Church And State In Art

Vic Biorseth, http://www.Thinking-Catholic-Strategic-Center.com

The Church and State in Art page documents the close relationship between faith and law in America. Washington D.C. is likely the best place in America to go to see typically early American expressions of Church and State in Art, due not only to the quality, but the vast quantity. Much may be learned about a given culture by observing the nature, the quality, and detecting cultural consistency in the art it produced, whether in paint, stone, music, dance, drama, literature or architecture.

Consistency in art tells us much about the core values of the society of a given period. Whenever you look at art, including the art on this page, consider the people, their culture, and the period it came from, and compare the art to the art of other periods, including this one. Then meditate upon which culture appeared to be on the rise and which in decline, when compared to each other.

The history of the blending of religion, or at least of religious morality, and law is recorded in the art and architecture of Washington D.C. Many non-Jewish, non-Christian characters and symbols are depicted, representing historical developments such as the code of Hamorabi, the Justinian Code, etc. Significantly, no characters, symbols or representations are presented more often or more prominently than the Judao-Christian Ten Commandments.

They are depicted most often as two stone tablets inscribed with the Roman numerals I through X; occasionally as one tablet numbered I through X; sometimes with the inscription LEX. This is representative of the Book of the Law. Historical figures are shown holding one or another form of the Book of the Law, sometimes in the form of a book, sometimes a tablet, sometimes reading or holding a scroll and sometimes – most significantly – holding five (5) scrolls, representing the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. This is, definitively, The Law.

These depictions proclaim the principle that, whatever happens, The Law does not change; The Law is fixed forever, and may be depended upon.

The Ten Commandments on the outer bronze doors of the United States Supreme Court building.

The Ten Commandments ornately carved into the oak inner doors of the United States Supreme Court building.

Moses, seated, holding the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, on the outside upper rear fascia of the United States Supreme Court building.

Moses with the ten Commandments, on the frieze facing the bench in the United States Supreme Court room.

Moses the Law Giver on the West exterior facade of the United States Supreme Court building.

Moses and the Ten Commandments, among other depictions that appear eight times in the Great Hall of the United States Supreme Court building.

Moses, holding the Ten Commandments, in the Rotunda of the Library of Congress.

Another view of Moses in the Rotunda of the Library of Congress.

The Ten Commandments, prominently displayed in front of the District Court building.

The Ten Commandments, carefully inlaid into the floor pattern of the National Archives building.

The Ten Commandments, carefully inlaid into the floor pattern of the National Archives building.

Moses the Law Giver depicted in the US House of Representatives Chamber.

The famouse Praying George Washington stained glass window in the United States Capital building chapel.

The ornate and famous Adams Prayer Mantle inside the American White House.

Desoto, depicted in The Discovery of the Mississippi, in the U.S. Capital. (A priest performs a liturgical rite while another handles Incense, as a large Crucifix is raised.)

Frieze depicting The Burial of Desoto in the Mississippi, in the U.S. Capital building.

Our national religious foundational ethic, artistically displayed in the Rotunda of the Library of Congress.

One of several religious commemorations inside the Washington Monument.

Another religious commemoration inside the Washington Monument.

Some of Jefferson's words inscribed inside the Jefferson Memorial.

Some of Jefferson's words inscribed inside the Jefferson Memorial.

Pierre Marquette, with Crucifix and Rosary, Inside the U.S. Capital building.

Artwork titled "Knowledge" - in the North Hall of the Library of Congress.

Artwork titled "Religion" - inside the United States Capital building.

Some of Lincoln's words, inscribed inside the Lincoln Memorial.

Some of Lincoln's words inscribed inside the Lincoln Memorial, including the Gettysburgh Address and the Second Inaugural Address.

Artwork titled "The Baptism of Pocohontas," inside the United States Capital building.

Image of Emperor Charlemagne, on frieze inside the United States Supreme Court building.

Image of Mohammed, on frieze inside the United States Supreme Court building.

Washington, depicted at Valley Forge, hanging in the U. S. Capital. Once upon a time men were not too proud to pray on their knees.

Artwork titled "Liberty" at worship, resting on the Ten Commandments, outside the Reagan Library.

Christmas tree ornament, inside the White House.

Just a few of the many, many U. S. postage stamps with religious themes. The Church and State in Art remains a contemporary artistic theme in America.

