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Moses dies before Passover

Daily Worcesteria explains why this day is different from all other days: Some alleged dolt apparently facing speeding charges at the old Worcester courthouse got so upset today he knocked over the 147-year-old statue of Moses, damaging it, quite possibly irreparably.

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Bonus points for a Passover reference...which plague would this fit under?

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1) It was a plaster replica of a marble original by Michelangelo. Granted, it was nearly 100 years old, but creating a new plaster replica these days probably wouldn't be that hard with the technology available for just 3D tracing the original.

2) It depicted Moses holding the commandment tablets after returning from Mt. Sinai. It was commissioned for Pope Julius II's tomb. Yay. Nothing says separation of church and state like Pope art and God references in a courthouse.

3) Moses had horns in this depiction because of a mistranslation at the time Michelangelo sculpted it.

Good riddance.

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Trumpets, tubas, or slide trombones?

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It makes some small amount of sense given that Moses was the Lawgiver.

Just like John Houston in the last Planet of the Apes movie.

Which gets us back to stinkin' apes and, of course:

KHAAAAAAN!

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The Lawgiver was also the weapon used by Judges in the comics and movie "Judge Dredd". I'd just assume put up our own little tribute to Stallone's fine acting talents. Philly has Rocky, Worcester can have Joe Dredd. I mean, if we're going to justify putting up one fictional character over another, we might as well at least use a fictional character named "Judge" for a courthouse, right?

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Just referencing an idea from a religion doesn't violate church and state. In this instance, we have a statue of an Abrahamic figure who the average layperson associates with something specific. I don't see it as any different than if it were a statue of Hermes outside the registry of deeds or a statue of St. Francis outside the animal control office. These are serving as symbols, rather than promoting any particular religious belief.

It's just like how it's fine to have religious symbols in a public school if you're teaching about their history and meaning, you've included a variety of traditions in the curriculum, and you're not teaching anyone that any belief is more right than any other.

I'm a huge advocate of separation of church and state, but I also am quite offended when people interpret this as mandated censorship of anything that is remotely tied to a religious tradition.

http://1smootshort.blogspot.com

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"Abrahamic figure"?? It's Moses. As in Down-from-the-Mountain, Split-the-Red-Sea, Bringer-of-the-Commandments Moses. The original sculpture was made FOR A POPE'S TOMB. The statue depicts Moses with horns, a mistranslation of the part when he came back from TALKING TO GOD ABOUT THE COMMANDMENTS. He's depicted with the COMMANDMENTS IN HIS HAND. This wasn't a doodle of Buddha dancing a jig. This is he of the Commandments, with the Commandments, put in a courthouse!

Beware all ye who enter here: Moses is judging you. The message is as clear as if they'd just put the 10 commandments up on the wall.

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He's Jewish, isn't he?

Besides which, that's not really the Tablets under his arm. He's sitting on the Orange Line nearest the door, trying to figure out if it's his stop.

IMAGE(http://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/images/Moses_San_Pietro_in_Vincoli.jpg)

Ningly Massey? Where's that?

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I think that one of the core Separation problems with references to Judeo-Christian influences on our society is that the Religious Right and other parties who attack Separation aggressively will then point to the references as evidence that we are "a Christian nation."

Witness the "In God We Trust" on our currency. It was added in relatively recent times as an attack on the Separation, and now is help up as evidence of theocracy by those who try to further erode Separation.

That's why I think we have to be especially careful with seemingly innocuous religious references in our government.

I say this with a decade of Catholic parochial school under my belt.

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So if you don't like public art, smash it?

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Don't put words in my mouth. The guy should be hit with all the associated crimes (vandalism, destruction of property, etc). It's just that it worked out for the better anyways.

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you damn... oh, wait, sorry, wrong movie.

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You maniacs! You smashed it all up!

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