Oh dear, oh dear... I've have been so good about avoiding politics, but now politics has come to me!

Thank you Qui-Gon for your thoughtful response. I do have to add a comment though...

...To that extent, having the Ten Commandments on a courthouse is quite appropriate as a nod to the roots of the law. Even if you don't believe in God, the truth and value of ethical/moral laws espoused by the world's great religions is obvious, so no, I don't have a problem with having the Ten Commandments on a courthouse.

I am not an attorney, but it seems to me that the Ten Commandments is a rather tenuous nod to the roots of law in our country.

I am the Lord your God - believing in God is, thankfully, not a law.

You shall have no other gods before me - we do not, thankfully, have a sanctioned state religion.

You shall not make for yourself an idol - idols are ok 'round these parts - Here in Berkeley we call them "art".

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God - OMG!!! - thankfully not a law!

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy - I am a Sunday regular at Saint Mattress!

Honor your father and mother - a nice idea, but thankfully, not a law

You shall not murder - ok, I'll give you that one

You shall not commit adultery - a good idea, yes, but not a law

You shall not steal - your point, I concede

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor - in court, no, but last I checked malicious gossip was not illegal, unless it results in financial harm

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife - watch out Mr. Sattler!

You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor - drat! I'm so envious of my neighbor's beehives.

Qui-Gon, I know I am going to regret getting into something like this with a mind of your caliber - a mind I openly respect and admire... (ok covet!) Court cases around religious symbols are tricky and inconsistent things. I believe that multi-cultural displays across a variety of religious beliefs are "ok" in the eyes of the law. Perhaps the 10 Commandments as part of a larger historical/educational display would fly in some places.

I'm sure there is always common ground to be found.

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Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.

Albert Einstein

Good point Kenzie. Thanks for the gentle reminder.

Move along people. Nothing to see here...

We return you now to our previous broadcast - The Mayan Calendar and You.

I plan on being at my desk doing my job (or if it is a weekend, being out with the kids). Just another normal day.

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BOINC WIKI

I will be doing the same thing I was doing New Years eve 1999. I will be watching others panic. On the other hand we have a large number of provisions put up because we live in a earthquake area and its far more likely we will see an earthquake than anything on 12/20/2012.

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You are right, Angela, that not all of the Ten Commandments have been codified by our Federal, State and local governments. However, my argument is still sound, in that the ethics that are the basis/root of our laws are there, in the Ten Commandments. The part that says "I am God" is merely an introductory phrase so you will pay attention, not an enforceable law.

As a non-Christian I would also be pleased with multi-cultural references to various sources of ethical teaching on display at our government buildings. Congress would be a great place to start.

[I wonder if this whole thread, including the Mayan Calendar stuff, should just be moved to the Politics Forum]

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- Luke.

LOL! Good one Luke. :)

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

LOL...Luke, you slay me.
And Angela, I do openly covet you.
Eric is one lucky gentleman. And you can tell him I said that.

My Lord will forgive me that little sin.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

And Angela, I do openly covet you.
Eric is one lucky gentleman. And you can tell him I said that.

My Lord will forgive me that little sin.

You just broken one of the 10 "Thou Shalt Not..." rules of your own religion.
How is it that you would impose these beliefs on everyone while refusing to follow and obey them yourself?

I think the state and the church should be kept widely seperated.

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

And Angela, I do openly covet you.
Eric is one lucky gentleman. And you can tell him I said that.

My Lord will forgive me that little sin.

You just broken one of the 10 "Thou Shalt Not..." rules of your own religion.
How is it that you would impose these beliefs on everyone while refusing to follow and obey them yourself?

I think the state and the church should be kept widely seperated.

Robert.....I do not 'impose' them upon anybody.
I openly confess them, but do not chastise those who do not espouse my views.

I will joust with them however.
I stray often from my religion.

But....the whole point of separation was to allow open discussion of that, now wasn't it?