Just a few of the many, many U. S. postage stamps with religious themes. The Church and State in Art remains a contemporary artistic theme in America.

The Church and State in Art page shows in a graphic way the close relationship between Judeo-Christian moral norms and civil law, as held by the founders, and as held to today by a significant majority of American citizens. Elsewhere in this website, this theme is related to subject after subject; it is, indeed, at the root of all social standards, social arguments and political issues. The Church and State in Art page puts it all into a nutshell.

For a really beautiful pictorial directory of memorials, monuments, statues & other outdoor art in Washington D.C., our most monument-filled city, visit Washington DC Memorials (Opens in a New Window).

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Date: Thu Mar 25 06:49:18 2010
From: Roshni Mishra
Email: roshnimishra01@gmail.com
Location: Mumbai/Maharashtra/India
Comment:

Hi, it's very nice to know the history of U.S Capitol. Honestly I was not aware of these things. After reading Novel of Dan Brown The Lost Symbol I came to know there are some mysteries behind U.S. Capitol and I was very keen to know how does it really looks like "the Dome" ... but I’m really feeling more inclined to know about the Mason and other things related to that ... it is written in this book that females can not be the part of Mason ... but I love to be part of it as in any way if I could help it please let me know ... it will be a truly pleasure for me ... Thank You for sharing such wonderful pictures ...

Date: Thu Mar 25 17:49:18 2010
From: Vic Biorseth
Comment:

Roshni:

I addressed some of the author Dan Brown’s work in the The DaVinci Code page, and in more detail in the Perpetual Virginity page. In essence, Dan Brown is an imaginative and entertaining author, but as an historian or an historical novelist, he leaves much to be desired. His historical factual errors are so gross as to be comical.

Masonry is not exactly my subject, being as it is strictly against my Catholic religion; but I do know several masons and am lightly acquainted with masonry, in as much as any outsider may be. It is, of course, a secret society, and there is much about it that cannot stand the light of day. It involves, dark, secret sworn blood-oaths, involving cutting out the tongues or hearts of fellow masons who reveal any of the secrets, including the blood oaths, and so forth. For the most part, I believe most of the masons are relatively harmless and ignorant of the deeper rites, but that the relatively few higher-ups may have evil motives.

Regarding Masonic symbolism incorporated into American art and architecture, such as the “All Seeing Eye” within a triangle or a pyramid, as seen at the top of the Washington Monument and on the one dollar bill, that is a symbol that is older than Masonry, and even older than Christianity, probably originating in ancient Egypt. It was adopted by Christianity first, to represent the all-seeing eye of God; it was later adopted by Masonry. So it can’t really be called a strictly Masonic symbol, although it is one of the most widely recognized symbols in Masonry.

It is doubtful that there are any deep Masonic mysteries involved in Capital art in Washington. Many important historic figures were masons – our first President, George Washington was a mason. I don’t see that as particularly important. Masonry was virulently anti-Catholic in its first few centuries of existence, but I think today’s Masons are, for the most part, just a bunch of guys who like the fraternity and social events of their local chapters. Wives are members of “auxiliary” orders; to my knowledge, there are no women masons.

Regards,

Vic

Date: Tue Dec 21, 2010
From: Vic Biorseth
Comment:

This is one of the first pages ever put up on this site. All the images on it were found in the public domain; some few may have been received in e-mail attachments. None of them were ever taken from any essay or publication or copyrighted source; at least not knowingly. Then, on August 29, 2009, I received the following nasty message from one Carrie Devorah, Washington DC:

You are on notice you are illegally posting my copyrighted pictorial GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT to your internet website. You are in violation of copyright law. You cannot steal use of my copyrighted images,ingviolate the Ten Commandments to promote your website and message. You are subject to fines and litigation. You are to contact me to resolve this. You are to remove my pictorial immediately.
Carrie Devorah

Ms. Devorah:

I did not steal anything; I do not steal. These images were captured years ago from more than one internet source, none of which had any associated copyright notice, which says to me that they were simply out there in the public domain.

First of all, how do I know that they are your copyrighted pictures?

If indeed they are your copyrighted pictures, which ones are yours and which ones are not?

Again, if indeed they are your pictures, I would prefer to leave them as is on my website, giving credit where credit is due, including your copyright notice(s), and including any hyperlink(s) if necessary.

If that is not possible, and they are indeed your pictures, then I will take them down and find other sources for similar images.

