Posted on 11/15/2003 6:39:41 PM PST by Keyes2000mt
The decision was unanimous and harsh. Nine members of Alabama's judicial ethics court found Roy Moore guilty and immediately threw him off the bench.
The panel said Moore put himself above the law by refusing to obey a court order to move the Ten Commandments from the courthouse rotunda.
Presiding Judge William Thompson read from the ruling, "In defying that court's order, the Chief Justice placed himself above the law. No man in this country is so high that he is above the law."
Moore remained as defiant as ever. Soon after the court's ruling, he said he had no regrets for disobeying the law.
"Three times I was asked by the prosecutor of this state, the Attorney General, if I would deny God," Moore said. "Three times I said I would not."
Moore said acknowledging God is a very important part of American culture.
"We've got to stop the hypocrisy is this country," he said. "We've got to stop courts that will open with 'God save the United States this honorable court'...and then say they can't acknowledge God."
Meanwhile, in Texas, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Austin ruled that the Ten Commandments can stay in that state's Capitol.
Judges there ruled that placing the monument on Capitol grounds was not an unconstitutional attempt to establish state-sponsored religion.
Back in Alabama, Moore says he will continue the fight to acknowledge God.
"I will continue going around this country and speaking about this issue and telling people about the First Amendment," he said. "The only purpose of the First Amendment is to allow the acknowledgement of God."
Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore joined Lee Webb on The 700 Club to discuss the ruling and judicial activism.
Lee Webb: Judge Moore, first I'd like to get your initial reaction to the panel's decision. This of course was the most severe punishment that they could hand down. Were you surprised that all nine members of that panel voted to remove you?
Judge Moore: I was surprised at the harshness of the decision. That all nine members voted unanimously to remove me. I was expecting an adverse ruling. In fact, because of the procedures of the court it's become very political. They wouldn't allow cameras in the courtroom to show what exactly went on and they wouldn't allow cameras even on the steps of this public building. They restricted any kind of cell phones or recording devices or anything like that. So, we were very suspect when the seating capacity was limited, it was kept in a very secluded setting, and hard to get to. So it really wasn't the public trial it was supposed to be and I expected an adverse ruling. A lot of political pressures.
Lee Webb: You have repeatedly said that you swore an oath to acknowledge God in your position. What specifically did your oath of office say?
Judge Moore: OK. I swore an oath to the Constitution, which the fundamental basis of it is an acknowledgment of God. For example, the oath says, and I have a copy of the oath here somewhere. It says that, 'I swear to support the Constutuion of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Alabama as long as I continue to be a citizen thereof. And I will faithfully and honestly discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.'
That oath obligates me to support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Alabama. The Constitution of Alabama, as many constitutions do, acknowledge God, in either its preamble or the body of the constitution. In the preamble of our Constitution is says that the justice system is established invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God. For a federal judge to enter our state and tell us that our justice system can't acknowledge God is to undermine our entire system of justice and he's precluded from doing that by the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which says that such a power remains with the state if it's not delegated to the United States or reserved by the Constitution.
Lee Webb: Judge, I'm sure you would acknowledge that there are many justices around this country, many judges presiding in county and circuit courts around this country, even in federal courts, who hold to your same faith, and hold to your same Christian worldview. Are you saying that the only way that they could acknowledge God would be to make some public display of the Ten Commandments in their judicial building or in their courthouse?
Judge Moore: Absolutely not, sir. The acknowledgment of God can done in many ways. In fact, we do it at the United States Supreme Court, I understand, by the opening of the court with, 'May God save the United States and this honorable Supreme Court.' We do it our testimony of witnesses saying, 'So help me God.'
'In God We Trust' on our money is a nation law. There's many ways to acknowledge God, but the question is, are any of them forbidden because they acknowledge the Supreme Being. Because you put a monument of the Ten Commandments on the floor of the rotunda, is that a law respecting an establishment of religion made by Congress? It certainly isn't and it isn't prohibited by law. And when a federal district judge says, 'You can't do that,' then he becomes an interior decorator of your court and absolutely violates the 10th Amendment as well as the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. And that's the question, 'What is the rule of law?' Is it what a judge says it is without reference to the words of the statute? Or is it the constitutional provision? I submit to you that it is the constitutional provision, which is above judges, above governors, above executives, legislators and others.
Lee Webb: You have promised to make an announcement in the next few days that in your words will change or alter the course of this country. Now you have many friends who are watching this program right now. Many who have prayed for you, who have followed your story. Why don't you give us a hint of what that announcement's going to be?
Judge Moore: Well that announcement will be about legislation under Article 3 of the United States Consitution that could be passed by Congress to restrict the federal jurisdiction of the courts from stopping states from acknowledging God. And that's what this issue is about. Before we go further, I'd like to clarify what went on in this rather non-public trial. And it does so by a question from the Attorney General (of the state of Alabama) if I may read it.
