HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93009_2249 (2)WHEREAS, there is no better code of moral conduct than The Ten Commandments and many of our
laws have their origin in The Ten Commandments•, and
WHEREAS, the phrase, "separation of church and state" never appears in the Constitution and the
Bible was the most frequent source of quotations during the Constitutional Convention.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, without
reservation, supports legislation to display The Ten Commandments in our schools.
Johnson said he would acknowledge the fact that the resolution was an unbinding one and
that it would be settled in Congress. He further said:
"If it goes through Congress, and in the unlikelihood that the man in the White House would
support such legislation, it probably would have an uphill fight in the Supreme Court without some
conferees meeting and working out some bugs in the proposed legislation. However, because
matters that we take up do not affect federal law, that should not preclude us from the opportunity
of expressing our opinion on federal legislation. This is why I do this, because I feel it is a matter
of grave importance. I love to read history, and I would like to share with you a few things I have
discovered having read history over the last few years. I had an opportunity as a college student to
go to Europe and study the contrast between the countries that found themselves in the Renaissance
and those who found themselves in the Reformation. There is quite a distinction. Switzerland was
one of the countries that came under the influence of the Protestant Reformation. It is where Calvin
fled after he had written the Institutes of the Christian Religion to Francis I of France. Heavily
influenced by this, the Swiss government ordered Paul Roberts to paint a mural on the private
chambers of the Swiss Supreme Court. In that commission, they instructed him to impress upon
the members of the high court what should be the basis by which they would rule concerning the
law. I have seen a picture of this mural and behind the bench you will seethe jurists who comprise
the high court. In front of it, you will see people holding livestock, grain, barley, and other worldly
possessions. In the middle stands Lady Justice, except this time she is portrayed in a manner that
is not normally portrayed. This time she has no blindfold and her sword does not point upward. It
points downward, and it points toward a book Upon that book is written, 'The Word of God.'
You see Mr. Roberts wanted to impress upon the men who sat on the Supreme Court that they were
to govern justly. They were to govern wisely. There's but one source where they could gain that
wisdom and that sense of justice. It is the Bible. In our own country, we were fortunate to have
other such men of wisdom. One of which was James Madison. In writing the Federalist Papers,
he acquiesced that this was not a very lengthy document - - not a very intensive document and to
justify that, he said, `This Constitution is only fit for a moral and religious people. It is wholly
inadequate for the governance of any other.' So he understood that your Constitution provides you
with so much personal liberty that in order for there to be freedom and order in society, we must live
to a higher code of ethics. What was that code of ethics? He said, 'We have staked the future of our
entire civilization not upon the power of government, we have staked the future upon the ability of
each and every one of us to live according to The Ten Commandments.' The laws that have been
passed are well-meaning laws. They attempt to preclude evil and to maintain order which is what
government should do. However in the process, well-intentioned people have not punished people
who do evil, they have taken away the rights of law-abiding people. Mr. Franklin said it best. He
said, 'The less virtuous the people become, the more they are in need of masters.' So government
passes more laws to restrain evil and in the process, we surrender our liberty. Throughout human
history, I think you can observe, that immorality eventually leads to lawlessness. If I may
editorialize for a moment folks, we have sown the wind, we are now reaping the whirlwind. I
don't come here to preach, and I know I have been accused of having moral sermons here before,
but indulge me. William Blackstone was probably one of the most famous of British lawyers. Mr.
Pope probably knows better than I do, but I've been told that prior to this century that any young
person who went into law school could not graduate without having an in-depth knowledge of
Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England. Mr. Blackstone said, 'There's but one basis,
for the law of man is the law of God.' I want to thank my fellow board members for allowing this
resolution to be placed on the agenda. It takes great personal courage to vote for this resolution. I
seek no personal glory for it. If you leave here tonight, I trust it in your heart that you will give all
glory to God and not to me. Thank you."