Regards,

Vic

I then Googled and found her essay and identified what pictures I could. I looked for my original sources, and could not find them; perhaps they had already been shut down by Ms. Devorah or something. Some of them came in via e-mail; however, when I got rid of the private CONTACT ME option, I deleted a whole slew of e-mails because there were just too many side conversations going on to keep track of.

Anyway, with no further response from this person, I put her copyright notice on the pictures I could identify as hers from her essay.

Now, today, December 12 2010, I got another one of her really friendly communications, as follows:

Dear Mr. Biorseth My name is Carrie Devorah.

August 29 2009, I advised you copyrighted images from my pictorials “GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT” were to be removed from your website. Instead of removing my images posted to your website www.Thinking-Catholic-Strategic-Center.com, it appears you put up my copyright notice.

Your having left my copyrighted images up on your site has created additional copyright abuse problems for me to have to pursue. Mr. Biorseth, you do not have permission to use my images. My images are to be removed from your website immediately, Mr. Biorseth. Please understand, stealing my photo essay to share your passion of faith and religion is not acceptable. You cannot steal to promote the Ten Commandments.

I am trusting, upon receipt of this notice of Copyright Violation, you will remove my images from GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT from your website. If you do not, my only recourse will be to communicate my sending this notice to you via other more public channels of internet social communication.

Sincerely

Carrie Devorah

If any of you have any photos to fill the voids left on the page, send them in .jpg format as e-mail attachments to vic@thinking-catholic-strategic-center.com and I’ll put them up on this page.

Whatever you do, make sure any images you send are not in any way linked to one Carrie Devorah, because we don’t want her to get her panties in a wad and get back on her broom again.

Regards,

Vic

Date: Thu Jan 27 18:37:54 2011
From: Vic Biorseth
Comment:

Ho hum, heavy sigh and here we go again. Once again, Carrie Devorah flew into a blue snit, got her undies all bunched up in a knot, saddled up her broom and had herself another hissy-fit, as you can see in her latest missive below.

Date: Tue Jan 25 19:58:57 2011
From: Carrie Devorah
Email:
Location:
Comment:

January 21, 2011

Dear Mr. Biorseth

I advised you August 29, 2000 and December 12, 2009 my copyrighted images were posted to your site without permission.

Unfortunately, You have failed to remove my images from your site. Rather, you simply added © Carrie Devorah 2003 under a few (not all) of my copyrighted images and removed on a a few , not all, of my images.

Please remove my following images immediately. I have provided a list of my images that are to be removed form your site:1) Image marked “Special thanks to Brenda”2) The first White House Prayer - an excerpt from the first letter written by President Adams in the White House inscribed into the Adams Mantel.3) Pierre Marquette, with Crucifix and Rosary, Inside the U.S. Capital building. 4) Artwork titled "Religion" - inside the United States Capital building.5) “Image of Emperor Charlemagne, on frieze inside the United States Supreme Court building.”6) “Image of Mohammed, on frieze inside the United States Supreme Court building.” 7) “Christmas tree ornament, inside the White House.” 8) “Just a few of the many, many U. S. postage stamps with religious themes. The Church and State in Art remains a contemporary artistic theme in America.”

If you desire to continue to affiliate your site with my images, you may link your site to either the (Website not shown) or to my website (Website not shown).

Again, please remove my above listed photos from your website, or you will leave me no choice but to look to the courts for judicial intervention.

Sincerely,

Carrie Devorah

Sigh. This is just so tiresome. I have replaced all the photos she claims as hers with the special Carrie Devorah don’t you DARE look at my photos, because they’re mine, all mine! Oh, the horror of it all! warning in their place.

These are all photographs of public art works, which are on open display in public, for public enjoyment. From this heated brouhaha You might think that Carrie Devorah was the original painter / sculptor / engraver / monument-builder / etc., but no, she’s just someone who took pictures of this public domain art. The problem is all of us don’t live near DC and we don’t get to go there much. And, after 9/11, in all likelihood many DC places are not so easily visited any more, especially the Supreme Court building. (Maybe Carrie Devorah is counting on that.)

Again, if you send me any replacements for these, do try to determine whether she took them or not. Not sure how you do that … but try your best; that’s all you can do. I will have to think long and hard about putting any more pictures up; I’m just tired of the amount of editing time spent on this one webpage. I think the remaining pictures are sufficient to fulfill the purpose of the webpage, which is to show the strong linkage between the American Founding fathers, American history and the American religion.

