Posted on 08/27/2003 8:59:09 AM PDT by 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
How would an atheist do that ... moral fiber - wood chips --- God - Truth whackers !
To which, you replied, "It's called the GOOD NEWS! And it's kind of hard to keep GOOD NEWS to one's self...for me, anyway."
Since I do not share your faith, I consider your assertion to be an opinion, not fact.
Yes, yes. I know. I was just making MY point, that's all.
Just curious, but do you speak the way you write? If so, could you please make some recordings for my studies?
This is where the discussion breaks down - characterizing a firmly held belief for one person as a fact for others. "Facts" should be observable. The "Good News" idea is demonstrably not observable.
First off, to become a Christian, she will in fact HAVE to wake up one day and decide totally on her own that she "wants to become a Christian." No one can do that for her, not even Mom or Dad. Secondly, guiding our children in a system of faith/belief, should not diminish their ability to "think independently." It certainly hasn't my son...who having been exposed to the Christian faith since he was a baby, attending service, sunday school, and on his own volition, choosing to accept Christ as his personal savior, and was subsequently baptized, would NEVER think of taking his Bible to school unless he had to, and/or I reminded him to do so (being the free thinker he is)...
Regards, sw
I was struck by a comment in Michael Ledeen's book, WAR AGAINST THE TERROR MASTERS. He pointed out that with the rise of Wahhabist hate-teaching in mosques in America (it's estimated that about 80% of which are infected with Wahhabi teaching), the US Department of Justice is kind of stymied in terms of going after the perpetrators of Islamic terrorism without violating their freedom of speech or the exercise of their religion. The thought struck me that this nation's greatest defense against Islamofacism is the encouragement of the best religious and spiritual alternative to Islam, namely, Judeo-Christian religious teachings, and the spiritual reality behind those teachings. But rather than encourage this alternative, Jewish- and Christian-haters are able to enlist moron federal judges to their crusade to leave this nation spiritually defenseless.
It is only simple if one "simply" ignores vast amounts of anecdotal, though inconclusive, evidence.
You'll note that I never say that I believe that no deities or other supernatural entities exist. I always say that I disbelieve in them. There is a distinct difference.
Please expand on that difference. Your position would seem to be that of the agnostic rather than the atheist. An atheist believes no deity or supernatural entities exist, by definition.
This is beginning to strike me as a bit of a game of semantics. Please define "disbelief" as you are using it.
I know of some cities that have come after home Bible studies by enforcing some obscure traffic laws regarding parking in residential areas. If they haven't taken your Bible, it's because they haven't figured out a way to do it yet.
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