If the polytheists are getting involved Oklahoma had better have a lot of lawn ready or packing could get tricky…
It would be wonderful if the lawn grew into one massive collection of statues representing every conceivable religion and philosophical path. They really ought to consider the tourism possibilities.
Hanuman is really cool. I think they should do it.
Follows link.
It’s a …bit…goatse-y, no?
How about a giant Flying Spaghetti Monster statue too.
That’s fantastic. I really like the contrast too - where Jesus opens his chest to reveal a sacred heart, the giant monkey God has… more monkeys!
I’ve often thought that what the Oklahoma Capitol Grounds (and, really, all government buildings) needs is more Hanuman. I hope this comes to pass.
heck yes! kickstarter! we will help fund it!!!
Whether or not the Hindus are being ironic, I fully support them.
However, let’s get real. The Christian judges will simply trot out the “ceremonial deism” argument. The 10 Commandments, just like “In God We Trust”, aren’t really Christian at all! When it gets appealed to SCOTUS, the 5 conservative christian (almost dead) white males will no doubt side with the lower-court conservative christian (almost dead) white males.
I love this. I honestly hope we can find the room for the other Hindu gods.
The Oklahomans have left themselves vulnerable on this one - their response to the original ACLU lawsuit against the 10 commandments monument was that they weren’t endorsing a particular religion because it was just the first element of a monument park. So now they have to make good on that by allowing others. I’m sure they’ll make it as difficult as possible for anyone else to add theirs, but they did present this as their plan…
It would also be quite appropriate for the Muslims to put up a plaque explaining that the Ten Commandments are the foundations of Sharia law (which they are, along with later teachings passed on through Muhammad.)
As a Protestant, I have real problems with people making a graven image of the Ten Commandments, though perhaps that’s abstract enough not to violate the commandment against making graven images, and I have even more problems with them taking religion in vain by putting up the monument to promote their right-wing nationalism. Similarly, I’ve got problems with them putting the words “under God” into a quasi-mandatory flag-worshiping ceremony and telling the courts that that’s ok under the First Amendment because they’re doing it for secular governmental purposes, not religious purposes (i.e. it’s ok because they don’t really mean it, which is pretty directly taking God’s name in vain.)
So yeah, if the right-wingers get torqued about seeing a monkey god next to their graven image, serves 'em right.
If this was their plan, why would they make it difficult to allow others? How is this a “vulnerability”?
“Oklahoma, the Pantheist State.”
Just gorgeous. SImply gorgeous.
I’ll take one for my yard!!!
You make a damn fine point.
“Find your god in Oklahoma! Maps available on request.”
The fix is easy: just define ‘religion’ as a term of art in the law meaning ‘fundamentalist Protestant denomination.’ That way, Satanism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, and liberal Protestantism aren’t ‘real’ religions and don’t enjoy protection. It simply means that freedom of religion means you can be Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, or even maybe Missouri Synod Lutheran (not that Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, they’re librul!).
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
