Alabama SC justices cave, order Ten Commandments removed

AP on Fox News ^ | 8-21-03 | AP on Fox News website

[rwfromkansas]

MONTGOMERY, Ala.

[general_re]

The establishment clause is binding on Congress alone.

Unfortunately, this opinion is at odds with virtually the entire scope of 20'th century First Amendment jurisprudence. Not without reason, either - by this logic, your local police are perfectly able to suppress your First Amendment right to free speech, freedom of religion, and so forth, since the First Amendment is only binding upon Congress, and not them.

In any case, perhaps the appropriate next step is for supporters of Judge Moore to begin the process of amending the Constitution in order that it might more accurately reflect what they see as its rightful meaning in these sorts of cases...

[jethropalerobber]

Of course, whether or not something passes constitutional muster (such as the pledge of allegiance) depends upon the whim of judges who make it up as they go along.

you seem unhappy with our third branch of government.

should we abolish it?

[ClancyJ]

Who are you to tell someone else to put something religious on their front lawn - when you are seeking to put your non-religion in our courts?

You are seeking to take God out and put anti-God in its place.

How come public funds can be spent on Art to mock a religious figure but that same religious figure cannot be shown in any other place except - private locations? A museum is not a private location.

[Zavien Doombringer]

The Federal Court cannot make laws...only enforce laws...What Law says the 10 commandments cannot be posted, or must be removed?

[rwfromkansas]

The point is that I won't allow someone to beat around the bush and try to establish proof of their position by citing recent court cases. It is how these people work.....they always do that. So, I know what to expect before he or she ever replies (likely the poster won't).

[iranger]

Lets not forget about the ACLU's jihad against the "evil" boyscouts and Augusta National. Freedom of association means little to these scoundrels.

[HurkinMcGurkin]

So I guess there is a possibiity that we can elect a Politician that does worship a COW.

Many 'a million people voted For William Jefferson Clinton - twice. He is held up as the epitome of evil on this board. And some of you are acting as if this is Christian Country under attack by some small minority. Tens of millions of people disgaree with you on Clinton. Anyone who supports or defends him is labled as being no better than him(rightfully so). How can you sit at your computer and act like Christians are in the majority in this country(not that that would even matter)?

[missyme]

Exactly!
We do not let every person here in the USA practice there faith that goes agaisnt Judeo Christian Principles

[jethropalerobber]

Next it will be to uphold gay mairrage rights. Then it will be to punish any religion that counters that decision as "unlawful."

i wasn't aware that any religions issue marriage licenses.

[ClancyJ]

godless athesist - why do you have the right to put your religion in place of others religion? You need to get your godless religion to your private property.

Remember, what you do privately is your business but public funds should not be required to pay for it, public places should not have to promote your religion.

So, get out of public buildings the same as you expect others to do.

[lugsoul]

"S0 if a person's faith says they are forbidden to pay taxes, or go to war or sacrafice and animal or speak about terrorism in there mosqe's they have Constitutional Rights?"

Well, you are opening up a big can of worms here - People cannot avoid religiously neutral laws of general application on the grounds that their faith demands it. So, for example, a Muslim can't kill his daughter for having premarital sex and use religion as a defense. But some of your examples, as odious as they may be, are protected. Speaking about terrorism? A couple of clauses in the 1st Amendment may cover that, as long as it is merely speech.

"9/11 happened becuse we give Constitutional Rights to everyone"

Wow. Can you tell us which citizens get them and which ones do not?

[HurkinMcGurkin]

LOL!!

[MineralMan]

"I have to say that in my neighborhood if I saw a person worshiping or sacraficing an animal for there practicing faith I would highly be offended and do whatever I took in a civilized manner to make them stop.
"

Would you? Why? If they were on their own property and engaging in whatever passed for their form of worship, what business of yours would it be?

What, exactly would you object to? Worshipping an animal? Killing an animal? Do you eat meat?

