Movers Haul Away Ten Commandments in Montgomery

FOXNews.com ^ | Wednesday, August 27, 2003

[NWO Slave]

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A chorus of demonstrators joined an irate man in screaming "Put it back!" Wednesday morning after a monument of the Ten Commandments was wheeled away from the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building.

"Get your hands off our God, God haters!" yelled the wildly gesturing, red-faced man who initiated the chanting.

Workers used a dolly to move the 5,280-pound granite marker from the rotunda to another, undisclosed place in the courthouse building.

Meanwhile, a Wednesday afternoon hearing to consider a lawsuit to keep the monument in the rotunda was canceled.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Mobile on behalf of a Christian radio talk show host and a pastor, says forced removal of the monument would violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion.

Christian Defense Coalition Director Patrick Mahoney told the crowd of demonstrators that he wasn't told where the monument had been taken.

Because of its size and weight, the marker was presumably moved to another location on the ground floor of the building.

Mahoney said the monument would not be covered, and that he would be allowed inside to see it once it was moved. Mahoney said he was informed of the plans by building manager Graham George.

Mahoney didn't know whether the monument's new location would be accessible to the public.

The federal court had said the monument could be in a private place in the building but not in the highly visible spot in the rotunda directly across from the building's entrance.

Protest organizers asked the crowd outside not to rush the building or do anything else except pray. Some people seemed to be listening, with dozens kneeling, bowing or lying face-down in prayer in front of the judicial building and on the steps before and after the monument's removal.

The marker was wheeled away in a matter of minutes.

A federal judge in Montgomery ruled last year that the monument, which Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore (search) installed two years ago, violates the Constitution's ban on government promotion of religion and ordered its removal by Aug. 20. The U.S. Supreme Court last week declined to hear Moore's appeal.

But Moore refused to comply. Eight associate justices voted Aug. 21 to remove the monument, and Moore was suspended the next day.

Attorney General Bill Pryor, defending the associate justices, filed a motion Tuesday afternoon to dismiss the latest lawsuit, saying the Mobile court lacks jurisdiction and the complaint lacks merit.

About 150 monument supporters marched on Pryor's office Tuesday, demanding he resign for supporting the associate justices' decision. Seven representatives were allowed inside to meet with Pryor's chief deputy for about 20 minutes. The rest remained outside, chanting, "Resign now! Resign now!"

Gatherings of pro-monument demonstrators outside the judicial building have grown each day in the past week to at times number in the hundreds.

People seeking removal of the monument from its public site had said they were grateful that it was finally being moved, a week after the deadline set by a federal judge.

"This is a tremendous victory for the rule of law and respect for religious diversity," the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said before the monument was rolled out of the rotunda. "Perhaps Roy Moore will soon leave the bench and move into the pulpit, which he seems better suited for."

Lynne's organization was among groups suing to remove Moore's monument, which he installed without telling the other eight Supreme Court justices.

Demonstrators promised to keep up their protests of the removal.

"If it takes 75 years to reclaim this land for righteousness, God find us and our children and our children's children ready," said the Rev. Rob Schenck, president of the national clergy council.

Affirmative Action Judge Opposing Judge Roy Moore

[huck von finn]

Agreed. Not respecting the establishment of religion was put in the bill of rights to prohibit the government from creating something like the Church of England here in the U.S.

Absolutely. And sneaking a monument of the ten commandments into a government building--a courthouse--in the middle of the night is a little scary in light of that, wouldn't you say?

[rwfromkansas]

It sure is interesting that the AM has opted to keep the venom of 28 on the thread.

Quite interesting.

I guess attacking libertarianism is off limits on FR now.

[rwfromkansas]

Read the news.

[MineralMan]

"Why should I limit the practice of my religion to my "home or church"? Must we Christians really stay behind closed doors to practice Christianity? If I leave my house, must I then become an Atheist, since that's the only religion permitted in public in America now?
"

Nobody's suggesting any such thing, and if they are, they are wrong to do so. Christians, and followers of other religions, are quite free to practice their religion in public. I see it all the time around me. What they are not permitted to do is to force others to participate or to use the government to endorse their particular religion.

