Ten commandments in AL: Midnight Removal Deadline Remains, Says People For the American Way

releases.usnewswire.com ^

[chance33_98]

Supreme Court Denies Judge Moore Plea For Stay; Midnight Removal Deadline Remains, Says People For the American Way

8/20/03 5:37:00 PM

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To: National Desk, State Desk

Contact: Peter Montgomery of People For the American Way, 202-467-4999

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Supreme Court today denied a last-minute plea by Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore to stay a federal court order requiring the removal of a massive Ten Commandments monument Moore installed in the rotunda of the state's judiciary building. The high court's decision not to intercede today does not necessarily indicate whether or not the justices will agree to review the case in the future.

"It is time for Roy Moore to end his constitutional game of chicken and agree to uphold the rule of law," said People For the American Way Foundation President Ralph G. Neas. "If he continues to deny the authority of the federal courts, other Alabama officials must take action. It is outrageous for the state's chief justice to declare himself above the law."

[IronJack]

he used the King James translation

Are you trying to argue that the text of the Ten Commandments would be SUBSTANTIALLY different in a different translation? Would you expand that argument to include the INTENT of the Commandments?

[IronJack]

that's why Judge Moore may not lawfully defy the court order.

Then he must defy it unlawfully.

[Dog Gone]

Fine. If judges may defy court orders then the rest of us should have no qualms. Heck, let's abolish government.

Anarchists rule, except that's kind of an oxymoron....

[onedoug]

A couple of interesting points:

The Hebrew translates as, "Thou shalt not murder", as opposed to "kill", which makes a subtantial difference.

Also, Dennis Prager points out that translating, "Thou shalt not carry the Lord's name in vain", suggests that sinning in the name of God is amongst the gravest of transgressions.

[Vindiciae Contra TyrannoSCOTUS]

Two major Rabbinical organizations, representing over 1000 Orthodox Rabbis, today declared their support for Alabama Chief Judge Roy Moore in his battle to keep the Ten Commandments on display in the Supreme Court building in Montgomery, Alabama.

Lawyer groups, led by the ACLU, have demanded that Judge Moore remove the display, citing church-state concerns; and Federal Judge Myron Thompson has given Judge Moore a deadline of August 20 to remove the display. But Judge Moore is refusing to be intimidated.

Rabbi Hirsch Ginsberg of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis said: "The Ten Commandments are the basis of civilized society and the rule of law. It is no accident that legal testimony begins with swearing to tell the whole truth, while holding a Bible. Here, in New York City, many courtrooms have a plaque on the wall, right above the judge's head, proclaiming 'In G-D we trust'."

Rabbi Abraham Hecht of the Rabbinical Alliance added: "It's no surprise that the ACLU, a radical left-wing organization of ambulance-chasing rip-off artists, should object to the Ten Commandments. The Biblical injunctions against lying, stealing, and adultery must make them feel terribly uncomfortable."

Rabbi Yehuda Levin who is representing the two Rabbinical groups in Montgomery, Alabama this week, commented on a nasty New York Times editorial that referred to Judge Moore as a demagogue: "This is the worst kind of savage yellow journalism. The New York Times has lately been rocked by scandals, in which it has been revealed that senior reporters and editorial staff have knowingly fabricated stories and distorted the news. They have some nerve criticizing a moral, intelligent, and courageous man like Chief Judge Moore."

Rabbi Levin will hold a press conference on the steps of the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery on
Friday, August 15, 2003, at 10:00 a.m.

After the press conference, Rabbi Levin is to meet with Chief Judge Moore to make a presentation to him on behalf of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis and the Rabbinical Alliance.

 

 

[IronJack]

The question was how SUBSTANTIAL the differences in translation would be. In fact, most Biblical historians know that the "shall not kill" commandment is more accurately interpreted to mean "shall not commit unprovoked homicide." And that is why our laws allow "justifiable homicide" as a workable defense. The substance (intent) of the commandment transcends linguistic limits. The language argument is void.

[onedoug]

"The language argument is void."

'Can't place that translation.

[drjimmy]

There are crosses and Stars of David on the tombstones themselves, though they might not be in the shape of crosses and Stars of David.
There are also these:

these:

and these:

on Arlington tombstones. When do you think Judge Moore will put them on a monument in his courthouse?

[IYAS9YAS]

In all of this, I didn't see where it actually said who paid for the monument. It gives the appearance that he commissioned it and paid for it himself. A donation.

If taxpayer funds were not used to purchase and place the monument, I see no problem with it. If taxpayer funds were used, then the taxpayers need to be reimbursed from him personally.

He is not establishing religion, nor prohibiting it. A monument does not establish anything except a monument. It is not the law of the the land there.

[IronJack]

"Thou shalt not commit unprovoked homicide" means the same as "Thou shalt not murder." "Thou shalt not KILL" is contradicted any number of places within the Bible itself, when the Lord instructs various servants (David, Samson, Joshua) to strike down the enemies of Israel. If killing -- the act of taking a human life -- is a violation of the Commandments, then God instructs his children to violate His Commandments regularly.

The only logical explanation is that "Kill" is more properly interpreted as "Murder." And an injunction against murdering one's fellow man is not limited to Judeo-Christian morality, but transcends languages, cultures, and time itself.

[ComtedeMaistre]

["People for the American Way"]

[What a collosal joke, in very poor taste!]

That is only a PR move. If they were honest enough, and described their work honestly, which is "People for the Soviet Way", they might have been denied registration and tax exempt status.