This was in the LTTE's in my local paper...

[TN al]

..."When our forefathers built the Supreme Court building, they placed near the top of the building a row of the world's law-givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view. It is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments. Also, as you enter the courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door."

I have never been to the Supreme Court building so I do not know if this is true. I suspect it is not. Please tell me if it is true or not so that I may respond with my own LTTE. Thank you.

[GOPisEvil]

1. Actually, there are displays of several ancient codes.

Amongst them are the Ten Commandments; the Code of Hammurabi and others...

I bet snopes.com has this information somewhere.

[pnorman]

4. Snopes.com it is!

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/capital.asp

pnorman

[truhavoc]

2. I would say it doesn't matter either way, use this site

to refute anything a con says about the ten commandments

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_10c7.htm

[truhavoc]

3. Sorry...had to follow up with more

6th Commandment; Verse 13: "Thou shalt not kill."
8th Commandment; Verse 15 "Thou shalt not steal."
9th Commandment; Verse 16 "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."
10th Commandment; Verse 17 "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."


That is 4 of 10 commandments that even play a role whatsoever in the law of our "secular" nation.

I fail to see how these were not at least common sense before the commandments (yes an atheist is allowing a since of time with respect to the uttering of the 10 commandments, laugh away), we don't give our ancestors much credit do we??

[Bandit]

8. Those are the four the Republicans would abolish

They don't follow or believe in any of those four.

[NewJeffCT]

9. and, I am guessing

That in the officially atheist People's Republic of China, "Thou Shalt Not Kill" and "Thou Shalt not Steal" are somewhere in their codes of law...

[truhavoc]

10. Good point

As the PRC falls apart at its seams due to its ungodliness! I wonder who the cons would state as the number one threat to the US (well once removed of their "war on terror" BS)?

[LeftHander]

12. DOn't be coveting my ass....

Or my manservant's ass...

lol

[GOPisEvil]

5. Here's more information on the symbols of law.

You'll need the Adobe Acrobat reader, but this is from the Supreme Court web site: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/about/symbolsoflaw.pdf

[TN al]

6. I went to this site...

...http://www.usscplus.com/info/building.htm and then wrote this LTTE.

The letter on the Ten Commandments was
forceful and convincing. Unfortunately in large parts
it was incorrect. I was saddened by what was placed in
the letter as fact which, upon closer scrutiny, was
only his opinion with slanted descriptions of the
building and some outright falsehoods to back it up.
The letter states that our forefathers built the court
building. In fact construction was started in 1932 and
completed in 1935. While I wish a long life for
everyone, expecting our forefathers to live into the
20th century is ridiculous. While Moses is depicted
twice on the building he receives no more prominence
than Hammurabi, Confucius, Napoleon, and many others.
The Ten Commandments are not engraved in the large
oaken doors and the central figure of all of the
characters is blind Lady Justice. I found all of this
out within moments using a Google search.
Unfortunately many people do not have the resources to
do their own research that I have and instead listen
to the incorrect rantings of others to form their
opinions. Was this letter written to puposely decive
or was the writer himself decieved by other
prevaricators. I will leave that for others to decide.

[truhavoc]

7. If you haven't sent it yet...

I would also mention the fact that it is merely the tablets that are important, signifying the mode of communication of ancient laws. Hence the laws are not actually inscribed on the tablets.

[IkeWarnedUs]

13. Please write a response to your local paper LTTE

As you just said, "Unfortunately many people do not have the resources to do their own research that I have and instead listen
to the incorrect rantings of others to form their opinions." Others, of course, think the internet is just for e-mail and porn.

Whatever the reason people reading the LTTE need to be exposed to the whole story.

If you would rather not write your own letter, please let us know what local paper you are talking about. I'm confident a few DU'ers (including myself) would be happy to set the record straight.

If we let right wing lies and distortions stand without dispute, it appears to give their claims legitimacy.

On edit: I'm so sorry. I just noticed you said you sent this LTTE.
I'm still on my first cup of coffee and missed it. Great letter.

[mrfrapp]

16. Minor Correction

"The letter states that our forefathers built the court building. In fact construction was started in 1932 and completed in 1935. While I wish a long life for everyone, expecting our forefathers to live into the 20th century is ridiculous."

I wouldn't include the section I've quoted above because forefather simply means "an ancestor". Clearly, ancestors of some description built the supreme court. Whether or not the author to whom you are replying meant "founding fathers" is another question.

[TN al]

17. I see your point...

...however has not the word used in that context come to be equivalent to founding fathers. Especially after the Gettysburg address? He used fathers instead of forefathers but is it not the same? And wouldn't somebody bringing that point up as a defense leave themselves open to a charge of intentionally obfuscating the point?

[Nadienne]

11. How Pathetic -

Using an e-mail chain letter as the basis of a ltte. Don't those creeps have any originality, or must they rely on someone else for everything?

[truhavoc]

14. this was a chain letter?

lol

sad i tell you, sad.

But at least I am thankful that this is one piece of junk email I never received. It kind of sucks that I never get to reply all to any of this junk...all I get is porn crap for some reason.

[Nadienne]

15. You're lucky

My whole family passes on religious chain letters to each other and to me... I debunk what I can, but they're not interested in what I have to say. Oh, no. They would rather trust some anonymous who-knows-what that might have very hate-filled (and therefore un-Christ-like) motives than trust silly little me.