Commandments Struck Down

Hi, I just joined, mainly because I'm bursting at the seams to talk to people about the Supreme Court. I have comments about scattered posts. Someone said Rehnquist should resign. No one commented. He was in favor of both Ten Commandments displays. Did you mean that Rehnquist is a bizarre right-wing conservative and a nicer person with the same opinions would be better, or do you think he's the liberal responsible for the bad decisions? Why don't Christians unite and protest all the pagan goddesses and icons on our seals and currency? They bother me, or does the presence of such religious symbols of other faiths protect things like the Ten Commandments? Can anyone answer justice Stevens' comment: "If 'Thou shalt have no other Gods before me' doesn't constitute the establishment of a religion..." what would? As for Jefferson, we must understand him in context. He was ambassador to France when the Constitution was written, suggested that a bill of rights be added (but didn't write it) and found his will repeatedly overruled by Chief Justice John Marshall. Marshall was Jefferson's cousin and life-long enemy and was appointed months before Jefferson took office by John Adams, who had just lost to Jefferson. Adams named as many judges as he could before he left office, and they continued to rule against Jefferson's policies. The presidency was not yet terribly strong in those days, and Marshall was still there when Jefferson wrote those letters. Marshall's party was out of existence by 1820 and our best president James Monroe was reelected unopposed. Jefferson was Unitarian. He didn't want anyone forcing him to go to church, but knew a neutral religious option (availability of the Bible) was good for all.