--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is…" description: "\"Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that the Ten Commandments are a historical document that contains moral, ethical, and legal truisms that any per..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/cliff-stearns-22018_appreciate_mr-speaker-the-fact-of-the-matter-is-tha_1581964.png" --- # Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that the Ten… ![“Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that the Ten Commandments are a historical document that contains moral, ethical, and legal truisms that any person of any religion or even an atheist can recognize and appreciate.” quote by Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/cliff-stearns-22018_appreciate_mr-speaker-the-fact-of-the-matter-is-tha_1581964.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/cliff-stearns-22018_appreciate_mr-speaker-the-fact-of-the-matter-is-tha_1581964.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/cliff-stearns-22018_appreciate_mr-speaker-the-fact-of-the-matter-is-tha_1581964.png) > “Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that the Ten Commandments are a historical document that contains moral, ethical, and legal truisms that any person of any religion or even an atheist can recognize and appreciate.” [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Ten Commandments contain universal moral truths recognized across faiths and secular perspectives. **In simple terms:** Commandments hold universal morals. Key Takeaway Recognize shared ethical values. Themes ethics universal morals religion law Mood respectful educational thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - interfaith dialogue - legal ethics - education - public policy Key Concepts philosophy history comparative religion Questions to Reflect On - How can these principles guide modern law? - What common values unite diverse beliefs? A Different Perspective Interpretations vary across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Commandments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandments/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Ten commandments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-commandments/) ## Related quotes > [The irony of the Supreme Court hearing on these cases last week and of the outright hostility that the Court has displayed against religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/the-irony-of-the-supreme-court-hearing-on-these-cases-last-week-and/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [Your woodlot is, in fact, an historical document which faithfully records your personal philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldo-leopold/your-woodlot-is-in-fact-an-historical-document-which-faithfully/) [Aldo Leopold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldo-leopold/) > [For me, the original play becomes an historical document: This is where I was when I wrote it, and I have to move on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/for-me-the-original-play-becomes-an-historical-document-this-is-where/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [Anyone who says a movie about history is a historical document is crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/anyone-who-says-a-movie-about-history-is-a-historical-document-is/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [Now, whenever you read any historical document, you always evaluate it in light of the historical context.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/now-whenever-you-read-any-historical-document-you-always-evaluate-it/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Mere recording of an event will not make it a historical document. It will become obsolete with time. Only those that emotionally connect with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilaiyaraaja/mere-recording-of-an-event-will-not-make-it-a-historical-document-it/) [Ilaiyaraaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilaiyaraaja/) > [1975 is as much a historical document as 1803.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/1975-is-as-much-a-historical-document-as-1803/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [The New Testament is not a historical document.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/the-new-testament-is-not-a-historical-document/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) > [If you write a post and put it on a blog, that's a historical document. 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We'd have had the ten suggestions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-what-they-say-if-god-had-been-a-liberal-we-wouldn-t-have-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my book I specifically discussed the structural nature of injustice and offered Nine Touchstones of Goddess ethics as an alternative to the Ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/in-my-book-i-specifically-discussed-the-structural-nature-of/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [The Ten Commandments don't tell you what you ought to do: They only put ideas into your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bibesco/the-ten-commandments-don-t-tell-you-what-you-ought-to-do-they-only/) [Elizabeth Bibesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bibesco/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Cliff Stearns > [The main part of the Hyde bill is to withhold U.S. contributions to the regular assessed budget of the U.N. unless they make real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/the-main-part-of-the-hyde-bill-is-to-withhold-u-s-contributions-to/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [In early January I introduced my legislation, which, besides prohibiting Federal funding of human cloning, also expresses the sense of Congress that foreign nations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/in-early-january-i-introduced-my-legislation-which-besides/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [We are the biggest donor to the United Nations, contributing 22 percent of the regular operating budget and nearly 27 percent of the peacekeeping budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/we-are-the-biggest-donor-to-the-united-nations-contributing-22/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [At the bottom, the elimination of spyware and the preservation of privacy for the consumer are critical goals if the Internet is to remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/at-the-bottom-the-elimination-of-spyware-and-the-preservation-of/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [The Spy Act strikes a right balance between preserving legitimate and benign uses of this technology, while still, at the same time, protecting unwitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/the-spy-act-strikes-a-right-balance-between-preserving-legitimate-and/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [As the economy grows, so will the demand for energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/as-the-economy-grows-so-will-the-demand-for-energy/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [The irony of the Supreme Court hearing on these cases last week and of the outright hostility that the Court has displayed against religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/the-irony-of-the-supreme-court-hearing-on-these-cases-last-week-and/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [Last Thursday, our Supreme Court backed that local governments can co-opt private property, and give it to another private entity, for economic development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/last-thursday-our-supreme-court-backed-that-local-governments-can-co/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [Markets rebounded quickly from morning jitters after the London Thursday terrorist bombing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/markets-rebounded-quickly-from-morning-jitters-after-the-london/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [I continue to meet people who have had their Web pages hijacked, their browsers corrupted, in some cases, their children exposed to inappropriate material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/i-continue-to-meet-people-who-have-had-their-web-pages-hijacked-their/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [The Spy Act prohibits keystroke logging, hijacking, and phishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/the-spy-act-prohibits-keystroke-logging-hijacking-and-phishing/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [Specifically, I am concerned about the long-term condition of Social Security. 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User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [The connoisseur of art must be able to appreciate what is simply beautiful, but the common run of people is satisfied with ornament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-connoisseur-of-art-must-be-able-to-appreciate-what-is-simply/) [Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) J. Willard Gibbs > [This time, there were no drugs involved. The hours were completely normal daytime hours. I think we were able to appreciate the interplay, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/this-time-there-were-no-drugs-involved-the-hours-were-completely/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [I would like beautiful gymnastics to be recognized as the best. I want the judges to appreciate things that are not necessarily winning points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kohei-uchimura/i-would-like-beautiful-gymnastics-to-be-recognized-as-the-best-i-want/) [Kohei Uchimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kohei-uchimura/) > [One of the most important rules for success is this: Every great success is the result of hundreds and thousands of small efforts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/one-of-the-most-important-rules-for-success-is-this-every-great/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [It's great at this stage in my life to still be in the running, that people appreciate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/it-s-great-at-this-stage-in-my-life-to-still-be-in-the-running-that/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-sectaries-of-a-persecuted-religion-depressed-by-fear-animated/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Love is too wonderful for us but why we often times do not ever appreciate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamad-idrus/love-is-too-wonderful-for-us-but-why-we-often-times-do-not-ever/) [Mohamad Idrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamad-idrus/) > [I think the most important thing is to stay hopeful, to believe wonderful things are possible and do your best. 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