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
My God isn't a piece of stone with words on it. This guy needs to read the second commandment.
This goes to show idiotic this "battle" has become.
Needless to say, the guy has lost his perspective.
No, a victory for those with egalitarian designs for the government. Its a case of calling evil good and good evil.
And the juggernaut continues...unabated.
Moores issue wasn't the monument itself and most people have not gripped that idea.
No Golden Calf need apply...Thou shalt not have any gods before me, nor make any graven images...
He can't...they moved it.
I see a lot of comments about this guy, but how come no mention of how they never portray the left-wingers as they appear at their rallies? Unless you see pictures, you would never know that a huge number of them do what this guy did, never to be mentioned. The press makes sure to mention the one person who loses it at this rally and all the critics can do is comment on him. No wonder the Press is winning...fools fall for the ploys...
While I agree with you, law really did start with the 10 Commandments. The fact the liberals won on this is kinda nuts. Freedom of religion != Freedom from religion.
Did they take this man's Bible too? No, didn't think so...
I thought if he kept it up--and he did for quite some time--he was going to rupture a vocal cord.
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