I'll tell you something: If you did this on private property, you'd be trespassing and subject to arrest. People have the right to worship as they see fit, including the right to sacrifice animals, if that's their form of worship.

[TheOtherOne]

Read the decisions. They are based in well settled law. Moore is a moron.

[concerned about politics]

I didn't know the states could rule society through public schools. Last I checked they could only threaten them by reducing the funding, which is a socialistic theory contributed consistently by the Democrats.

The Marxist left believes they can change America through the minds of the children. They're indoctrinating them into the socialist revolution. Their system was complete in 2000 (i.e., the Goals 2000 program, also known as "Outcome-based" education). That graduating class had completed the entire brain wash program, starting from kindergarden.
It's the agenda the public schools are using now. That's why homosexuality is taught to kinderghardeners right away, to "prove' to the students their parents are wrong. Teachers are "right."
They need to erace values taught by parents, and introduce their values to replace them. The kids need to be away from their parents influence as much as possible. Day care, pre-school, before school programs, after school programs, summer school, on site doctors, free birth control and abortions, dentists, social workers, breakfast, lunch , dinner, and the village covers everything. Parents are no longer necessary.
Marx said "Give me your children, and I'll have them for life."
Now that their system if failing, and the kids are becomming wild, unrulely animals full of arrogant (self esteem training) psychopaths, they claim it's the parents fault, and they need more funding to support their agenda.

(We homeschool. They're not getting their filthy, vile hands on our kids).

[wardaddy]

You're going to have to work harder...lol

actually you should be in it.

[libravoter]

I have to say that in my neighborhood if I saw a person worshiping or sacraficing an animal for there practicing faith I would highly be offended and do whatever I took in a civilized manner to make them stop.

Why do people who want to practice there faith in our country that is not of the Judeo-Christian principles have more of a right than we do?

I think I'm done trying to have an actual dialogue with you because at this point you're just being goofy.

No, I don't want anyone sacrificing animals, but as for your questioning "their faith" in"our country", you are deluded.

There are plenty of U.S. born & raised, patriotic, hard working Americans who are neither Christian nor Jewish. I may not want my kids to get taught Buddhism or Shintoism or Native American Spirituality in their school, but I do recognize that, due to the Americans practicing them, those are all "American faiths".

And while I don't practice them, it does make me proud to be an American. Unlike Saudi Arabians or Pakistanis or people suffering in communist countries, Americans have the constitutional right to practice whatever peaceful religion they'd like.

God Bless them and God Bless America. And if you really want every American who isn't Judeo-Christian to get the heck out, then you and I have nothing more to discuss.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

You have a fair set of questions and observations, deserving of a fair answer. It would take an entire book to do it in, though.

In short, in this country at least, while the Orthodox have prayers for everything from waking up alive to blessing a tractor, those things tend to be done within the contest of family or the gathering together as a church. The notion of proselytization or proclamations of faith as public acts just don't resonate well, and most of us have heard enough less than scholarly criticisms or uninformed observations of our own practices from folks like Roy Moore to be very reluctant to encourage his version of aggressive Christianity.

Believe it or not, I really want people to go to their churches and support their churches; I loved what Dubya said about his faith last week, I adore the job Dave Ramsey does with what i've long figured really is a ministry, and am genuinely fond of military, fire and police chaplains, and I want Christians to gathter together and make good examples to the rest of the world - that would be very cool.

[HurkinMcGurkin]

Pardon me for butting in, but, I don't understand why anyone should be offended by this monument (or anything similar).

Regardless of the reasons that the suit was brougt, no one I have seen hereis arguing that it should be removed because it is "offensive". Everyone is arguing that Judge Moore's ideology and emphatic denial that any other monument will be displayed renders it an establishment of religion. Courts have agreed. And no one seems to be willing to address teh actual quotes of Moore about no other religion being legitimate in his eyes. That ideology makes this a problem.

[Helix]

Some animal sacrifice practices would violate animal cruelty laws in many areas.