(Judge Moore reads from the trial transcript)
Alabama Attorney General: Mr. Chief Justice in your understanding is it that the federal court ordered you could not acknowledge God, isn't that right?'
Judge Moore: Yes.
Alabama Attorney General: And if you resume your duties as Chief Justice after this proceeding you will continue to acknowledge God as you have testified that you would today?
Judge Moore: That's right.
Alabama Attorney General: No matter what any other official says?
Judge Moore: Absolutely.
Alabama Attorney General: The only point I'm trying to clarify Mr. Chief Justice is no why, but only that in fact, if you do resume your duties as Chief Justice, you will continue to do that without regard to what any other official says. Isn't that right?
Judge Moore: I must.
(Judge Moore resumes talking to Lee Webb)
That's the problem in this case. Whether or not a public official can acknowlede God when he takes office.
Lee Webb: The irony of that --- that came from Attorney General Bill Pryor?
Judge Moore: It did.
Lee Webb: The irony of that, of course, is that he is one of the four filibustered federal judge nominees appearing now before the Senate, is that correct?
Judge Moore: That's right and the irony of it is, is that many Christian judges and people think that whatever they're told to do, they must do, even if it contradicts their faith and the Consitution of the United States, because it's an order and you follow blindly along and that is not the rule of law. The rule of law is the Constitution. If we were just following orders blindly we would be like Lt. Calley in the Sixties who killed the innocent civilians in My Lai (Vietnam) because Capt. Medina, his superior officer, ordered him to do so. The United States courts at that time said you are not obligated to follow unlawful orders and that's exactly true in this situation as it was in Germany in the 1940's. You just don't follow blindly when it violates the law.
Lee Webb: Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. Judge Moore thank you for being with us this morning.
Judge Moore: Thank you very much. I appreciate being with you.
As such, he was targeted for removal by the elitist meglomaniacs that run this country.
Hopefully, the people of Alabama will see fit to return him to office.
Congratulations, comrades! You've won again! Thanks to you, Judge Roy Moore’s Ten Commandments monument was removed from the State Courthouse in Alabama. Removing him from office this week was a nice touch as well. However, these were but the first steps in a logical, necessary progression to eliminate the influence of God from all vestiges of American society! Your work is far from over! The next step is to remove the words "In God We Trust" from our currency, so not to “offend” the atheists worried the phrase is another "establishment of religion."
Then you must work to remove the 10 Commandments etched in marble above the Supreme Court's bench. Fear not, my brothers and sisters, you have 5 or 6 fellow travelers, I mean, judges (ahem!) on that court (including one former fellow ACLU director) who are more than sympathetic to your cause.
After that victory, you must continue the struggle! Don't rest on your laurels; there is more work to be done! Think of all the federal monuments, statues, landmarks, and memorials all across the fruited plain that mention God--they must be removed. Some can be "repaired" by jackhammering or covering the “offensive” speech. Other, more politically incorrect examples (To be determined by those with similar politics to yours, of course) can be removed altogether!
You can expect some resistance, but don't fear! Those Christians have no staying power, and they will fold like cheap tents when you scream "Intolerant!" "bigot!" "homophobe!"... and all the other words you learned in your university/law school training. And I know some of you may be asking yourself "Aren't the 10 Commandments the fundamental basis of the Jewish religion as well?" That may be true, but you can easily defuse that situation by bringing up the upcoming Mel Gibson movie, even though it hasn’t come out yet. Remember, the ends justify the means. You cannot allow the Jews and Christians to unite on this issue--keep them separated by scare tactics, stereotypes, and visions of "bible-thumping," "fire and brimstone" backwoods preachers. Our friends in the media will help you here.
The next logical steps would be to bar churches from providing "Sunday school" sessions in public school buildings, and to end the US Postal Service's shameful practice of offering Christmas-themed stamps. If you really want a challenge, work on covering up or breaking off the crosses in our national cemeteries.
Your friends in elementary and secondary schools and state-run universities will become more determined than ever to further the already invaluable progress they have made in secularizing the legions of dumbed-down children entrusted to them. They will continue to neglect teaching our nation’s history, traditions, concepts, and origins—and how God played a central role in each of those cases. When our children fail to learn the past, they fail to correctly judge the future.
You may think this would be the moment to pop open those champagne bottles, but wait! Put down that bottle opener. You haven't even scratched the surface!
The next step is to remove Christianity from the PRIVATE sector! Just think...the possibilities are endless! Get creative!
After chiseling religious scripture and symbols from church buildings, (sparing the eyes of those looking for every opportunity to be offended) after pressuring jewelry retailers from offering crosses and crucifixes in their catalogs, (relegating such offensive items to be special ordered, or kept wrapped up in the back of the store, to “protect” the “innocent” shopper) you can then ban outdoor nativity scenes from businesses and even homes.
