After hearing several hours of testimony Wednesday, an Alabama judicial panel voted today to remove Chief Justice Roy Moore from his position as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. Justice Moore had been suspended with pay since August for defying a court order to remove a monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments from in front of an Alabama court building. The unanimous decision did not come as a surprise to Moore, as the Presiding Judge was quoted saying “the chief justice showed no signs of contrition for his actions.”Moore testified on Wednesday that he was fulfilling his duty to voters by not following the court order, and even after the decision today he said “I have absolutely no regrets. I have done what I was sworn to do.” When asked what he would do with the monument if he returned to office Moore said “I certainly wouldn’t leave it in a closet, shrouded from the public.”
The constitutional matter at hand in this case is whether the monument with the Ten Commandments inscribed on it in front of the court house violates the First Amendment rights of religion. In relevant part, the First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Does, in simplified terms, a rock with words on it (even if they are religious words) violate anyone’s right to establish a religion or to exercise it? No, and how could it? It’s just a rock, if you don’t want to look at it then don’t it’s as simple as that.
If you take a look at the money in your wallet/purse right now you will see the phrase “In God We Trust.” The phrase does not necessarily mean that everyone who uses that currency believes in God, and it’s not an attempt by the government to get everyone to conform to a national religion. It is just stating that our country, our constitution, and our rights are derived from a belief in God.
The fact that there is a monument in front of a courthouse with the Ten Commandments should not worry us. A national religion has not been established, nor will one be established, and until our right to exercise the religion of our choosing has been violated we’ve got nothing to complain about.
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