Wouldn’t this run afoul of parents worried about their children being taught the subject of sex in school?Every K-12 public classroom in the state of Texas would be required to display these words:
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) April 3, 2023
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant."
Yes, please explain that line to a 6-year-old. 2/ pic.twitter.com/6TCoxqMVXO
I’m gonna have to re-up my campaign to have the Beatitudes posted in public buildings. Preferably the Lukan set, in the Scholar’s Version translation. The proposed Texas law is mandating a version of the Ten Commandments (already a Xian version of Mosaic law). So I’m in good company there.
To begin with, there's no good reason not to use this:
These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:13 And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.14 And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,15 Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.18 Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.19 Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.20 Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife; because he uncovereth his father’s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.21 Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.22 Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.23 Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.24 Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.25 Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen
Deuteronomy 27:15-26
That comes just after the "Ten Commandments" are given to Moses. Clearly God wasn't finished yet.
Or this:
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Except nobody ever made a movie starring Charlton Heston about them.
As for the Lukan beatitudes, as I've noted before, they are clearly modeled on these passages above. Luke starts with the "blessings":
Congratulations, you poor!God's domain belongs to you!Congratulations, you hungry!You will have a feast.Congratulations, you who weep now!You will laugh.
And then he delivers the roundhouse punch:
Damn you rich!You already have your consolation!Damn you who are well-fed now!You will know hunger.Damn you who laugh now!You will learn to weep and grieve.
(Luke 6:20b-21, 24-25, SV)
To those who object to Luke's version over Matthew's much milder one, there are two versions of the "Ten Commandments": one in Exodus, one in Deuteronomy. Which do we prefer, and why? Please make your answer in complete sentences.
The source of the Beatitudes in the law of Moses, and the translation of Luke's Greek into English, are subjects unto themselves. Been a while since I discussed them; but I guess everything old is new again; and again; and again.
This could be fun.
Maybe they should post the one about not killing over the door to the death chamber. I'd suggest the front of the Legislative and Senate chambers though if it cuts down on the number of adulterous legislators and senators, it would be a miracle.
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