While it is true that Dennis Miller was correct in saying that although those of you in the ACLU are AGAINST citizens and organizations from constructing nativity scenes, but are FOR the right of a drunk pervert to stumble into one and have sex with the sheep, so what? The people must be made to understand that we, as humans, possess ‘diverse’ sexual persuasions. That’s why you support NAMBLA and child pornography in public libraries!
Boycotting candy makers and greeting card companies that make Christmas and Easter-themed products would help, too. Our friends in Hollywood would get the message--No more Christmas and Easter specials! Expect some religious groups and concerned citizens to fight back. Fine, bring ‘em on! They have jobs, families, sports, American Idol and their own complacency to deal with!
That’s when you take the final step, move in for the kill, and use our friends in the courts to abolish religion altogether and make America secular and socialist—The way the ACLU founder, and communist, Roger Baldwin would have wanted it!
For example, we can “prove” in courts of law that the Bible is “hate speech!” and “offensive” to certain groups. This argument has already seen success in Europe and Canada. Why not here?
The belief in God is dangerous. It goes against everything a good socialist and/or atheist lives and breathes for. A good socialist and/or atheist does not believe in God In The Highest. A good socialist and/or atheist believes man, (specifically, the State) is the highest power. Separating God from our laws is an important first step on the road to an all-powerful, all-encompassing State. Just call yourselves “patriots,” wrap yourselves in the flag, and you’ll be fine. Heed the words of your founder:
"Do steer away from making it [the ACLU] look like a socialist enterprise. We want to look like patriots in every thing we do. We want to get a lot of flags, talk a good deal about the Constitution and what our forefathers wanted to make of the country and show we are really the folks that stand by the spirit of our institutions."
Day by day, bit by bit, stone tablet by stone tablet, you “patriots” get closer to living your dream. Pardon the pun, but I wish you…Godspeed!
For all of you who have rallied to Judge Moore's defense, do you agree with and support this statement of his? If this doesn't make you question his fitness for the bench, you have a very narrow view of what America and the First Amendment stands for and protects.
I've long been suspicious that this man is nothing more than an egotistical, self-aggrandizing huskster. He can't even give a straight answer to a friendly interviewer when asked where the Alabama constitution requires him to acknowledge God. It doesn't and he knows it.
He's making a name for himself to run for higher office and probably to sell a book. I'm surprised so many people here defend him unquestioningly, no matter how mendacious or self-serving. It would pay to be a little less credulous.
Anytime somebody in public life says "God," some people think he's a saint, and ought to run for public office.
Moore has these dupes pegged. And, any state where juries think Exxon ought to pay $11.9 billion because, well, "they won't miss it" is full of the kind of dopes that would put a Roy Moore in the governor's office.
He says that he in fact did take an oath to uphold the Alabama constitution.
The Alabama constitution does in fact acknowledge God.
Therefore, to uphold the constitution he has to acknowledge God.
I can understand his logic, so I don't think his fault is very great at all.
I would say, instead, that he is compelled to acknowledge that the constitution acknowledges God.
Former president Bill Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, are both above the law. Senator Edward Kennedy is above the law.
Why do we have an ignorant judge presiding over the removal of another judge?
Does the Alabama constitution compel him to erect a two-ton monument to "acknowledge" the Judeo-Christian God, and no other?
You could use a healthy dollop of your own advice.
All eight Alabama Justices voted to remove Moore. Thompson just happened to be presiding.
Any judge that makes a statement like this is either ignorant, a liar, or both.
I was here during the impeachment wars, when the Clintons and their pet judges wiped their arses with "the law".
All the trained seals barked at once. I'm very impressed. Not.
This chief justice will put up a stone monument with God words on it, the next will put up a statue of a greek goddess, and the next will stick up a guy with a fly fishing rod.
I think that's the intent of the 1st amendment. Just have the government butt out of religious discussions altogether.
They're a pain in the butt when you try to control them.
Well, if they're trained seals, you're one of organ-grinder-Moore's monkeys, who jumps when he says "God."
This gold-plated charlatan knows suckers when he sees them.
Sorry, but no one who "UNDERSTANDS the law" would ever be able to say something as mind-bogglingly ignorant as, "The only purpose of the First Amendment is to allow the acknowledgement of God."
Not in taxpayer-funded venues. Whether you like it or not, the establishment clause clearly applies here, as Moore was quite insistent that his view of God did NOT include the God of Muslims or Buddhists.
Can't do that.
He's neither, since his statement is correct. The fact that the Senate shirked their duty doesn't make Clinton, or anyone else, above the law. The law *does* apply to Clinton, even if the Senate is too cowardly (and the Democrats too partisan) to apply it.
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