Oh well. All you can do is the best you can do with what you've got to work with.

Regards,

Vic

Date: Mon Jan 31 20:39:12 2011
From: Carrie Devorah
Email: carriedev@gmail.com
Location: Washington DC
Comment:

February 2, 2011

Dear Mr. Biorseth

I advised you August 29, 2000 and December 12, 2009 and then again January 21 2011 my copyrighted images were posted to your site without permission.

Unfortunately, you have failed to remove all my images from your site. Rather, you simply added © Carrie Devorah 2003 under my images and removed a few more, not all, of my images.

I have provided a list of my images to be removed form your site. Please remove my following image immediately: “Desoto, depicted in The Discovery of the Mississippi, in the U.S. Capital. (A priest performs a liturgical rite while another handles Incense, as a large Crucifix is raised.)”

If you desire to continue to affiliate your site with my images, you may link your site to either the Website Not Shown to my website Website Not Shown. Again, please remove my above listed photos from your website, or you will leave me no choice but to look to the courts for judicial intervention. Sincerely,

Carrie Devorah

Date: Tue Feb 01 17:58:48 2011
From: Vic Biorseth
Comment:

Ms Devorah:

You have an interesting way of dating your submissions that doesn’t seem to match the date-time stamp that my website captures at the time of submission … a small point. As to the gist of your submission -

Well then. I guess you left one of your claimed photos out of your previous list of prohibitions; I have now gotten it off of my site. But you and I both know that you never sent me any communication on August 29, 2000. In fact, this website didn’t even exist on that date.

I am mildly surprised that you would tell such an obvious flagrant categorical lie in public; but, as I said, I am only mildly surprised.

Regards,

Vic

Date: Wed Feb 02 18:11:31 2011
From: Vic Biorseth
Comment:

I wasn’t going to put any more images on this page, but after the last threat from Carrie Devorah I changed my mind.

Special thanks to Kevin, Brenda, Curmudgeon, Toni and the other anonymous donors of photos. I am sorry that I couldn’t put them all up, but some of them bore a fairly strong resemblance to Carrie Devorah’s pictures. I am not technically astute enough to tell if they are cropped or modified versions, and I’m not going into any forensics exercise over something like this. Bottom line, I don’t want any of her work on my site. Thank you for the submissions anyway, whether they are now published here or not; I do appreciate the effort.

Next time we get to go to Washington I will bring along a cheapo camera and take some pictures. Any that I put up here will be copyrighted, and the copyright notice will say something like, “You may copy, post or use this photo any time for any reason, so long as your name is not Carrie Devorah.”

Regards,

Vic

Date: Fri Feb 18 11:08:57 2011
From: Jason
Email:
Location:
Comment:

"because we don’t want her to get her panties in a wad and get back on her broom again?"

And you claim one of your ideals is decency? You have a strange way of showing it.

Date: Fri Feb 18 20:47:36 2011
From: Vic Biorseth
Comment:

Jason:

Oh, don’t get your shorts in a knot.

Regards,

Vic

Date: Sat Feb 19 15:30:11 2011
From: Curmudgeon
Email:
Location:
Comment:

Vic:

Are you not violating one of your rules, i.e., stacking up “vulgar one-liners and crude rejoinders”?

Just asking.

Curmudgeon

Date: Sat Feb 19 16:35:58 2011
From: Vic Biorseth
Comment:

Curmudgeon:

Hmmm …

Well, maybe that’s two for you.

It’s not like I cursed or anything; or got my own shorts in a knot. I get a little ticked off when I’m called a thief; how would you respond? In a saintly manner, I suppose. Maybe I’m the real curmudgeon here.

Point well taken. I will try to lighten up.

Regards,

Vic

Please note the language and tone already established in this Website. This is not the place to stack up vulgar one-liners and crude rejoinders. While you may support, oppose or introduce any position or argument, your comments must meet our standards of logical rigor and of civil discourse. We will not participate in trading insults, and we will not tolerate participants trading insults with each other. Participants should not be thin-skinned or over sensitive to criticism, but should be prepared to defend their arguments when challenged. If you don’t really have a coherent argument or counter-argument of your own, sit down and don’t embarrass yourself. If you have something serious to contribute to the conversation, please keep it civil. We apologize to religious conservative thinkers for the need to even say these things.