Did you know that American law is not based on the Ten Commandments?

• Did you know that none of the U.S. founding documents mentions the Ten Commandments?

• Did you know that during the Constitutional Convention when our secular Constitution was adopted, the Ten Commandments were not mentioned once?

• Did you know there was no formal prayer at the Constitutional Convention?

THEN WHAT IS THE BASIS OF AMERICAN LAW?

Some Christians believe that American law is based on biblical law. One of their evidences is the claim that Moses and the Ten Commandments are prominently featured at the United States Supreme Court.But . . .

...... there is nothing in the design of the United States Supreme Court building that would indicate that the Congress, architect or designers had any special regard for the Ten Commandments.



The main entrance to the United States Supreme Court has no reference to religionor the Ten Commandments.

The large statues beside the steps do not represent any religious figures or concepts.

The sculptor, James Earle Fraser, considered those to be allegorical human figures. He described Contemplation of Justice (on the left, holding a smaller figure of blindfolded Justice) as a realistic conception of what I consider a heroic type of person with a head and body expressive of the beauty and intelligence of justice. He described Authority of Law as powerful, erect, and vigilant. He waits with concentrated attention, holding in his left hand the tablet of laws, backed by the sheathed sword, symbolic of enforcement through law.

The Ten Commandments expressly forbid the creation of such graven images.

The carve d figures at the Supreme Court would be considered a form of idol worship under the Ten Commandments.

This is one of many evidences that American law ignores the authority of the Hebrew scriptures.

T he tablet held by Authority of Law does not represent the Ten Commandments. (The Ten Commandments are usually depicted by two tablets and Hebrew lettering.) The Latin word LEX (law) in this context refers to law in general.

The words Equal Justice Under Law (approved by Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes) that appear above the steps to the Supreme Court are not a quote from any religious teaching, but a uniquely American phrase. It is taken from a sentence that appeared in the 1891 Caldwell v. Texas Supreme Court decision, which ruled that all citizens, under the Due Process clause of the 14th Amendment, are entitled to equal and impartial justice under the law. This principle is found nowhere in Judeo-Christian scripture. If the Ten Commandments were the basis of law, there would be no equal justice for nonbelievers or followers of other religions.

T he carvings above the main entrance to the Supreme Court represent no religious figures or teachings. Five characters are allegorical: Liberty (in the middle, with the scales of justice, a symbol that originated in Babylonia and Egypt and predated the writing of the Ten Commandments), Order, Authority, and two figures representing Council. The remaining individuals are candidly historical: Chief Justice William Howard Taft, Senator Elihu Root, architect Cass Gilbert, Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes, the sculptor Robert Aitken, and Chief Justice John Marshall.

Robert Ingersoll Aitken, the sculptor (whose namesake may have been the famous agnostic orator Robert Ingersoll), put himself into the Western Pediment (second from right). Whatever his personal views were, do you think that because Aitken's figure appears at the Supreme Court, American law is based on the views of Robert Aitken?

The bronze doors at the front of the building, leading into the courtroom, contain no references to religion. (See footnote about Julian)

The official guides to the Supreme Court building explain to visitors that the Roman numerals I-X on the inner oak door of the Supreme Court refer to the Ten Amendments of the Bill of Rights (and not to the Ten Commandments) .

T he frieze on the wall above where the Supreme Court judges sit, depicting a seated figure beside a tablet with the Roman numerals I-X, does not represent Moses or the Ten Commandments.

Some believers mistakenly assume those are the Laws of Moses in the middle of the frieze. They forget that Moses reportedly had two tablets, that there would be no sun or eagle on top of the Ten Commandments, and that the Roman numbering system was not invented at the time the Hebrew scriptures were written.

The designer of that frieze, Adolph Weinman, wrote a letter to the architect explaining that this graven image represents the Majesty of the Law, sitting beside the Majesty of Government, and that the Roman numerals I-X stand for the ten amendments of the Bill of Rights. [That letter is on file in the archives of the Supreme Court. It is unsigned because it was probably a copy for record-keeping.]


