I'm an atheist and I go to a school that has the ten commandments hanging in every single room and every single hallway. Whenever I've tried to complain about it I get the same "They're ten basic rules everyone should live by" speech and that "they're not hurting anyone". Okay, first of all, "I am the lord thy god" and "Thou shall put no other gods before me" are rules that only Christians go by. And as far as it not hurting anyone goes. Its such a slap in the face to see those hanging there on the wall. It feels like the entire school is laughin at me, telling me I don't belong there. Whenever I tell someone I'm an athiest they freak out and ask me why I don't believe in God. Its like the world has this depiction of atheists as being evil. I may not believe in God, but I don't believe in the devil either. I don't believe in hating anyone for any reason. I don't believe in war. I do believe in kindness. I do belive in helping others. I do believe in the freedom of religion. That's why I don't believe the ten commandments should be hanging anywhere other than a church or someone's home.
I am Christian and completely agree. They shouldn't have The Ten Commandments hanging on the walls, because not everyone is Christian, and not everyone follows them.
Is It Only A Dream Ther'll Be No More Turning Away? -Pink Floyd
I remember there were two Supreme Court cases about this. There were two, I think, courthouses with them posted. The one only featured the 10 Commandments. The other featured the 10 Commandments as a display with other law things on it as well. The first was not allowed, where the second one was. I agree with their rulings.
"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
As a christian I agree with stefjo07, you have a good point, I wouldn't want anyone else shoving their religious influence on me. I say keep fighting, put it into ways they will understand. Eventually someone will get your point, there shoud be a division between church and state.
I agree with stefjo07 100% stef can you get ahold of me at this email im doin a debate in school bout this and i could use your help im on the ppl who dont support the rite to have the ten commandments haging in the public schools
I attend a small high school with only about 380 students in the entire school. We have a girl in the Freshman class who does not believe that saying the Pledge of Alligence in school is right. She is also in Choir and during Christmas we sang about GOD and Jesus. She said that she could not sing in the songs and my choir director was fine with that. I am Catholic and I am fine with us not having the 10 Commandments up in school. We do however have a group called FCA and it is a group that gets together and has pray sessions, and plays games that have to do with GOD. After every one of our home football games the band members that wanted to would go out on to the middle of the football field and pray. The ones that didnt want to just stood there and waited until we were done. I think that people should have a choose about what religion that they want to be. That is fine with me. I have friends from all kinds of regligions. Some of them are really close friends. I dont care what they believe. They are just fun to be around.
Ignoring the problem doesn't solve it. If I ignore racism does it go away? If I ignore the homeless ppl beggining for money, do they go away? No. Hanging the 10 commandments is a way of showing faith, a faith not all ppl have. The fact that they are hanging in my school bothers me because thay are not representative of the all the students.
nsyncgirl- honestly can you just shut the **** up and think about what you are saying for a moment? If you read the ****ing posts below yours you can find all the answers to your questions.
quote: When the 10 Commandments are hung in school, they are not being enforced by any means.
-nsyncgirl
quote: placing the 10 commandments up is an endorsement of christian religions. not having the 10 commandments up is not an endorsement of atheism.
-kg
quote: Why can't you just ignore them if it bothers you?
-nsysncgirl
quote: That's really the point I'm trying to make. Its not only suppressing atheists, but muslims, catholics, jews, buddhists, etc. If someone has the 10 commandments hanging in their home that's fine, if I go to a private business and the owner has them hanging up that's fine, but in a school that is public and that is supposed to create an environment in which all the students feel accepted and represented, it is not fine.
OK, I get what you are saying. To me, when the Wiccans try to cast spells on me, it is not a slap in the face. Why? I think they are a little odd, and I just ignore them.
When the 10 Commandments are hung in school, they are not being enforced by any means.
Why can't you just ignore them if it bothers you?
I don't get it.
Why should we have to take them down? Our school will not even allow us to put them anywhere. I was told to remove them from MY locker.
One of my friends is atheist, and she agrees with all but the 1st. She ignores it. Can you explain to me why it offends you so?
You know that feeling you had when the wiccans told you they were casting a spell on you for believing in god? It was like a slap in the face, wasn't it? The intolerance they displayed was repulsing, right. The fact that they didn't see it from your perspective is really what bothered you. I don't hate ppl who share a different set of beliefs than myself. I think everyone has the right to believe whatever their hearts desire. That's why I'm saddened by the fact that the 10 commandments are hanging on the wall in my school. It makes me feel like the entire school is laughing at me, pointing out the fact that I'm different, and that what I believe isn't right and what they believe in is. If they had every other belief represented, if they had excerpts from the torah and the koran and represented every other philosophy, I'd be fine with that. What I want you to realize is that they're not just hurting me, but everyone else who walks downs those halls and into those classrooms that isn't a christian.
