Ala. Governor Unveils Commandments Plaque

earthlink news ^ | 9-9-03

[hoosierskypilot]

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Gov. Bob Riley opened an exhibit at the Capitol on Tuesday that included a small plaque of the Ten Commandments, keeping a promise to supporters of a massive granite monument removed by court order from the state judicial building.

The plaque was given to Riley by supporters of the 2 1/2-ton Ten Commandments monument.

"Just as the Ten Commandments are exhibited in similar displays in the U.S. Supreme Court and in our nation's Capitol building, I feel it is important to display them in our Capitol, as well," the Republican said in a statement.

Riley and Alabama's attorney general included other historical documents, including the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights, in the display to make it more legally defensible than the 5,300-pound monument that sat alone in the rotunda of the Supreme Court building before it was wheeled away on Aug. 27, the governor's spokesman said.

"We want the Ten Commandments to stay in the Capitol, and in order to achieve that goal, we had to hang them in a way that judges in court rulings have instructed," said spokesman David Azbell.

Richard Cohen, attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, which sued to have the large monument removed, said the center would wait to see what statements Riley makes about the plaque before deciding whether to sue.

"Teaching history by state officials is not unconstitutional," Cohen said. "Promoting religion is."

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was suspended for refusing to comply with a federal court order to remove his commandments monument from the Supreme Court building, said a display like Riley's is unacceptable.

"To put things around the Ten Commandments and secularize it is to deny the greatness of God," he told a crowd of about 1,500 people Monday at a fund-raising dinner for his legal defense.

But several monument supporters who visited the new display Tuesday said it was satisfactory. "This whole thing is not about the monument in the judicial building, but rather the acknowledgment of God in our public lives," said the Rev. Tom Benz, a Montgomery pastor.

Riley had drawn criticism from Moore and some Moore supporters for not joining Moore in defying the federal court order.

A federal judge held that the monument, installed by Moore two years ago, violated the constitution's ban on government promotion of religion.

[hoosierskypilot]

The pseudo-Christian notion that we must lie down and let all the secular dogs run over us must stop. Time to take back our country by any means available.

[Roscoe]

Wait for the atheists and socialists to start screeching.

[LiteKeeper]

YEAH!!! SPOTREP

[MineralMan]

"Wait for the atheists and socialists to start screeching.
"

Here I am, but I'm not screeching. This placing of the 10 Commandments seems fine to me, since it's associated with other documents which have a strong influence on history. Very different that Judge Moore's exclusion of anything but the 10 C's. Sorry to disappoint you.

[=Intervention=]

I could not agree more. Nature and Nature's God bump...

[petitfour]

"We want the Ten Commandments to stay in the Capitol, and in order to achieve that goal, we had to hang them in a way that judges in court rulings have instructed," In other words, we can only acknowledge God in the way the SUPREME COURT allows.

[FReepaholic]

>>..."To put things around the Ten Commandments and secularize it is to deny the greatness of God...<<

Anybody know what he's talking about (put things around it...secularize it)?

[Labyrinthos]

Time to take back our country by any means available.

Any means? Like stoning to death the infidels -- err, I mean, non-believers?

[sinkspur]

"To put things around the Ten Commandments and secularize it is to deny the greatness of God," he told a crowd of about 1,500 people Monday at a fund-raising dinner for his legal defense.

Moore continues to prove that his monument was promoting religion.

Oh, and this is his first shot at Riley, whom he will run against in 2006.

[lugsoul]

I don't need a monolith to acknowledge God. Do you?

[talleyman]

Commandment Commando's Unite!

[f.Christian]

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Check out the link !

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[petitfour]

I don't.

I don't object to folks acknowledging God in public, however, via writing words in stone or whatever.

[talleyman]

I don't need a monolith to acknowledge God.

A monolith is not a speech impediment.

[lugsoul]

Clever but irrelevant. There is no restriction on the rights of any person. The only inhibition is on the state.

[lugsoul]

And just which "folks" are we talking about in this case? Oh, that's right - none. The only inhibition in this one is on the state.

[f.Christian]

Except ... no inhibition --- for the federal state controlled by aclu nazis !

[lugsoul]

As I have said before - if you have nothing to say, don't post to me. Your incoherent ravings are boring. I care not a wit for them. STFU.

[f.Christian]

Honesty (( freedom )) and ideology - politics (( brainwashing )) ... are pretty much --- opposites !

Amreica is being social engineered - controlled to death by communists - liberals ... wake up !

Are we practicing ... mind control --- or freedom ?

[talleyman]

I beg to disagree. The war on religion is most certainly an assault on, not a defense of, religious liberty. The Nero Secularists are determined to banish all Christian symbols and practicies - it is their jihad.