The Majesty of Government image to the right of the tablet is holding an ancient fasces (bundle of sticks) in his left arm. The fasces represented Roman law and authority and was carried much like the American flag is carried today. Since that image sits directly above the heads of the nine Justices (and another above the main entrance), do you think American law is based on the Roman fasces?

A lthough Moses is depicted inside the Supreme Court (fourth from left on the south frieze), he is not the central figure, but merely one of many great lawgivers of history on the South and North walls. Weinman placed Moses somewhat off to the side on the South frieze (not above where the justices are seated). Moses (holding two tablets) is standing among other allegedly historical lawgivers such as Menes (holding an Egyptian ankh), Hammurabi (who allegedly received his laws from the Babylonian Sun God), Solomon (who was wise enough to manage 700 wives and 300 concubines), Solon, the legendary Lycurgus (the central figure, who consulted the Oracle at Delphi), Draco, Confucius, Octavian, Justinian, Muhammad (the polygamist who claimed to have received Islamic law from the god Allah), Charlemagne, King John, the Crusader Louis IX (Saint Louis), Hugo Grotius, Sir William Blackstone, John Marshall, and Napoleon, as well as allegorical or mythical lawgivers such as the Greek goddess Fame, the Egyptian goddess Authority, the Light of Wisdom goddess, Equity, Philosophy and History.

Moses is walking behind (not leading) Menes and Hammurabi in the south frieze. Menes was an Egyptian pharaoh and Hammurabi was a Babylonian king, both of whom worshipped a sun god.

It was the designer, not Congress, who chose what images to represent on those friezes.

If the Ten Commandments were truly the basis of American Law, then why is Moses merely one of the throng of many lawgivers, real, legendary and allegorical? Since the other characters have as much prominence as Moses, why not consider American law to be based on the Greek Oracles of Delphi, or the sun gods of Mesopotamia and Egypt, or a book of philosophy, or the Koran?

Muhammad and Moses stand almost directly opposite each other on the South and North walls, appearing somewhat off to the side on each frieze, and seem to be on par with each other .

Muhammad is also depicted holding a so-called holy book.

The image contains Arabic letters from the Koran.Do you thinkthe artistic depiction of the words of a holy book at the Supreme Court make that book the basis for American law? If the Ten Commandments are the basis of American law because they appear in the Supreme Court, then why not the Koran? Or why not Roman law, since "LEX" appears at the front entrance?

The artistic representation of the Ten Commandments tablets is only one of many other historical, religious, and mythical symbols that appear on those friezes. These mainly pagan symbols include or represent: the Egyptian ankh, the Roman fasces, a mirror, a rose, more than ten representations of the scales of justice, a dove, an owl (a symbol of wisdom in Greek, Roman, Indian and other pagan cultures, but not the Bible), harp, Greek scrolls of law, a book of philosophy, the Magna Carta, the Justinian code, an orb, the sword of a Crusader, at least eight more swords, more than one lamp, a scepter, and many other historical as well as mythical items.

While Moses is indeed depicted twice at the Supreme Court (outside and inside), so are Confucius and Solon. Moses is the central figure on the eastern pediment, the back of the building that few people see, facing away from the nation. Although Moses is central, certainly due to the fact that most European settlers of America came from a Judeo-Christian heritage, neither Confucius nor Solon are secondary in that image .

The designer of that eastern pediment gave secular reasons for that art. Sculptor Herman A. MacNeil wrote: "Law as an element of civilization was normally and naturally derived or inherited in this country from former civilizations. The 'Eastern Pediment' of the Supreme Court Building suggests therefore the treatment of such fundamental laws and precepts as are derived from the East." Neither Congress nor the sculptor claimed that American law is based on Confucius, Solon, or Moses. They merely acknowledge the unsurprising fact that American civilization, like all cultures, had many historical antecedents, having been settled by people from all over the world.

