The South Carolina Senate passed a measure that allows local governments in
South Carolina to post a number of commonly held religious documents in public places, including the Lord's Prayer
and the Ten Commandments.
The documents would have to be labeled as "historical" in their display, which, along with previous
U.S. Supreme Court rulings, senators hope will give them constitutional cover for the displays.
The bill, without the Lord's Prayer amendment, already passed the House and now returns there for legislators to
determine whether they agree with the Senate's change. If they agree, the bill goes to Gov. Mark Sanford.
The bill would allow public bodies, including schools, to display a set of 11 documents lawmakers say help make up the
nation's foundation of law and government. Included are the Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta,
the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, as well as the national motto, "In God We Trust."
"The historical documents bill passed by the Senate is a win because it will help to further educate people
about the documents that formed the foundation of our country's history and provide deeper meaning to the great and
rich history that we have in this country," said Sen. Larry Martin of Pickens, who shepherded the issue through the Senate.
"It will also be a great tool for history, civic and government teachers to use in their classroom."
Many of us realize that the Ten Commandments have been posted in about
4,000 public places, and that local governments already have the
authority to post the Ten Commandments and other documents. Due to
the mass confusion caused by the news media and a few court decisions,
lawmakers are passing legislation to reinstate the Ten Commandments.
-------------------
Opponents of a Ten Commandments monument in Fargo, North Dakota, have filed a civil lawsuit against the city, asking that the granite marker be removed.
Advertisement
FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- Opponents of a Ten Commandments monument in Fargo, North Dakota,
have filed a civil lawsuit against the city, asking that the granite marker be removed.
The lawsuit was filed by Red River Freethinkers, who say this is unconstitutional conduct.
The Freethinkers contend that their rights were violated when Fargo refused to allow them to put up their
own monument near the Ten Commandments monument on city property.
The proposed monument would say, "The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the
Christian religion."
The Freethinkers lost an earlier attempt to have the Ten Commandments monument removed.
Federal Judge Ralph Erickson ruled in 2005 that the monument celebrates both religious and secular ideals
and does not violate the Constitution.
Pilots run out of fuel, pray, land near Jesus sign
2 days ago
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — It seemed like an almost literal answer to their prayers. When two New Zealand pilots ran out of fuel in a microlight airplane they offered prayers and were able to make an emergency landing in a field — coming to rest right next to a sign reading, "Jesus is Lord."
Grant Stubbs and Owen Wilson, both from the town of Blenheim on the country's South Island, were flying up the sloping valley of Pelorus Sound when the engine spluttered, coughed and died.
"My friend and I are both Christians so our immediate reaction in a life-threatening situation was to ask for God's help," Stubbs told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
He said he prayed during the ill-fated flight Sunday that the tiny craft would get over the top of a ridge and that they would find a landing site that was not too steep — or in the nearby sea.
Wilson said that the pair would have been in deep trouble if the fuel had run out five minutes earlier.
"If it had to run out, that was the place to be," he said. "There was an instantaneous answer to prayer as we crossed the ridge and there was an airfield — I didn't know it existed till then."
After Wilson glided the powerless craft to a landing on the grassy strip, the pair noticed they were beside a 20-foot-tall sign that read, "Jesus is Lord — The Bible."
"When we saw that, we started laughing," Stubbs said.
Nearby residents provided them with gas to fly the home-built plane back to base.
No comments:
Post a Comment