Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 64 (9164 total)
4 online now:
Newest Member: ChatGPT
Post Volume: Total: 916,760 Year: 4,017/9,624 Month: 888/974 Week: 215/286 Day: 22/109 Hour: 0/3


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   God's Laws or Man's
Nuggin
Member (Idle past 2518 days)
Posts: 2965
From: Los Angeles, CA USA
Joined: 08-09-2005


Message 1 of 10 (237859)
08-27-2005 9:24 PM


Trying to save another thread from going off the rails, I'm setting this one up.
Is the foundation of our legal system based on the ten commandments?
Influenced by them?
My thoughts:
It's true that there is overlap between our laws and the Biblical laws in areas like murder, theft, etc. However, I would suggest that if you looked at societies prior to their contact with Judeo/Christian culture (or societies the predate it) you will find many of these same laws.
When people come together and form a culture, it becomes necessary to reinforce that community. Fratricide is counter to this. A culture which exhalted murder would have trouble maintaining it's population.
If we look to Hammurabi's code, we see the foundations for much of our system. I was going to cut and paste them here, but the list is very long. Instead here's a link.
http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/hammurabi.htm
Gotta love how many of these are punishable by death.

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by jar, posted 02-04-2006 11:06 AM Nuggin has replied
 Message 7 by ikabod, posted 04-21-2006 4:58 AM Nuggin has not replied
 Message 8 by New Cat's Eye, posted 04-21-2006 10:42 AM Nuggin has not replied

  
AdminNosy
Administrator
Posts: 4754
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Joined: 11-11-2003


Message 2 of 10 (238394)
08-29-2005 8:54 PM


Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.

  
AdminPD
Inactive Administrator


Message 3 of 10 (283842)
02-04-2006 9:24 AM


Bump For Viewing
Bringing into the light for possible interest.

  
jar
Member (Idle past 420 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 4 of 10 (283863)
02-04-2006 11:06 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Nuggin
08-27-2005 9:24 PM


Yes, some Christian influence
I would say that there is definitely a Christian influence to our laws. However that was not either a reasoned position or a concious one.
The Christian church had the biggest religious influence simply because there was no other major contributing factor. The question of whether or not that was the best source simply never came up. The invaders were almost entirely Christian and the victors wrote the laws.
Had the Powhatan Confederacy risen up and drive the Virginia Company into the sea and the Mississippians did to Cortez, it's likely that our laws would be entirely different. Had the invasion come from China it's likely the base of the laws would be Taoist or Buddhist.
In any case, the laws are man's. Laws, like religion, are a human construct.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Nuggin, posted 08-27-2005 9:24 PM Nuggin has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 5 by Nuggin, posted 02-04-2006 12:59 PM jar has not replied

  
Nuggin
Member (Idle past 2518 days)
Posts: 2965
From: Los Angeles, CA USA
Joined: 08-09-2005


Message 5 of 10 (283894)
02-04-2006 12:59 PM
Reply to: Message 4 by jar
02-04-2006 11:06 AM


What Christian law?
I agree, for example, had the Native Americans had influence, we'd be stuck with some sort of representative democracy, with a Congress of representatives determining affairs of state. Oh, wait...
Here's an interesting question for everyone: What Christian influence?
I mean, let's be real, the 10 commandments are not Christian. They are Jewish. So, what are the Fundies proclaiming that our laws are fundamentally Jewish, that we a nation founded on Jewish law?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4 by jar, posted 02-04-2006 11:06 AM jar has not replied

  
R. Cuaresma
Inactive Member


Message 6 of 10 (291705)
03-03-2006 6:23 AM


We mean "Law of God and Human Law"
This is a general reply. God is the creator of His creations. Naturally, He is the law giver in order establish a smooth progression of His masterpiece.
In a laboratory where experimentation is carried out certain procedures have to be observed in order to meet the expected results. In the laboratory of God, we are the specimens and or the outcome of His experiment. However, one thing is so different we are given the intellegence and are parts of the process. Laws are set to guide man in carrying out his part but given the wisdom to choice. This is the so-called "free will." Through "free will" we are given the gift to decide for ourselves. This is also the reason why philosophy came to the limelight. With this trend man dreamed of having a perfect government, and so "human laws" were enacted.
However, human laws are made not purely based on human reasoning but also based on the traditions as result of modifications from the first law - the Divine Law - which is the Law of God. If ever a law is not beneficial to the majority then it must be a "law of man" and not a "human law."

  
ikabod
Member (Idle past 4519 days)
Posts: 365
From: UK
Joined: 03-13-2006


Message 7 of 10 (305608)
04-21-2006 4:58 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Nuggin
08-27-2005 9:24 PM


our's and as far as i can tell all other legal systems are based on what crimes people demand punishment for .. it appears all cultures consider murder a crime .. and so the legal system is set up to deal with murder , similarly thieft , forgery , false witness , and many others ,
Then on top of these you add the cultral taboo,s and religious crimes ,
western legal system proberely owe as much to greek and roman influance as biblical , and modern legal practice to the secular "rights of man "thinkers of the last 200 years .
the 10 comandments are so basic in what they deal with any modern legal system can appear to use them as a foundation .
its the interpretaion and implimentation that shapes moden legal systems , it the western world the the church and its involement with the secular side of law has been a greater influance that the 10 commandments .

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Nuggin, posted 08-27-2005 9:24 PM Nuggin has not replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 8 of 10 (305662)
04-21-2006 10:42 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Nuggin
08-27-2005 9:24 PM


Is the foundation of our legal system based on the ten commandments?
I got this email forwarded to me with a bunch of answers to the question "Did you know?" It has a caricature of Andy Rooney so I guess it is from one of his rants or something. Its about the Ten Commandments and our government and it came with a bunch of pictures after each answer but I'll just post the answers. I haven't verified any of these claims but they seem accurate and there's pictures in the email so it looks to be true.
Did you know?
As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see 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!
As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door
As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall,
right above where the Supreme Court judges sit,
a display of the Ten Commandments
There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.
James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement:
quote:
"We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."
Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country said:
quote:
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ".
Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777.
Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches in the colonies
Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law . an oligarchy . the rule of few over many.
The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said:
quote:
"Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."
The email then goes on about some off topic stuff about poeple bitching about the 10 commandments being portrayed, having 'in god we trust' on the money, and 'under god' in the pledge of allegience and how they should shut up, but theat isn't why I bring this up.
The quote from the OP reminded me of this email and I thought I'd post it for y'all.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Nuggin, posted 08-27-2005 9:24 PM Nuggin has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 9 by jar, posted 04-21-2006 10:53 AM New Cat's Eye has replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 420 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 9 of 10 (305664)
04-21-2006 10:53 AM
Reply to: Message 8 by New Cat's Eye
04-21-2006 10:42 AM


Urban Legend
For more information on that form letter that's been circulating for years, check Snopes
This message has been edited by jar, 04-21-2006 10:03 AM

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 8 by New Cat's Eye, posted 04-21-2006 10:42 AM New Cat's Eye has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 10 by New Cat's Eye, posted 04-21-2006 11:17 AM jar has not replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 10 of 10 (305668)
04-21-2006 11:17 AM
Reply to: Message 9 by jar
04-21-2006 10:53 AM


Re: Urban Legend
Thanks for the link jar.
Looks like that email was a bunch of bullshit.
Oh well, live and learn.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 9 by jar, posted 04-21-2006 10:53 AM jar has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024