I think ppl have a right to hang whatever they want to up in a private setting or in an institution that endorses that belief or idea. I would not have a problem with the ten commandments hanging up in a public school if all other beliefs were also represented. That's really the point I'm trying to make. Its not only suppressing atheists, but muslims, catholics, jews, buddhists, etc. If someone has the 10 commandments hanging in their home that's fine, if I go to a private business and the owner has them hanging up that's fine, but in a school that is public and that is supposed to create an environment in which all the students feel accepted and represented, it is not fine.
nsyncgirl - there is a huge difference between a school endorsing a specific religion and people given the freedom to practice religion. i fail to understand why you insist on viewing them as one and the same.
schools should not endorse one religion over another. students should be allowed to believe in what they want. they are not mutually exclusive choices. as far as a wiccan putting a spell on you - well, was it a peer that did this, or was it your principal? big difference.
placing the 10 commandments up is an endorsement of christian religions. not having the 10 commandments up is not an endorsement of atheism.
By the way atheism is a religion, so if you want to remove our religion, we should have the same right to remove yours.
How can atheism be removed from school? Allow absolutely no talk of your beliefs in school. Let's just get rid of all the problems, and not be allowed to talk about it.
I have people at my school that come up to me and say they are casting spells on me because I believe in God. Do I care? Um.... no. Why? I do not believe in witchcraft and they have freedom of religion. The 10 Commandments have abosolutely no reason not to hang in public schools. All of the commandments, in your atheist mind, are OK, except #1. Thou shall have no other god or gods before me. A very true and powerful statement that first commandment. It always seems that #1 bothers all atheists. Well, I have heard this from many atheists in my life... Who cares? Get over it! Why should it have an affect on you if you don't believe? Ignore it, because apparently you would do that to a Christian who came to your door preaching the gospel. I have to get over the fact that witches try to cast spells on me, so why should you not be forced to get over the fact that the 10 Commandments have no reason to be removed? Peace.... Nsyncgirl
Not to pick at you but did you read what you typed?
You do believe in freedom of religion but thats why you dont believe the 10 commandments should be hanging anywhere other than a church or someones home. I am sorry but could you please tell me how you can have freedom but yet you cant hang your beliefs on the wall?
Wow! I don't feel so alone anymore. My school is public, by the way and in the sort of place where we have more churches than stores. I am the lone atheist pretty much. There are others in my school who have doubts about god, but are afraid to be as vocal about it as I am. I have started classroom debates about the commandments being posted and I had only one other person on my side. She is, however, not as adamant as I am about taking them down. Whenever I have actually tried to get some support from my peers that "have doubts" they basically tell me to look the other way and ignore that they're hanging everywhere.
1st off, i assume you attend a public school. if you're in a private school, then the school can do whatever it wants.
that being said, i would find this situation completely unacceptable. the 10 commandments are, unambiguously, a religious doctrine that carry all of the religious, moralistic stratifications inherent in any belief.
people are making fun of you - that's a direct example of how the school's decision to hang the 10 commandments is hurting someone. the school should not be placing you in a position where you have to defend your religious/philosophical beliefs. if students wish to place the 10 commandments on the wall, that's one thing. but then you should be afforded those exact same rights.
i personally would find a philosophical discussion outlining views consistent with your moral beliefs and hang them next to every single 10 commandment list. i would suggest selections from aristotle, sarte, locke, mill, etc. personally i would select ayn rand, thomas paine, and specific portions of Dostoevsky's and milton friedman's works. then, and only then, would i accept the placement of the 10 commandments on the wall.
force the school into phrasing the debate in concrete terms: is the school specifically endorsing specific religions and their associated beliefs or are they simply allowing students to voice their beliefs. don't let them cop out of a real answer by asking "who is it hurting?" that's the coward's way of dodging responsibility for a stance. force the school to tell you their stance and then act accordingly.
quote:Okay, first of all, "I am the lord thy god" and "Thou shall put no other gods before me" are rules that only Christians go by.
....Not true, it's the jewish bible, the Christians just added more stuff they wanted and opened up a new religon, but I'm just being petty. I'm not found of the ten commandments either. "I'm your god", plus you're not allowed to want anything someone else has? But I don't think there's much you can do about it, unless you know of some other people who are against it. Talk to people you don't know so well- when I was really younger I didn't know anyone who didn't believe in god. I got to know other people, and other people grew up and stopped believing, or started having doubts. Is your school private or public? Private schools are allowed.
quote: Okay, first of all, "I am the lord thy god" and "Thou shall put no other gods before me" are rules that only Christians go by
...
quote: I don't believe in hating anyone for any reason. I don't believe in war. I do believe in kindness. I do belive in helping others. I do believe in the freedom of religion. That's why I don't believe the ten commandments should be hanging anywhere other than a church or someone's home.
I'm an Atheist, as well, but the ten commandments are no different from regular humanist morals. You say that you believe in being a good person, to sum it up. The 10 commandments is just a written document reminding Christians they they should be good people, too. If your school has the written version of the commandments hanging up where you can see them and they offend you in some matter, they are OBLIGATED to take them down (considering you go to a public school, otherwise circumstances would be different). But if you respect other religions, respect the beliefs of Christians, Jews, Musliums, etc. And as far as people beliving Atheists to be bad people, they're ignorant. You must learn to ignore them, like I have.
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