Posted on 08/22/2003 4:25:33 AM PDT by kattracks
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's top judge refused to back down in his fight to keep a Ten Commandments monument and lashed out at his colleagues who ordered it removed from the rotunda of the state judicial building."I will never deny the God upon whom our laws and country depend," Chief Justice Roy Moore said in a fiery defense of the 5,300-pound granite marker, as supporters cheered and prayed on the building's steps.
The monument was still in the building's rotunda early Thursday evening, and court officials did not say when or where it would be moved.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson, who had ruled the monument's placement violated the Constitution's ban on government promotion of a religious doctrine, has said it could be moved to a private place still within the building. He had threatened $5,000-a-day fines if Moore left the monument in the public rotunda.
Moore installed the monument two years ago and contends it represents the moral foundation of American law.
"Not only did Judge Thompson put himself above the law, but above God as well," Moore told his supporters Thursday.
The chief justice had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the removal order, but the court rejected it Wednesday. Moore said Thursday he would file a formal appeal with the high court soon "to defend our constitutional right to acknowledge God."
"I cannot forsake my conscience," he said.
His supporters, meanwhile, promised to block any effort to remove the monument.
"We will kneel at the doors. We will prevent forklifts or trucks from coming in," said Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, which is organizing around-the-clock demonstrations.
Moore's eight colleagues on the state Supreme Court intervened after Thompson's midnight deadline for removing the monument passed and the monument remained. In ordering the monument moved, the justices said they were "bound by solemn oath to follow the law."
Justice Gorman Houston said all eight instructed building manager Graham George to "take all steps necessary to comply" with the removal order. George declined to comment when asked when, how or where the monument would be moved.
Attorney General Bill Pryor filed a notice with the federal district court after the justices' issued their order and said he believed that would remove any risk of fines.
Taxpayers "should not be punished for the refusal of the chief justice to follow a federal court order," he said.
A partition was put in front of the monument early Thursday but was removed after about three hours. Houston said the building manager may have erected it to comply with the order.
Gov. Bob Riley said in a statement that he supports public displays of the Ten Commandments, but also supports the decision of associate justices to "uphold the rule of law."
In his speech Thursday, Moore said he was "disappointed with my colleagues" and lashed out at "this so-called rule of law" that they cited. He said such blind obedience would have allowed slavery to continue.
Richard Hahnemann of Huntsville, the monument's sculptor, said he expects voters to remember what the justices did come election day.
"They have their opinion. Justice Moore was elected by the people to do what he did," Hahnemann said.
Richard Cohen, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center — which sued along with the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State — praised the eight justices.
"Their courageous actions reflect that Justice Moore is a disgrace to the bench and ought to resign or be removed from office," Cohen said.
Still, protesters outside the building said they were willing to stand in the Alabama heat and risk arrest for days or weeks to keep the monument inside. Twenty-one were arrested Wednesday night on trespassing charges for refusing to leave the monument when the building was closing.
Stephen Hopkins, pastor of Burnet Bible Church in Burnet, Texas, was one of those arrested. He said he was willing to be arrested even though he has 10 children.
"This is a great hypocrisy," Hopkins said. "This is an assault on God. They're saying we're going to cover up God."
"This is a great hypocrisy," Hopkins said. "This is an assault on God. They're saying we're going to cover up God."
Idolatry - of course, what do you expect from untrained pastors....
i.e., "He put himself above me!"
Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble,
When you're perfect in every way,
I can't wait to look in the mirror,
Cuz I get better lookin' each day.
To know me is to love me,
I must be a hell of a man,
Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble,
But I'm doin' the best that I can.
He he he. Only kiddin' :)
God and the law was there, bozo. That's the point of it all. Cheers, By
Cheers ;)
...the big deal is that there's this war happening- on the Constitution, on values and on principles. Liberal maggots are prosecuting it, and men like Moore are opposing it. Here on FR, we have a handful of posters who are unable to win any respect by virtue of their posts or their activism, but can attract attention and notoriety through the slandering of those who are actually standing up for what's right. In their sick little minds, running down a man like Moore, somehow narrows the accomplishment gap between their mediocrity, and his stature.
But hey, why am I telling you this? Keep narrowing, 'general.'
...the monument's placement violated the Constitution's ban on government promotion of a religious doctrine
Seriously, what Constitution are they talking about? What ban? TELL me they DON'T mean the Constitution of the United States. TELL me that they DON'T mean the prohibition of CONGRESS (not the court) of enacting any LAW (not allowing a monument) respecting an establishment of religion NOR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF.
And TELL me that, if this objective article DID mean something, the public would discredit this news source into everlasting obscurity.
Dan
LOL - I heard the same exact thing, word for word, about Robert Tilton. And Jimmy Swaggart. And Jim Bakker. And Peter Popoff.
Whatever - I'm sure Roy will waltz into the governor's mansion on the coattails of this affair, and then he'll be a winner too, just as soon as he collects his thirty pieces of silver...
Haha. Awesome.
The worst part about this is that, right on cue, CNN and the national media (who never visit Alabama for any story other than a bad one) are painting this guy as the caricature of all conservative, Evangelical Christians. You're wondering what court duties are being missed... great point; as a Christian, I'm also wondering how many people's lives are meaningfully changed or introduced to Christ through this. This is all about pride and TV time (and catching up on missed bonus points for having missed church that one Sunday a few months back, etc.)
You're projecting, 'general.'
Maybe you ought to check out the monument, yourself- especially the part about envy.
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