http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/should-religious-symbols-be-displayed-on-public-property Opposing Views - Should Religious Symbols be Displayed on Public Property? http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/symbols-should-be-displayed-whether-purpose-is-secular-or-religious Not all religious symbols in public places are created equal.  When former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore installed a Ten Commandments monument in the state Judicial Building he did it with the express purpose of acknowledging God as the moral... Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:05:19 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/symbols-should-be-displayed-whether-purpose-is-secular-or-religious http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/most-americans-support-the-posting-of-religious-symbols-in-public It is no accident that challenges to public religious symbols are almost always brought in federal court rather than as a public referendum or ballot initiative. The fact is that a vast majority of Americans support religious displays in public... Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:56:30 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/most-americans-support-the-posting-of-religious-symbols-in-public http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/the-founders-proposed-a-religious-symbol-for-the-first-seal-of-the-us On the very day that the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, July 4, 1776, three of the men who had been on committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence were charged by Congress with devising an official seal... Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:53:22 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/the-founders-proposed-a-religious-symbol-for-the-first-seal-of-the-us http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/censoring-symbols-from-public-creates-less-freedom-official-atheism While the text of the Constitution does not prohibit religious symbolism in public places, it does not require it. Public officials have the freedom to decide whether the Ten Commandments should be posted in a courthouse or whether the public square... Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:46:06 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/censoring-symbols-from-public-creates-less-freedom-official-atheism http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/the-us-constitution-allows-religious-symbols-on-public-property The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits laws “respecting an establishment of religion” but it does not prohibit religious displays—Ten Commandments displays, c... Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:41:58 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/the-us-constitution-allows-religious-symbols-on-public-property http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/let-s-use-some-common-sense-and-courtesy Let me conclude by asserting that this is not the most important question facing our culture. Groups and organizations on both sides of the debate use it stir up emotions, generate support, and raise money for their causes. A little common sense and... William Martin, Ph.D. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:28:26 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/let-s-use-some-common-sense-and-courtesy http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/crosses-nativity-scenes-and-menorahs The same principle applies to crosses and nativity scenes. Though both have been so cheapened by commercialization and poor taste that some may regard them simply as common cultural artifacts devoid of much religious meaning, they are nonetheless... William Martin, Ph.D. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:27:09 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/crosses-nativity-scenes-and-menorahs http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/what-is-the-law-at-least-so-far The "Lemon Test" The law on church-state issues, as ruled upon by the Supreme Court, has evolved and may yet change, but since 1971, legislation and governmental behavior on such matters has been required to meet the "Lemon Test," so named for the... William Martin, Ph.D. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:25:29 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/what-is-the-law-at-least-so-far http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/thou-shalt-not-the-ten-commandments According to the Bible, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, to serve as a summary statement of the theological, ethical, and moral obligations the Israelites were to fulfill. They have been held in high regard by both Jews and Christians and... William Martin, Ph.D. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:25:02 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/thou-shalt-not-the-ten-commandments http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/what-is-the-issue-and-how-did-it-arise Since the days of the earliest colonists, a majority of Americans have belonged to Christian churches or have at least expressed a preference for Christianity. In consequence, Christian symbols such as the cross and nativity scenes have often been... William Martin, Ph.D. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:14:23 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/what-is-the-issue-and-how-did-it-arise http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/religious-symbols-reflect-culture Of course religious symbols should be posted in public places. Religious symbols reflect the culture of the society in which they are found. To deny one the right to display such images, as say a crèche during Christmas or a menorah... Dr. Paul S. Vickery Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:10:27 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/religious-symbols-reflect-culture http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/religious-symbols-reflect-history Symbols can also reflect history. The display of the 10 Commandments in courthouses, for example, is neither establishing a religion nor promoting one faith over another, it is simply an historical fact that these provided the basis for our legal... Dr. Paul S. Vickery Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:09:11 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/religious-symbols-reflect-history http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/religious-symbols-should-be-privately-funded As long as private individuals pay for the symbols and put them up, the access to public areas should not be restricted because the subject matter is religious.   Dr. Paul S. Vickery Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:08:08 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/religious-symbols-should-be-privately-funded http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/religious-symbols-should-not-promote-hatred Religious symbols that reflect the positive values and traditions of the past, and not advocating hatred or illegal activities, should be proudly displayed in open public places. Dr. Paul S. Vickery Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:06:51 -0500 http://www.opposingviews.com/arguments/religious-symbols-should-not-promote-hatred