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
Crazy family you say? LOL. Coming from a a Jewish family whose son, my father, converted to Christianity before I was born, I have more than one crazy family stories myself. I believe that we all do.
So since the child may have been 'forced" to practice Christianity that gives the school the right to take her bible from her in class? Pardon me, but I thought that the issue was the school taking the child's bible.
That *is* a frightening thought. I personally have seen no evidence that the *private* practice of religion is being quashed...but that doesn't mean it's impossible.
Is that the root of all the excitement -- that the ACLU's silly crusade to eliminate all mention of God in the public sector will lead to the elimination of private religious practice? (not arguing the value of public sector religious practice here -- sincerely asking what ten commandment monument supporters believe the end result of this will be)
BWAAAAH...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
Believers in atheism are some of the most dogmatic, bossy, controlling people I've ever seen. Bible-pounding hyper-Christians and even true believers of Islam pale by comparison.
Ummm, you kind of destroyed your own argument there...
I DIDN"T have to go to church or Sunday school. I went because that was the custom in my family.
Are you sure about that? Did you ever object and were told you were going anyway? If you didn't, you don't know if that's true or not.
I am finding your arguments to be quite weak.
Pity.
You don't ask a child who is 3 or 4 years old what they want since at that age they don't KNOW what they want. (But they DO know that they like being part of a loving family and if part of what that loving family does is attend church, then they like that too.)
Nonsense. A child of three or four (of even average intelligence) is well aware of what they like or dislike. want or don't want.
Apparently you never had any of these experiences or you would not profess to be an atheist.
I'm an atheist? Wow, thanks for letting me know.
Quite honestly, it is almost impossible for me to conceive of someone who can look around themselves at all the wonders of nature, the creation of children, all of these miracles that we are so very fortunate to be a witness of daily and not believe in a "higher power."
What makes you think that I don't believe in a higher power?
I find that alarming and I find that sad. Apparently, you have no sense of wonder.
I find it sad and alarming that you presume too much about me. And, BTW, that kind of presumption is EXACTLY why I've yet to embrace religion.
No, that's not what we're discussing. We are discussing the following: "What I was attempting to state was that, chances are, this girl has been exposed to the Christian faith since she was a baby, beginning with baptism, attending service, perhaps sunday school, etc. Did she do this of her own volition? Did she wake up one morning and say, "Daddy. I want to become a Christian!" If so, great. If not, she has not been allowed to be an "independent thinker" and the fact that she chose to take a Bible to school is hardly surprising."
Well, since ya asked, lol. Do you believe in the theory of evolution? For the life of me I cannot grasp that theory as having any merit.
Okay, fair enough. What was the original issue?
I have met some that I TRULY wonder about. Some here of FR. :o)
I Corinthians 2:13-15 --
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
And on that note, my friends, it's been a pleasure sharing with all of you today.
I think that's a stretch and a bit alarmist, but if that does happen, I'll vigorously attack it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.