The Alabama Supreme Court’s decision to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the state judicial building was a brave and triumphant move in the continuation of the separation of church and state.
When a federal judge ruled in a court order that the monument was unconstitutional, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore tried to disobey the court order, claiming that it was a symbol of American morals and therefore fit to stand.
This is coming from a man who presided over the court of a state with 193 people on death row this year, 13 of whom are juveniles.
Moore must have known that by law that the monument had to go. Let’s face it, he just did not want to move a 5,300-pound chunk of granite.
Moses himself would have had trouble moving the thing.
Church groups protest that the monument symbolizes the reasons that our country was founded. They’re wrong, it symbolizes why their religion was founded.
America was founded with a belief in a deity, but it gave Americans the freedom to choose to interpret that as they wish.
It was also founded on the belief that all people are created equal and guaranteed to a fair trial and to feel comfortable in court. Not just Christians.
Most Christians also believe in the Golden Rule, which means that people should be treated like they would like to be treated, but the protestors seem to only include people of their own faith in that category.
A Muslim, an atheist or someone of another faith walking into a courtroom with a symbol of the Christian faith at the entrance would not have much confidence in the legal system or the government to treat their beliefs as equal to those of the faith presented at the entrance.
The Commandments are similar to some of the laws that were made by the founding fathers, but then why not replace the monument with a monument to the Bill of Rights, or the Declaration of Independence?
There is no question as to whether or not it that is acceptable in a court of law.
Then protestors would see that there is also such a thing as freedom of religion in this country.
Just as they are free to practice their religion, they do not have the right to impose it on others.
Why would it have to stay in the courthouse?
Move it to a church, where those who want to see it, can see it.
Marea Kasten can be reached at temple_news@hotmail.com.
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