Judicial Sanity in the Pleasant Grove, Utah, Case

A federal judge, Dale Kimball, ruled that a Ten Commandments monument in a city park in Pleasant Grove, Utah, erected by the Fraternal Order of Eagles 50 years ago, did not violate the constitution. A religious sect called Summum wanted to erect their "Seven Aphorisms" in the same park, and claimed the establishment clause meant both monuments should be allowed. Obviously, they considered the Ten Commandments to be a Judeo-Christian monument.

But the judge ruled that it was a historical monument, and not an establishment of Judaism or Christianity in the USA.

According to the AP, "Summum, a Latin word meaning highest or greatest, is rooted in Gnostic Christianity. The group believes Moses received the Seven Aphorisms along with the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. According to the group, Moses destroyed the tablet containing the aphorisms because he saw the Israelites weren't ready for them."

The Ten C's are remarkable, considering their age and their relevance for today. Whether someone believes they came from God or man, they are a basis for western laws and human rights. We really do want every child to believe that he should not steal, bear false witness, dishonor his parents, and murder --and do the coveting that leads to the crimes. A wise nation will revere such commandments.



"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible