Mr Banks,
I have to completely agree with you on your sentiments re the way many western countries seem to spend more time cherishing monuments etc than God Himself.
I suspect that Muslims would feel the same way if the Qur'an was forbidden to be read.. even though you don't worship the Qur'an, it represents something far more than a book.. it is to you the VERY Word of God.
When a true Christian says they want to see the Ten Commandments stay there.. it's not because they are worshipping the monument, it's what it represtents.. when a nation says YOU SHALL NOT have the Word of God on view.. it is yet another step into a secular and non acknowledgement of God's existance. Christians battle with this every day.. the desire to worship God and obey Him in all things, yet the very laws being drawn up in many countries do not allow us to do what we want.. and follow Him unswervingly.
Do you know why there is really so much antagonism against the Ten Commandments being there? It's because it denotes moral accountability to the non christian. They know there are absolutes in society that reflect God's moral character, and the Ten Commandments reflect our relationship to God, to Others, and to Property... and our accoutability to God as the one who sets the benchmark for those morals.
To admit we can't meet those morals in our daily life, means we then become a sinner. In our hearts, we know that our sin does something to us we may not understand, but of course all those in the socalled christianised west, have heard something about a cross, a saviour and heaven and hell. What you don't have to think about, you don't have to worry about. (which is not true.. if the Bible is correct, even if you don't want to think about it.. there is still judgement after death).
So, you have two reactions in conflict.. Christians who see yet another erosion into their desire to submit to and worship God, and the secular majority who don't want to have to acknowledge they need him, or that they should bow their lustful desires down before him, acknowledge they are sinners and worship Him
as to your other comment.. I also find it "strange" to say the least that all these confederates and racists now CLAIM to be so holy and love God so much when in that SAME Alabama they blew up Christians in their churches because of their color not too long ago.
One commandment is "Thou shall not kill"..yet they blindly support ANY war their nations gets involved with no matter who or how many is killed.
It's all politics if you asked me because these same religious people put on and take off their religion when it suits their cause.
I totally agree with you on this one.. it's politics, it's humanity.. it's NOT Christianity. It's why Jesus had to die in the first place. ... and I hazard a guess it exists in all nations and in religions, and it's why the Bible says "ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God".