Which Ten Commandments?
Here's a fun cautionary tale about the beauracracy of trying to create constitutional Ten Commandments displays in courthouses. Just another reason why this kind of thing may be a bad idea. In Louisiana, a House committee charged with developing a proper monument have had to confront the issue that the Ten are not the same for every religious tradition. And, oh yeah, they weren't written in English. The headline says it all: "Panel Edits Ten Commandments"
The committee didn’t settle on the version to include but did amend the more Protestant-oriented version in the bill after a civil-rights lobbyist noted some disparities.“It says ‘murder’ rather than ‘kill,’” said Michael Malec, noting the Sixth Commandment, which commonly reads “Thou shalt not kill.”
“We can change that,” replied Rep. Peppi Bruneau, R-New Orleans, who handled the bill for its absent author, Sen. James David Cain, R-Dry Creek.
While the committee was at it, Bruneau said it might as well change the spelling of “honor” in the Fifth Commandment — “Honor thy father and thy mother” — which in the bill was spelled “honour.”
Malec, lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union, said Catholics and Jews might be upset with the King James-type version included in the legislation by Sen. James David Cain, R-Dry Creek.
“It supports a particular version when there are other versions,” Malec said.
“That’s a legitimate objection,” said Bruneau, who handled the bill for Sen. Cain.
Malec said Cain’s version also includes “thou shalt not make unto thee any graven idol.” He said those words are not in the Catholic commandments.
“We are not adding any commandments, are we?” quipped Rep. Billy Montgomery, D-Haughton, as the panel finished its editing.