Ten Commandments monument expresses religious favoritism

Editor:

In Mindy Jeffers Aug. 31 column, Questioning monument removal, she asks why 77 percent of people in favor of the monument depicting the Ten Commandments have to bend to the 19 percent of those who dont. She then preceded in a most un-Christian way to insult those who oppose her views.

The answer to Jeffers question is simply that the United States of America is a republic, not an absolute democracy. If our country were an absolute democracy, any given majority at any given point in time could impose its will on those groups in minority status. Our Founding Fathers, several of whom were deists (not Christians) took steps to assure that Old World problems would not be imported into our new country.

Of course the Ten Commandments are the basis of our system of laws, and in that sense the monument could be considered a historical display. But a practicing Jew or Christian surely must understand that those of other faiths could easily assume that the government (our Constitution) of us all favors the Judeo-Christian faiths over all others.

//

There are two solutions: A really impractical one would be to attempt to represent all of the religions scriptural commands in one monument. A more practical and appropriate solution is to demonstrate our adherence to our faiths by our behavior, with loving tolerance for those who do not share our particular beliefs.

The monument itself? Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars (the courthouse) and render unto God the things that are Gods (our hearts).

Gene L. Rickaby

Martinez