Ed Brayton is a freelance writer and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
In yet another pointless display of absurdity, a coalition of religious right groups is demanding that Congress pass resolutions declaring a Ten Commandments Weekend:
Bill Murray, son of deceased atheist leader Madelyn Murray O'Hair and chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition, is part of the pro-Ten Commandments coalition. "Both of these [resolutions] would authorize a Ten Commandments weekend in order to recognize the Ten Commandments as the foundation of law in this country," Murray explains. "But with Nancy Pelosi in charge of the House and Harry Reid in charge of the Senate, we can't have a voice. We can't get these out and open and celebrate the Ten Commandments," he contends.
Bullshit. You can celebrate the ten commandments as much as you want. You can gather with your friends every single day for the rest of your life and throw a ten commandments party if you want. No one will try and stop you. I love this notion that if the government doesn't endorse an idea, it violates our right to believe that idea. Just plain idiotic.
Almost as idiotic as claiming that the ten commandments are the "foundation of law" in America. The foundation of law in this country is the constitution, which doesn't mention the ten commandments anywhere. In fact, 7 of the 10 commandments would be blatantly unconstitutional if passed into law in this country. 7 of the 10 commandments are religious law, not civil or criminal law, and they have nothing to do with government.
Comments
I am looking forward to Seven Aphorisms Weekend.
Posted by: Tegumai Bopsulai, FCD | May 16, 2008 9:50 AM
I hereby propose a "Rule of Thumb" Fortnight, to celebrate the clear foundation of common sense in this country. Whereas all of the founding fathers were clearly thumb-believers, and whereas our laws are clearly derived from the common horse-thumb sense tradition, I propose we all drink excessive alcohol and drive at night without our headlights in celebration of our historical birthright as sensible Americans.
Posted by: rob | May 16, 2008 10:47 AM
Which three?
Murder and stealing, certainly. Is the third false witness? Or adultery? Outlawing either wouldn't seem to be unconstitutional (IANAL).
Posted by: chancelikely | May 16, 2008 11:09 AM
Actually, if we could get them to shut up by agreeing to we had to acknowledge (and observe?) the 10 Commandments only one week out of the year, it might be worth it.
Posted by: CJColucci | May 16, 2008 11:24 AM
I want a tax code weekend, when we honor the tax code. Or maybe a blue laws weekend to commemorate past efforts to legislate morality and personal conduct. And if they won't let me have either of those, I want a criminal code day or, at least, a tort law luncheon. How else can we be "out and open" about the law so that we can "celebrate" it?
Posted by: Dr X | May 16, 2008 11:24 AM
[sarcasm]Because as a Roman Catholic and a Mormon neither one believe in the Bible, a Supreme Being, or the Ten Commandments.[/sarcasm]
And while we are on the topic - Which ten commandments are we talking about?
Posted by: GeekCyclist | May 16, 2008 12:13 PM
The third is bearing false witness, which can be made illegal only in some circumstances (fraud, perjury, libel). So 7 1/2 of them are unconstitutional.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | May 16, 2008 12:56 PM
I guess Bill Murray forgot about that commandment about honoring your Father and Mother. :D
Posted by: Gingerbaker | May 16, 2008 12:58 PM
I think we should be more realistic about legal history and have a week in honor of the old Roman laws, like the one requiring deformed babies to be put to death. :)
Posted by: Bill Poser | May 16, 2008 1:37 PM
Wait, I'm not an atheist so maybe I missed something but...the son of Madelyn Murray O'Hair became a religious wingnut?!
Interesting...and sad.
Posted by: Kelly | May 16, 2008 1:42 PM
I look forward to seeing how they celebrate "Thou shalt not covet" in a free-market, capitalistic society heavily invested in advertisment. We can move from there to how they've been resting and keeping the sabbath holy, aside from enacting blue-laws regarding the purchase beer on Sundays.
Posted by: Spirula | May 16, 2008 2:17 PM
ahem...purchase of beer
Posted by: Spirula | May 16, 2008 2:19 PM
Not only would only three pass muster as law in any jurisdiction, murder and theft aren't even addressed in the Constitution, only in state laws. Technically, "bearing false witness" could be seen as referring to legal proceedings and accusations.
I'd be interested to see how many of these nutcases, who want to enshrine as the law of the land whichever Ten they subscribe to, have broken same numerous times. Keeping holy the Sabbath and not taking the name of the Lord in vain would be biggies. How in the hell do you prosecute "coveting"? And every time Congress votes to decrease Medicare A & B funding they're arguably in violation of #4...
Posted by: MMOToole | May 16, 2008 2:50 PM
Murray O'Hair's son Bill would be an interesting case study. It seems likely that he was strongly influenced in his youth to not believe in a deity so Dawkin's "meme" theory would seem to be in question.
Then again maybe he was more heavily imprinted by his school peers or some other influence.
Of course I suppose Christians would proffer the "holy spirit" as the influencing factor.
I would be interesting to hear his story and perhaps have some independent information to compare it with.
