Howard Bashman posted a link today to the oral argument before the Supreme Court in the Texas Ten Commandments case. I noticed that both the Alabama Ten Commandments case and the Chester County Ten Commandments case were brought into the discussion. As I've noted previously here, I thought that both of those cases were rightly decided (in case anyone cares) and I was thinking that this one fell pretty squarely in the middle. But in a pinch I'd have to say it's closer to Chester County than Alabama. Maybe a lot closer.
Justice Scalia's remarks during the argument were disturbing, though. I'm not exactly unfamiliar with the general tenor of appellate argument and it doesn't seem to me that Scalia was being very, well, balanced in his approach.
It is a profound religious message, but it's a profound religious message believed in by the vast majority of the American people, just as belief in monotheism is shared by a vast majority of the American people.
And our traditions show that there is nothing wrong with the government reflecting that. I mean, we're a tolerant society religiously, but just as the majority has to be tolerant of minority views in matters of religion, it seems to me the minority has to be tolerant of the majority's ability to express its belief that government comes from God, which is what this is about.
As Justice Kennedy said, turn your eyes away if it's such a big deal to you.
Ok, so that's certainly a valid opinion that any American would have every right to express, but there's something very creepy, to me anyway, about having it expressed, like that, from the bench of the Supreme Court.
Speaking the Ten Commandments, though, it's time to remember the Sabbath day, which is rapidly approaching. So...
Shabbat Shalom.