The pediment that is looking backward (to the east) contains Moses and myth while the pediment that is looking forward (west, above the main entrance facing the nation) contains no religious images.

The eastern pediment with Moses in the center is flanked by the Tortoise and the Hare from Aesops Fables. Those two fictional animals face Confucius, Moses, and Solon from either side.

Do you thinkAmerican Law is based on Aesops fables orany story that personifies animals (such as a talking snake) can be the basis for law?

Would you thinkthat the fact that any particular image (such as Moses) appears at the Supreme Court is evidence that American laws were based on that character?

The purpose of the Ten Commandments was to establish the ancient nation of Israel, not the nation of the United States.

The purpose of the First Commandment was to declare which god among many (Elohim) was to be worshipped by the nation of Israel.

The first four Commandments are religious edicts andhave nothing to do with law .



Actually, the First Commandment violates our Constitution.

The United States Government cannot tell citizens what god to worship, how many gods to worship, or that we should worship any god(s) at all. The phrase Thou shalt have no other gods before me contradicts the Bill of Rights. Breaking the first Commandment is not illegal under American law.



M aking graven images is not illegal under American law'

The second commandment violates the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech.

Taking the lords name in vain is not illegal under American law, sothis commandment also violates the freedom of speech.



Failing to worship on the Sabbath is not illegal under American law, because our Bill of Rights guarantees freedom to practice or not practice any religion.



It is not illegal to dishonor parents under American law, a lthough respect and honor are good ideas, especially within a family, there is no American law that requires it.

Adultery is not illegal under federal law, although adultery is a serious matter with social and moral consequences, it is not (and should not be) a federal crime in the United States.



It is not illegal to "covet" your neighbors property under American law.
(This commandment, if enforced, would undermine our entire system of free enterprise!)

If American law is based on Hebrew scripture, why are 70% of actions forbidden by the Ten Commandments legal in the United States?



Why will no officer of the law arrest you for any of these acts that were clearly prohibited by the ancient Israelites?
Could it be that American law is based on something else?

Only three of the Ten Commandments have any relevance to modern American law. These three humanistic precepts existed long before the ancient Israelites claimed the copyright.

American law allows for mitigating circumstances, degrees of homicide, self defense, while the Ten Commandments do not.Telling a lie is generally not illegal under American law (except in proscribed circumstances such as perjury and truth in advertising).

If you notice, you will see the Tenth Commandment insults women by classifying them with property, houses, slaves, and animals .

19th Amendment to the Constitution
1920

The right of citizens of the United States to vote
shall not be denied or abridged by the United States
or by any State on account of sex.

If American law is based on the Ten Commandments, why are women legally equal with men in this country?

The Supreme Court, following the Constitution, has declared that the Ten Commandments are undeniably a sacred text , but they may not be posted in public schools.

No U.S. Supreme Court decision has ever been based on the Ten Commandments, and
decides whether an action or law is constitutional or unconstitutional, not whether it is biblical or unbiblical.

None of the U.S. founding documents mentions the Ten Commandments.

During the Constitutional Convention when our secular Constitution was adopted, the Ten Commandments were not mentioned once, there was not even aformal prayer at the Constitutional Convention.

WHAT IS THE BASIS OF AMERICAN LAW?

The basis of American Law is the U.S. Constitution, not the Ten Commandments or any religious teaching.

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First Amendment to the Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

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The United States Constitution--the basis of American law--is a completely godless document.The only references to religion in the Constitution are exclusionary.

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U.S.Constitution, Article VI, paragraph 3

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The U.S. Constitution is not based on a king, deity, goddess, lord, monarch or sovereign authority.

The sovereign authority of the U.S. Constitution is "We, the people".

The "consent of the governed" (mentioned in the Declaration of Independence) is an anti-biblical concept.

Our secular Constitution is what makes the United States truly great!

This article wasoriginally published by Dan Barker for the Freedom From Religion Foundation , August 2012. Edited by Jerry Verlinger for The NewsTalkers August 2014