Court's Ten Commandments Statue Stays

Federal Judge Rules Haskell County Did Not Violate Constitution

(AP)  A federal judge on Friday said a Ten Commandments monument outside a courthouse can stay, rejecting arguments that it promotes Christianity at the expense of other religions.

U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White in Muskogee ruled that Haskell County did not violate the Constitution by erecting the monument. The county did not "overstep the constitutional line demarcating government neutrality toward religion," he wrote.

The county argued that the monument outside the Stigler courthouse was part of a historical display that included other monuments recognizing war veterans, the Choctaw Tribe and others. The Ten Commandments monument has the Mayflower Compact etched on the other side.

"A significant factor is that someone comes and looks at all the monuments on the lawn, they can't just single out the Ten Commandments monument and say, `Ah ha!' and that means government is impermissibly endorsing religion," said Kevin Theriot, an attorney for the Haskell County commissioners.

Micheal Salem, an attorney representing the American Civil Liberties Union and Stigler resident James W. Green, said he thought "the court's decision really represents a loss for religious freedom." He said he would have to thoroughly review White's decision before deciding whether to appeal.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that religious displays on government property are not inherently unconstitutional and must be considered on a case-by-case basis.

[sissy3753]

Why don't the people who are not happy about this monument just stop looking at it.This has to be the dumdest people on earth to gripe about such things that they are not forced to look at it if they don't like it do not go look at it.Is this all you people have to do,get a life.

[nahall43]

I Agree with sissy3753,these people need to get a life. Preserve our heritage as it is, this is what has made American free. Keep what we love before we shame our USA. He knows all things.

[calaser]

For someone to say the Ten Commandments are purely christian, is to imply their own religon or personal belief system is in opposition to those same Ten Commandments. "Thou Shalt Not Kill", "Honor your father and your mother" and so on; are these purely christian beliefs? Does anyone want to live next door to someone who does not believe in the ideas of those commandments? At the very least, those ten commandments are terrific goals for any reasonable, advanced society. Really, is it anyone's "right" to practice actions in opposition to those ideas?

[mrpebble]

If you think it is acceptable for a Democracy to be a Theocracy and shove one religious belif down the throats of everyone Taliban Style, then consider this - it works when the majority calls the shots. Therefore you must be willing to accept and conform when another self-righteous group assumes power and forces you and your children to lie prostrate on the ground, facing East and pray from a Koran printed in Spanish.
Or wouldn't it just be better for all of us to take our collective beliefs to neutral areas where we can all celebrate our Democracy as equals, just as we are in the eyes of the real God and not the mentally deficient pseudo-gods.

[calaser]

I guess I say again. Why is it that, what the "ten commandments" have to say is purely monoreligeous? Everything can be taken to extremes. Probably one of the best things about the USA is its ability to be able to normalize and accept most issues. What many fail to comprehend is total democracy, total freedom where everyone has the right to do what they wish simply amounts to total anarchy. No matter where the line is drawn between freedom and anarchy, someone will believe their rights are being violated.

[MrsCogan]

Calaser says: "For someone to say the Ten Commandments are purely christian, is to imply their own religon or personal belief system is in opposition to those same Ten Commandments."

What part of "I am the Lord Thy God, Thou Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me" is religiously neutral? It's the Christian God proclaiming he's the only one. When a government builds a monument to that God the government is endorsing that God.

The only way we can remain a free nation is for the government to be secular and religiously neutral. Anything else is a gross violation of religious freedom and turns America into something else. Something vile that it has never been before. If we wanted to live like that we could move to the middle east.

[calaser]

I guess you got me there. But... where is it said THE God has to be a Christian God? My position is... what the ten commandments say are pretty much in line with ALL beliefs systems, organized or not. Even non-religous people believe killing and stealing is wrong. Seems the argument here is not what is said by who said it. I'm not pressing the "religon", I'm supporting what is being said (mostly). It's good that our government supports most of these precepts. If it didn't, we would certainly be no different than some of the middle east extremists.

[patlynne199]

A simple solution, erect a monument to every religion at every court house then every one will feel represented.

[mrpebble]

Better yet, take all religion out of government and let everyone worship privately as they choose. You can worship in your church, your Sinday School, your home and your car. You can even worship in your school and the courthouse, if you keep it to yourself. Shoving it in people's faces is self-righteous and wrong by any standard of Democracy

[KOOLSTUF]

You ALL seem to be ignoring a more perplexing question: "Just WHY is a municipality (that is,
ANY municipality) spending its tax revenues on
statuary of ANY kind ???"

Can it not find more pressing needs?

If placed on grounds of any government, but not
government-funded, that's a different issue --
such as whether there remains room for diversity.

The ACLU is as dangerous as any "do gooder" group in the United States. It claims to be protecting our freedoms, but fails to undestand the consequences if we lose the war against the terrorists that are attacking our country.We should use every weapon we have including wire taps and profiling.To hell with the ACLU. These people are full grown "nutcases"