Backers guard Ten Commandments monument

AP | 8/22/03 | BOB JOHNSON

[kattracks]

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — About 40 supporters of an Alabama judge's Ten Commandments monument stood watch over it early Friday, hoping to keep anyone from removing it from the rotunda of the state judicial building.

Chief Justice Roy Moore went home after spending much of Thursday vowing to do everything within his power to keep the monument in place. His eight colleagues on the state Supreme Court had ordered the monument taken out early in the day after a federal judge's midnight removal deadline passed.

Moore's supporters kept vigil Friday morning from their sleeping bags and bedrolls strewn across the rotunda floor.

The Rev. Herman Henderson of Believers' Tabernacle in Birmingham opted to nap on the concrete with his head resting on sheet music for the song, "I Shall Not Be Moved."

They remained quiet throughout the night, prompting police to retreat to their post across the street.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson set the midnight deadline after deciding that sitting in the public rotunda, the monument violated the Constitution's ban on government promotion of a religious doctrine. Thompson has said it could be moved to a private place still within the building.

The judge had threatened $5,000-a-day fines if Moore left the monument in the rotunda.

Building manager Graham George was instructed by the state's high court to "take all steps necessary to comply" with the removal order, justice Gorman Houston said. George declined to comment when asked when, how or where the monument would be moved.

Moore condemned his fellow judges for their orders. In their ruling, the Alabama justices stated they were "bound by solemn oath" to uphold the law.

"I will never deny the God upon whom our laws and country depend," Moore said Thursday in defending the 5,300-pound granite marker, which he installed two years ago and contends is representation of the moral foundation of American law.

"Not only did Judge Thompson put himself above the law, but above God as well," Moore told supporters.

The chief justice had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the removal order, but the court rejected it Wednesday. Moore said Thursday he would file a formal appeal with the high court soon "to defend our constitutional right to acknowledge God."

"I cannot forsake my conscience," he said.

Richard Cohen, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center — which sued along with the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State — praised the eight justices.

"Their courageous actions reflect that Justice Moore is a disgrace to the bench and ought to resign or be removed from office," Cohen said.

Still, protesters outside the building said they were willing to stand in the heat and risk arrest for days or weeks to keep the monument inside. Twenty-one were arrested Wednesday night on trespassing charges.

Stephen Hopkins, pastor of Burnet Bible Church in Burnet, Texas, was one of those arrested. He said he was willing to be arrested even though he has 10 children.

"This is a great hypocrisy," Hopkins said. "This is an assault on God. They're saying we're going to cover up God."

[SerpentDove]

Disagree completely. The photo of the century will be a close-up of the chisel removing the Ten Commandments.

If you think this bodes well for the nation, you are fools, every one of you.

[Those_Crazy_Liberals]

"What's going on now is just a chance for people to feel like they are doing something for God (gain celestial bonus points, you know)."

Those who are Born Again don't need (celestial??) bonus points. Their place in God's Kingdom is secure. Maybe its time to reconsider your strategy for getting to heaven?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Nope. I do have a problem with worshipping a stone idol, however, which is what the cracker "pastor" quoted clearly stated.

[Texas_Dawg]

Those who are Born Again don't need (celestial??) bonus points. Their place in God's Kingdom is secure. Maybe its time to reconsider your strategy for getting to heaven?

That's my point exactly.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Quit giving them our business secrets.

Its not like the TQM program hasn't been freely accessible as a business program for years - its no great secret.

;)

[Chancellor Palpatine]

'Cuz I get busy with other things in primetime, and others have schedules more suitable. It flexes out great.

[N. Theknow]

They should go on the offensive. Declare that anyone who doesn't like the 10 Commandments is an "Anti-Semitic Bigot."

[Those_Crazy_Liberals]

"Nope. I do have a problem with worshipping a stone idol, however, which is what the cracker "pastor" quoted clearly stated."

Given your deep devotion to religion and those that practice it (gag), clearly you understand that worshipping a stone idol would be in direct contradiction to one of the Commandments it contains.

[Those_Crazy_Liberals]

"That's my point exactly."

Those saved don't need to worry about getting to heaven. So what sense does your point make if you're simply (but poorly) stating the obvious?

[StoneColdTaxHater]

Amen for Judge Moore! Where does this ACLU foolishness end? "In God We Trust", Gone? No Bibles anyhwere? What about all the Greek gods and goddesses featured in public buildings are they not "relgious' symbols? Outside the US supreme Court bldg is a statue of Moses and guess what he has in his hands.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

...clearly you understand that worshipping a stone idol would be in direct contradiction to one of the Commandments it contains.

Clearly, I do. But does the "pastor" who was quoted understand that? It doesn't look like it.

[Those_Crazy_Liberals]

"But does the "pastor" who was quoted understand that? It doesn't look like it."

Yes, yes yes. Now I understand. Its not that you HATE religion, you're concerned for the Pastor and his Flock. I'm sure YOU would be a much better representative for the concerns of those folks than that poor mislead (or misleading) religious man.

Geesh, talk about hypocracy with a capital H.

[Commie Basher]

This is the kind of circus the Left uses to convice people that all Christians are kooks, and that conservative politicians intend to establish a theocracy. I can see the Left using TV images of this event in upcoming commercials when they try and "Bork" conservative court appointees.

This is the conservative version of those crazy chanting Leftist protestors, and as always, the crazies only hurt their own movement.

[ohioman]

Me thinks Chancy's working a troll doubleshift with Texasdawg.

[Maelstrom]

It's not an idol.

People aren't worshipping at it.

This is purely about the Rule of Law vs. the Rule of Man.

No law was violated in the statue's placemnt.

This is purely about the persecution of Christianity and the people who have had enough of it. It's just a statue with a Biblical theme...and that is too much for those seeking a more Communist state of being, like yourself.

[Maelstrom]

We do not need government to bring us to religion.

It's not a religion, it's a statue. Everything with a Biblical theme is being censored. It is this censership that constitutes persecution against a specific set of religions.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

People aren't worshipping at it.

Then why have people been kneeling and praying in front of it? Why have they been arrested laying down around it? Why does a "pastor" claim that covering it up is covering up God?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Now I'm a communist, it seems.