Give him credit for sticking to his guns I guess.
Thats what happens when you refuse a Federal order heh.
It’s more like that’s what happens when you try to get rid of the separation of church and state.
This same thing happened in my town. The man who “owns” the courthouse (historic society president) put a plaque on the front with the ten commandments. It was taken down, but not before we made it to the CNN Crawl! 
Damn you Merlin. How did I NOT miss this!
Originally posted by Kagon
It’s more like that’s what happens when you try to get rid of the separation of church and state.
Or exercise the seperation of state and federal govt
Good. It’s about time.
Originally posted by Sephiroth Katana
Good. It’s about time.
And to this man I ask what of the people who do not believe in god, this god, or many other gods? What then?
Limiting the law and legal system to those who can, or will “acknowledge [that] God is very much a vital part of the public and private fabric of our country.” is a grossly arrogant thing for anyone to deside.
:kissy:
Good. His arrogance and stupidity had gotten the better of him.
Originally posted by Sephiroth Katana
Good. It’s about time.
I propose that all courthouses give equal credence to EVERY LAST DAMNED AND HOLY LEGAL SYSTEM IN EXISTENCE! MWHAHAHAH!
Unto this end, I propose a copy in the original language of the Code of Hamurabi, the Law of Moses (including but not limited to non-numerical 10 commandments in the order they appear in Exodus), whatever laws Mohammad put up, the legal system of Athens and Sparta, and Rome…
And…
And…
Damn, is there anything I forgot?
In any event, the combined total would make a very interesting entrance hall if nothing else.
Well, I’m glad to see that this was handled. Took them long enough, though.
I think many people fail to realize that “Seperation of Church and state” (which this hardly is a violation of) only applies to the federal govt. Unless Alabama had the same clause in its own Constitution, they could make the official religion Voodoo and sprinkle monkey bone dust around the courtroom before every preceeding if they wanted to. If Alabama does have a seperation of church and state clause in its constitution, then the state should have taken care of it, not the faderal govt.
I think the only reason people have problem with the Ten Commandments being displayed anywhere is that it resembles Christianity, the (supposedly) largest religion. If people are upset about that, why not the deities that decorate the walls of courthouses, like Lady Justice?
Uh, the seperation if church and state is in the Constitution, therefore all states must abide by it. What you just said was that if my state wanted to censor all media and ban all firearms they could because it’s only federal.
I’m glad it’s down.
When first ratified, the Bill of Rights applied exclusively to the federal government. Some Supreme Court cases even upheld that notion. Then the the 14th Amendment and its Equal Protection clause came along. With that, the Supreme Court has interpretted that as meaning that the Bill of Rights now applies to states too.
Originally posted by Dark Paladin
I think many people fail to realize that “Seperation of Church and state” (which this hardly is a violation of) only applies to the federal govt.
The Constitution is the highest law of the land. If the Constitution guarantees a right, it can’t be taken away by your local court. And the problem isn’t with the Ten Commandments being displayed “anywhere,” it’s with them being displayed in government buildings by judges who explicitly state that their intent in doing so is to show that they are somehow linked to the government. As a judge, Moore had a duty to uphold the law of the land. He flouted it and abused his authority solely in order to push his own radical agenda.
Originally posted by Dark Paladin
Unless Alabama had the same clause in its own Constitution,
Article 1, Section 3 of Alabama’s state constitution holds “that no religion shall be established by law; that no preference shall be given by law to any religious sect, society, denomination, or mode of worship; that no one shall be compelled by law to attend any place of worship; nor to pay any tithes, taxes, or other rate for building or repairing any place of worship, or for maintaining any minister or ministry; that no religious test shall be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under this state; and that the civil rights, privileges, and capacities of any citizen shall not be in any manner affected by his religious principles.”
Fun little factbit for you…
The words “separation between church and state” and the rest of the paragraphs that now-famous line is taken from don’t appear in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. They appeared instead in a letter written by then-President Andrew Jackson.
That being said, I, like Merlin, applaud the man for standing up for what he believed in. But he crossed a line when he resisted a court order that all but doomed him. Good idea, bad methods. So it goes.
Jefferson said it actually.
Originally posted by President T.J.
[b]Mr. PresidentTo mess? Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.
Gentlemen
The affectionate sentiments of esteem & approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful & zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more & more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state. Congress thus inhibited from acts respecting religion, and the Executive authorised only to execute their acts, I have refrained from presenting even occasional performances of devotion presented indeed legally where an Executive is the legal head of a national church, but subject here, as religious exercises only to the voluntary regulations and discipline of each respective sect. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
(signed) Thomas Jefferson
Jan.1.1802.[/b]
-
- section was originally marked for deletion by Jefferson, apparently, in the draft. I’m guessing the final draft did not have it.
Originally posted by Sephiroth Katana
Article 1, Section 3 of Alabama’s state constitution holds “that no religion shall be established by law; that no preference shall be given by law to any religious sect, society, denomination, or mode of worship; that no one shall be compelled by law to attend any place of worship; nor to pay any tithes, taxes, or other rate for building or repairing any place of worship, or for maintaining any minister or ministry; that no religious test shall be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under this state; and that the civil rights, privileges, and capacities of any citizen shall not be in any manner affected by his religious principles.”
It is in Alabama’s Constitution. Then the state should have taken care of it. that’s what I was saying.