.
Only two are relevant, Murder and theft. Lying, is not generally against the law, except in specific circumstances. It's absurd to think the law is based on the 10 Commandments when something over 70% of them are irrelevant to it.
Seeing how all 3, murder, theft and lying, had already been written into Babylonian laws predating all others anywhere, (even those being preceded by earlier law) means everything, including Magna Carter or Charter of Liberties are essentially founded from there. Thousands of years before any Torah /Bible or religious stuff or anything to do with Christianity, natural law and common law was being made and enforced.
Those who expect it's God's word which should be law, might go live in the Middle East to experience first hand what sort of a fuckfest the Almighty inevitably makes of it.
IN REALITY, you couldn't be father from the truth. The Magna Carta, Charter of Liberties, et al. were aimed at restricting, limiting the power of the "Crown" or Government and instituting the rights of the Individual, not mandating individual laws as you assert, from earlier civilizations. The individual had no rights under those, the Kings word was absolute.
This idea of Individual Rights and Limiting Power were the theme that worked their way throughout early English Law and eventually into our Declaration of Independence and later into our Constitution as we drafted a Government based on, promoting and defending those individual rights.
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them,
Those Laws and Individual Freedom "Rights" were not granted by the Government, but by GOD .... Individual rights for our country and ourselves as Individuals.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-
God's Law, specifically that of "equality" and "individual freedom" as seen by our Founding Fathers is the basis of our legal system and Government.
I know in your atheistic heart, you cherish the thought of a god-less society and prefer to erroneously predispose our Constitutional Framers to the same mindset, but that is the exact opposite of history. The vast majority of our original lawmakers were highly religious and "Christian" based in their theology. Their writings weren't written to defend their Faith to the recipient or by later readers ....... a foundational belief in the Christian God of the Bible was assumed and the norm of that time. Every early State Constitution, Provincial and Colony Compact or Charter - "ALL" reference GOD, Divine Providence and such, their eloquence and choice of wording when mentioning God were common and a sign of respect in that era, and not to be confused as anything other that a reference to the Christian GOD of the Bible.
I'm confident that God's Law, or the Ten Commandments isn't the problem with today's society ..... but rather mankind's hardened, sinful heart.
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The main topic is about the myth that American law is based on the Ten Commandments not that law evolves as cultures do. But you are right to say Magna Carta is about limiting the King' power. The same applies to the Constitution, in as far as it is similarly about limiting God's power, by not allowing any religion to be established in the law.
Founders were indeed wise enough to know separating your superstitious religious beliefs from the law would leave everyone the better for it.
"Moral people" would include atheists, and "religious people" covers all other religions.
The "and" qualifier insinuates you need to be both moral and religious. At least insofar as the John Adams viewpoint, it would appear.