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

I can take it you didn't believe in the nostrodamous proface about 9/11 and you didn't make any money out of it . The mayan calenender has been correct before . So i suggest you find arguments to disprove what i have suggested in stead of just dismissing what i say . You mite try understanding Quantum phisics before you just dissmiss what is said here as it was only a few years ago saying that a atom could not be in 2 places at once is what people beleived however that has now been proved , it is possible to be in 2 places at once. Seeing as you think i am a nutter please explain what caused the great flood of noah or am i to believe that nobody has figured what could have caused it . I'll give you a clue oh brainest of all whom just dissmiss what people say without giveing a logical answer . here is the clue Canada !!! .Do your research looking forward to a answer from somebody whom knows all that he just dismiss what is said with out any facts .

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I can take it you didn't believe in the nostrodamous proface about 9/11 and you didn't make any money out of it . The mayan calenender has been correct before . So i suggest you find arguments to disprove what i have suggested in stead of just dismissing what i say . You mite try understanding Quantum phisics before you just dissmiss what is said here as it was only a few years ago saying that a atom could not be in 2 places at once is what people beleived however that has now been proved , it is possible to be in 2 places at once. Seeing as you think i am a nutter please explain what caused the great flood of noah or am i to believe that nobody has figured what could have caused it . I'll give you a clue oh brainest of all whom just dissmiss what people say without giveing a logical answer . here is the clue Canada !!! .Do your research looking forward to a answer from somebody whom knows all that he just dismiss what is said with out any facts .

Glass Houses.
You may be right, I may be crazy.

Turn out the lights, don't try to save me.
I might be as crazy as you say........but most would not have me any other way.
You may be wrong for all I know...........but I may be right.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1loyjm4SOa0&feature=fvw

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1loyjm4SOa0&feature=fvw

For true.
Spam we, will 'ya?

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

<snip>My theory is: "If the world has been around for 4.5 billion years, why should it end in another 2?"

But then you have to ask, "Why shouldn't it?"

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The Cheese Shop...
Have you any cheese......Sir?

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Kitty man my comments where not at you they where for the New zealander . As for weather the mayan calender and what it says well who knows maybe it will happen and maybe it won't personally i will be takeing a 2 week holiday inland and get as far away from the coast as i can both in september and december , i gamble so i will do what a good gambler does take a each way bet and go west the worst that can happen is my home wont be there if it happens otherwise i will have a bloody good time . If you smart do the same . it matters not about 2012 , you have more to worry about in 2028 and 2035 goto NASA and look up Apofis not shore if i spelt it correct , it a metorrite named after the Egyptian god of destruction , you may not belive the mayan calender or the 5 great sear's but can you dismiss NASA and what they are saying ???. Here is a logical reason why the mayan calender stops in 2012 .It's the end of a astromnoical cycle nothing more that that. people are so gullible heheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh

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Kittyman, my comments where not at you, they where for the New Zealander. As for weather the Mayan calender and what it says well who knows. Maybe it will happen and maybe it won't, personally I will be taking a two week holiday inland and get as far away from the coast as I can both in September and December. I gamble so I will do what a good gambler does take a each way bet and go west the worst that can happen is my home wont be there if it happens otherwise I will have a bloody good time. If you smart do the same.

It matters not about 2012, you have more to worry about in 2028 and 2035 go to NASA and look up Apophis not shore if I spelled it correctly, it a meteorite named after the Egyptian god of destruction you may not believe the Mayan calender or the 5 great sear's but can you dismiss NASA and what they are saying ???. Here is a logical reason why the Mayan calender stops in 2012. It's the end of a astronomical cycle nothing more that that. People are so gullible.
heheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh

Mankind cannot predict when or where future events happen. All this prophecy and Nostradamus crap is plain and pure BS.
So what if the Mayan calender ends in 2012??? Does humanity become extinct on December 31 when our calenders run out? No. We buy ourselves a new one. Same for the Maya civilization.

As for 99942 Apophis (designation 2004 MN4) which is an asteroid not a meteorite, the chances it will hit Earth are null in 2029. However, there is the most infinitesimal possibility that it will pass through a 600 foot/meter (can't remember which) gravitational keyhole that will set it up for a 1 in quarter million impact chance in April 2036. There is also a 2037 impact chance that is in the tens of millions.

That's all of the top of my head. Yeah, I'm an astronomer too. Stop arguing like I know nothing.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I took the liberty of fixing up your terrible spelling and grammar.

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- Luke.

So, the world will actually end in 2036? Remember kids, you heard it here first!

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