Try this: Go down to your local park with your Bible and begin teaching from it. You may get some listeners, and you may not, but nobody's going to officially tell you to go away. You may not be allowed to use a bullhorn, since that might disturb other users of the park, but you can certainly preach there, if you like.

Now, if you try to teach your religion at the city council meeting or in a courtroom when other business is being carried on, you'll be asked to stop, of course, but that's only fair.

Atheists don't care if you believe or worship. Why on earth would we. We only care when you force others to participate in your worship. In the park, I can simply walk away to another location. In the courtroom or city council chambers, or the classroom, I may not be able to do so. Fair's fair.

[RoughDobermann]

You worship your intellect and reasoning capacity. You make yourself a god.

Didn't God give us our intellect and our ability to reason? If so, by exercising those abilities, are we not doing exactly what God wants us to do? If not, why did he give those abilities to us?

[MineralMan]

"In effect, atheism claims to "prove" a negative.

"

Nope. I don't try to prove anything at all. I simply disbelieve.

[RoughDobermann]

You made the assertion. Please back it up with facts.

[vikingcelt]

"You do know that we're discussing the United States of America, and not Canada, don't you? I'll be the first to oppose any such idiocy here." Well I will just bet that are going to have to OPPOSE it. The homosexual lobby (that portion of the population which constitues somewhere between 2 and 5 percent of the population) will make sure that anti-homosexual passages in the Bible be deemed "hate speech." As Mary Steyn wrote, "There's no stopping them now." Again, how the minority can rule over the majority in our once great county is a mind blowing travesty.

[MEGoody]

"And sneaking a monument of the ten commandments into a government building--a courthouse--in the middle of the night is a little scary in light of that, wouldn't you say?"

Sneaking? How does one sneak such a thing into a building?

At any rate, the monument has been in the courthouse for several years. If it were such a crime, I would think someone would have pointed it out before this silly little lady who wears her pantyhose too tight decided to play the 'victim.'

[keats5]

Have you ever been to my church?

[MineralMan]

"You worship your intellect and reasoning capacity.

You make yourself a god."

Heck no, I don't. If I worshipped intellect and reasoning capacity, I know lots of people much better at both than I am. I worship nothing. I respect intellect and reasoning. I even respect myself, most of the time.

[RoughDobermann]

These can be worn anywhere a person wishes to wear them

Yes, I know. That was my point.

[nfldgirl]

Don't be such a smarty pants! I'm not talking about actual, physically printed, posted 10 Commandments...and you know it. Smarty Pants!

I'm talking about the stripping away of the foundational Judeo-Christian system of values that has well served our society, our country, our people through two centuries, through very difficult challenges....now go clean your drawers!

[PleaseNoMore]

In Houston a woman has instigated a lawsuit to remove the bible from one of the courthouses there. So in a sense, yes they are coming after the bible.

I just had a meeting with our church's insurance agent. Because of our denomination ( actually we are non denominational )we have been advised to increase our limits of liability "just in case the pastor preaches something in the pulpit that another may find offensive."

When a pastor can be sued for preaching from the bible then yes, they will be coming for the "hate text" sooner than you wish to admit.

[unixfox]

Right, and they weren't EVER coming for my guns either.

My how things change.

[MineralMan]

"Wearing a cross or Star of David in church?"

These can be worn anywhere a person wishes to wear them.


"

Of course. You can wear a t-shirt with the 10 Commandments on it, too. Anywhere. Nobody will stop you.

Oh wait...some places, like fancy restaurants require a coat and tie, so you might not be able to go there wearing the t-shirt.

[trebb]

I agree - I was just pointing out the double standards used in reporting- the press never makes that kind of comment about the radical "liberals" when they fly off the handle and even cause property damage, etc... You are correct in that a mature response is the most effective.

[mac_truck]

No one is coming for the bible? I suggest you consider what is going on in Houston then.

OK, I'll bite. What are they doing in Houston? [besides removing an inept police chief]