Mike Ritze, Oklahoma wingnut & the 10 Commands

Of course you can't expect much from politicians in Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a U.S. Senator who disbelieves in evolution, global warming and most other scientifically proven facts.

Now, in keeping with the tradition, an Oklahoma State Representative has presented a bill into the Legislature which would put a "Ten Commandments monument" on the grounds of the State Capitol. People are thrilled. The bill has already made it through a state House committee.

Who is this paragon of private virtue who wishes to foist his private virtue on the pagan public? Mike Ritze. And this guy is such a Biblical scholar he intends to use the verbiage from the King James version of the Bible (which is probably the most inaccurate version in print!).

Some think this monument might alienate folks who don't believe as does Rep. Ritze. Ritze doesn't give a damn. He thinks ours is a "Christian" nation or at least a nation imbued with those elusive "Judeo-Christian" values and that we, as a nation, have gone morally astray and so this monument will remind everyone who looks at the monument (i.e., Ritze and his wife) of "basic values."


Well, let's take a look at the "basic values" of the Nine or Ten Commands. It is interesting that even before God gave Moses the commands, he had already put one into effect: honoring the Sabbath (Exodus 16:25ff).

1. Don't make a sculptured image. I'll bet the State of Oklahoma has broken that one on numerous occasions. Yikes! And if you do make such images, the Lord is a jealous god and he's gonna visit "the guilt of the parents upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generations of those who reject" him!

I think Ritze should be worried.

2. Don't bow down to false gods. Does that count the ones on American Idol?

3. Don't swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God. Hmm. Has any politician ever kept that little goody?

4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Well, hell, Ritze doesn't do that, either!

5. Honor your father and mother and if you do you'll have a long life on the land. But what if your mother's a drunk and your daddy's in jail for murder? Gotcha!

6. Don't murder. I wonder if Ritze favors the police action in Iraq?

7. Don't commit adultery. No comment.

8. Don't steal. You can't steal anything at all? Not even a pen from the office? Sheesh!

9. Don't lie about your neighbor. There isn't a politician in the world who's kept that one! Ritze is known for lying about President Obama!

10. Don't covet your neighbor's stuff, including his Hummer or his trophy wife!

[I think number one and two are one command. That would make only 9. Tell Ritze before the engraver gets to work!]


These are the "values" that Ritze and his ilk would foist upon us. I wonder if he's ever read the Bible.

I think we can do a lot better than that and we don't need some ancient story about a god blowing smoke on top of a mountain to do it!

Oh, yeah, one more thing: Ritze is so much of a wingnut he tried to mount a challenge to Barack Obama's election because he claims Obama is not a "natural born citizen"!