Christian Leader Offers to Not Press Charges Against Vandals Who Toppled Decalogue Display

[WouldbeCentrist]

Christian Leader Offers to Not Press Charges Against Vandals Who Toppled Decalogue Display
By Michael Gryboski
The Christian Post

WASHINGTON – The leader of a Christian organization that had a Ten Commandments display vandalized has offered to not press charges against the unknown perpetrators.

The Rev. Rob Schenck, president of Faith And Action, announced Tuesday afternoon at a press conference that he would not file charges provided the perpetrators agree to meet with him................

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-leader-offers-to-not-press-charges-against-vandals-who-toppled-decalogue-display-105240/#LltkOgW5F5lH4adY.99

[longship]

1. Get a bowl, spoon, and some milk. This guy is coo coo for Cocoa Puffs.

The Decalogue is part of a mythical story of the Pentateuch, the Greek language version of the Hebrew Bible (or as Christians call it, the Old Testament).

There are multiple versions of the Ten Commandments within the Pentateuch. One of my favorites has the always popular, "thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk". These are called doublets, where the Biblical redacters, wishing to preserve the text, include multiple, contradicting versions of the same narrative.

In the Pentateuch this has given rise to the Documentary hypothesis, that the text is a redaction from four independent sources J (Jahweh), E (Elohim), P (priestly), and D (Deuteronomy). The distinct narrative styles of the the four sources are the origins of the theory. The many doublets throughout the narrative within the Pentateuch provide ample support to the theory. Many things happen multiple times, with contradicting stories. The Exodus is only one of the many. Lot, Noah, even Abraham, have doublets.

This even extends beyond the Pentateuch into the rest of the Hebrew Bible. In one doublet, it is not David that slays Goliath, but one of his lieutenants. A later redaction recognizes this and tries to justify the discrepancy. So even within the Bible itself, there are apologists who vainly attempt apologetics to align the text when it conflicts.

There is absolutely no evidence (historic, archeological, or otherwise) of the Exodus. The narrative in the Pentateuch is myth.

The Ten Commandments are a fixation by crazy Republican dominionists. That party has truly gone off the deep end.

[telclaven]

2. I disagree with none of your statements, but

Knocking over a momument on private grounds is asshat behavior. I don't care what motivates someone to do so.

[longship]

3. Well, as an atheist, I still despise desecration.

If you polled atheists about the destruction of the Bayiman Buddhas by the Taliban, almost all would be horrified. Atheists are not defilers or deniers of religious history or heritage.

But was this really on private land? It seems it was on public land, a court house. Now if that is how it was, I can understand such a demonstration of First Amendment principles. But I do not support it since it would be better to oppose it in the courts.

This is a complicated issue. The GOP dominionists want the Decalogue displayed in all court houses which is clearly against the establishment clause. But the way to oppose it is not by vandalism.

[telclaven]

4. It was on private property

The stone tablet was originally displayed by public schools in Ohio. After a Federal court ordered them removed, this tablet (I believe there were three) was purchased by the Faith and Action Ministry. They have a headquarters building one block removed from the Supreme Court building in D.C. This tablet was displayed on the garden grounds in front of their building.

[longship]

5. Well regardless, this is a clear case of vandalism, or desecration.

I am against both.