Posted by: Lance | May 16, 2008 3:00 PM
"Murray O'Hair's son Bill would be an interesting case study. It seems likely that he was strongly influenced in his youth to not believe in a deity so Dawkin's "meme" theory would seem to be in question."
"Then again maybe he was more heavily imprinted by his school peers or some other influence."
The dominant influence on Bill Murray was his mother. By most accounts Madelyn was domineering and relationships were dysfunctional. Read LeBauer's bio The Atheist. It leaves the impression that had Madelyn been a Bible thumper Bill would have become an atheist.
Posted by: Bill in NC | May 16, 2008 3:17 PM
You know what the irony is? If Born-again Christianity is right then the last thing anyone should want to celebrate is the Ten Commandments. It is the law that brings death. We should be celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus. That fact that they do not get this shows just how moralistic they are.
I know the vast majority consider religion or the claims of the Bible as untrue or even ridiculous but one thing we can all agree on is the need to practice what you preach no matter what you believe. According to the Bible no one can stand under the law. Why are these people celebrating it? It is up there with being happy everytime an AIDS victim dies so they can be "proven" right about homosexuality.
Posted by: King of Ireland | May 16, 2008 5:26 PM
"King of Ireland", do you disaprove of polygamy?
Posted by: Priya Lynn | May 16, 2008 5:55 PM
Can I suggest an "England is great" weekend? After all, English common law is the foundation of law in the US.
Posted by: Ginger Yellow | May 16, 2008 7:55 PM
Congress passes at least a hundred or more commemoritive resolutions each year, including Black History Month and Lumberjack Day (surely part of the "Gay Agenda," no?). I fail to see how this would be such a terrible thing. But, yes, they ought to figure out which version of the 10Cs they have in mind.
Posted by: kehrsam | May 16, 2008 8:10 PM
I advocate for the Lutheran version that is not hung up on the "graven images" thing and seperates out the coveting into two different commandments! See I covet quite frequently;-) (Right now I'm coveting a Prius.)
What a waste of time and energy. K of I is correct in saying that it is the commandments that lead to death. For Christians it is the commandments that remind us of our need for a Savior. I would much rather focus my efforts and energy on celebrating the resurrection of Christ-on my own personal and church time, thank you. I don't want the state dictating what I can say in church in my sermons; so I won't dictate creating a ten commandments day to them.
Posted by: Rev. AJB | May 16, 2008 8:36 PM
If I ever run for Congress I will pledge to abstain completely from all votes celebrating, commemorating, or denouncing anything, on the grounds that it is not the business of government to tell people who or what should be an object of their approval.
Posted by: Jeffrey Kramer | May 16, 2008 10:01 PM
Posted by: Taz | May 16, 2008 10:02 PM
"I fail to see how this would be such a terrible thing."
Actually, approving such a resolution would be "a terrible thing" since the Ten Commandments are not "the foundation of law in this country."
Posted by: daniel rotter | May 16, 2008 11:58 PM
So, a day is no longer sufficient to give credit where it is due? Now the demand is for an entire weekend? Two whole days? To do what? Resort to repetition?
Either the subject has suddenly gotten more complex overnight, necessitating the extra time demand, or it is still silly-ass posing and posturing as usual.
My opinion is that to celebrate the commandments properly one would emulate George Carlin, thus simplifying and completing the thoughts of dog.
Seems to me the brouhaha over one commandment would be less than that over ten. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | May 17, 2008 12:52 AM
If the purpose of this stunt (let's call it what it is) is to work to improve understanding of the Ten Commandments and how they relate to US law (not at all)
then, can they do this on a Sunday? -DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | May 17, 2008 1:56 AM
"son of deceased atheist leader Madelyn Murray O'Hair"
I can Haz Leaderz?!!
Posted by: BaldApe | May 17, 2008 9:24 AM
kehrsam: ...[celebrate] Lumberjack Day (surely part of the "Gay Agenda," no?).
Uh, NO. Or at least not necessarily. Lumberjacks are included in the T in LBGT, not G.
'Cuz usually G =/= T
"Oh, I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK ..."
Posted by: natural cynic | May 17, 2008 4:16 PM
I guess the US must be completely free of problems if there's time for congress to deal with this. I mean isn't there a war to sort out?
Posted by: Matt | May 17, 2008 5:18 PM
Priya,
Good question. It is against the law so I would not do it. Why do you ask? By the way off topic but I have decided that gays to need protection from a violation of the rights under the Constitution. I think referedums should be struck down by State courts. The spirit of the Constitution was a Republican spirit which entails ensuring the the majority to not violate the rights of the minority. This is a big topic in the Federalist Papers. I just wanted you to know that our conversations did impact me and that I have changed my mind about a lot of things.
Posted by: King of Ireland | May 17, 2008 7:05 PM
Perhaps a Magna Carta weekend would be fun, commemorating the first limit on the power of the British Kings. Plus, I want to see if we can get Bush to recite it without him bursting into flame.
Posted by: James K | May 18, 2008 1:28 AM
Kerhsam - Lumberjack Day? Do you have a Dead Norwegian Blue Day as well? -astouded DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | May 18, 2008 1:48 AM