Ten Commandments restored at Virginia schools

[cali]

Associated Press

8:08 p.m., Sunday, January 23, 2011

RICHMOND, Va. | A school district in southwestern Virginia is re-posting copies of the Bible's Ten Commandments in all county schools, despite concerns that doing so is unconstitutional.

The five-member Giles County School Board voted unanimously to restore the framed, 4-foot-tall, biblical texts after parents and local ministers complained about their removal from the district's five schools and its technology center. The decision was made even though the board's attorney advised that such Christian displays represent unconstitutional government endorsement of religion.

The Ten Commandments were up on school walls in Giles County for at least a decade next to framed copies of the U.S. Constitution. School officials took them down and replaced them with the Declaration of Independence in mid-December after a resident complained. The board reversed that decision Thursday after several parents and pastors, joined by a throng of supporters, told the board that the schools had a moral obligation to reinforce God's teachings.

"The board, after hearing comments from some members in our community, they felt it was the right thing to do," said Superintendent Terry Arbogast, who noted that school officials didn't anticipate the public outcry. He said the Ten Commandments would be back on the walls by the end of Friday.

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http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/23/ten-commandments-restored-at-virginia-schools/

[canoeist52]

1. Well..that'l put a protective halo around the school

and nothing bad can ever happen there. Cheaper solution than hiring enough teachers.

[randr]

2. With all the fuss these people make of their "10 Commandments"

you would think they would respect and obey them.

[atreides1]

14. You would expect it!

But don't count on it.

[NoGOPZone]

21. It's typical "Do as I say, not as I do' behavior. nt

[formercia]

3. Those people probably can't afford the legal bills

that they will have to pay when they lose.

[sharesunited]

18. That's where charitable giving to fundie activism groups steps in!

[Iggo]

27. So people pay into a general fund to help others in need?

Sound socialist to me...lol.

[sharesunited]

28. Subsidy of principle, they would claim. Conservatives' answer to the ACLU.

[WinkyDink]

4. Students SHOULD learn not to covet their neighbor's wife! Or commit adultery! And hey! Stop with the

graven images, kids!

GMAB.

[LemmingWarrior]

15. Yeah, the kids should leave that for the adult Repugs

but it's never to early to start indoctrinating them so they can grow up to be the little hypocrites that lead them. }(

[hootinholler]

19. I still snicker about coveting my neighbor's ass

I mean it isn't all that great to begin with, now through my life I have had a few neighbors with asses worthy of coveting.

-Hoot

[ThomCat]

5. So, because people complained, they put them back

even knowing that it is unconstitutional. Against the advise of their own lawyer. :eyes:

I hope someone local is talking to the ACLU and takes this to court.

That will undoubtedly make that person very, very unpopular locally. Hopefully not so unpopular as to result in threats of violence.

But unfortunately, too many people tend to get violent when "protecting" their ability to shove their religion down everyone else's throat. :(

[hobbit709]

6. they've turned the commandments into a graven image that they worship.

[LemmingWarrior]

12. Shut thy mouth!

How darest thou speaketh thusly about God's choosen--doth thou not knowest the the depths of h3ll thou will be banished to for questioning the ordained minons of the Most High.....meh! :sarcasm:

[Mumble]

7. The 5 member school board..

..probably couldn't recite more than 4 or 5 of the commandments if asked to do so. Bet none of them have read the Bible in its entirety.

[hobbit709]

13. Proof of Mark Twain's statement about school boards.

[thereismore]

29. Faith beats wisdom, don't you know. nt

[DaveinJapan]

8. Does knowingly violating the Constitution make them anti-American?

Just asking.

[LemmingWarrior]

10. No. Warriors of God!

To h3ll with the Constitution they have an agenda and will pick which parts of the Constitution that suit them--they have been ordained by God to do this so it's ok. :sarcasm:

[LemmingWarrior]

9. These are the same mouth-breathers who didn't want

President Obama speaking to the school children for fear of indoctrination!?! This is a double-dare straight from the Repug/baggers to the present administration so they can say, "See, he's not a Christian, he's a Muslim". For a group that champions the Constitution so much they sure want to tear down it's very structure leaving only the parts that suit their agenda.

[MattBaggins]

11. "told the board that the schools had a moral obligation to reinforce God's teachings"

Well they just ruined any chance they could have had of an "it's a historical document" defense.

Clearly religious in intent. Take them down.

[gauguin57]

16. I don't condone it ... but now that they're up, someone should check on how this affects the schools

At the end of the school year, check how much student infractions have (not) gone down -- drug problems, teen pregnancies, etc.

Seriously ... some journalist should check this all out over the next year.

[jdadd]

17. I can't really afford it,

But I have got to go,re-new my membership in the ACLU.....

[Lucian]

20. Don't those idiots know when to quit?

What their doing is unconstitutional. They're going to lose this, as they should.

[unblock]

22. thou shalt not make for yourself an idol.

[progressoid]

23. Well, that should make 'em smarter.

:eyes:

[DCKit]

24. What if they taught the New Testament?

Atheist teachers, factual teaching with no spin or reinterpretation.

Then the little boogers could go home and tell their Tea Bagging parents how wrong they are - about everything.

[texshelters]

25. If they had only posted the 10 commandment at Va. Tech

the shootings would have never happened. One look at "thou shalt not kill" will stop any killer. We won't need mental health services anymore for children if we just had them commandments up.

I am sure if the Republican and Democratic Congress members had seen the ten commandments, they wouldn't have wondered off to commit adultery and they would no longer want to post the ten commandments for it is craven image of the lord and not the true savior.

It's unconstitutional and the actions of those of shaky faith, cowards who need constant reassurance their god is real lest they have to think for themselves.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[Iggo]

26. What're all these folks doing Super Bowl Sunday?

Yeah, that's what I thought.