Judge Wants 10C Monument in Tennessee Courthouse

Proposed Hawkins County courthouse display called 'unconstitutional'

July 27, 2010

ROGERSVILLE (WATE) - A Hawkins County judge wants to have a "Foundations of American Law and Government" display put up at the justice center that opened in January, but there's controversy.

The suggested plan is to put up several framed historic documents and the Ten Commandments up on a bare wall in the building.

The other documents are: the Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Magna Carta, Star Spangled Banner, National Motto, Preamble to the Tennessee Constitution, Bill of Rights, Picture of Lady Justice, Benjamin Franklin's epitaph, George Washington's inaugural address and prayer at Valley Forge, National Pledge, Tennessee House Resolution 0815 and Tennessee Senate Resolution 0158.

"I was traveling to different courthouses in the area and I noticed most courthouses have an American Heritage display. I realized Hawkins County did not have one. We've been clear from the beginning that the purpose of the display is not to promote religion, but to explain the role religion played in the founding of this country," said Judge Taylor.

But a Wisconsin based group called the Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote a letter to the County Commissioners. The group's Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says they feel the display is unconstitutional.

"It's clear he's trying to use the monument to promote his personal views on religion," said Gaylor.

In the letter, they point out specific examples, like how the words "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance are much larger than the rest of the page.

"Admittedly, on the plaque, that font is larger than the rest of the plaque. But the core of the pledge is in that portion," said Judge Taylor, in response.

The letter points out that the Ten Commandments have no relation to the civic heritage of the United States.

"There is a Supreme Court decision to not put the Ten Commandments in courthouses," said Gaylor.

"The federal courts agree this type of display is not a violation of separation of church and state," said Judge Taylor.

The display is backed by some local churches like East Rogersville Baptist Church. They raised $1,500 to help get the display put up.

"It's really sad we have people who wrote the letter, and want to whitewash our society. We were founded as a Christian nation," said Pastor Steve Owenby.

"We feel like this is something that's supported by our community and our law allows it. We'd like to be left alone to put it up," said Judge Taylor.

The next step is for the county attorney to look into the matter and advice the county commission on if they are legally okay to vote on the display.

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=12880972#

JOIN the Freedom From Religion Foundation:

http://www.ffrf.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• tennessee
• courthouse
• court
• judge
• 10
• ten
• commandments
• unconstitutional
• ffrf
• freedom
• from
• religion
• foundation
• jesus
• god
• christianity
• bible
• under
• pledge
• atheist
• atheism

[revjimbob]

These people are fucking scary

[themanofearth]

*sigh* Can anyone tell me where in our constitution or our justice system the 10 commandments are present?

[JesusSavesAtCitibank]

@AshMbrs1 "Good people will do good things, and bad people will do bad things. But for good people to do bad things -- that takes religion." ~  Physicist and Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg

[Cha4k]

@AshMbrs1 So you dont think throwing them in jail would remind them not to steal or murder?

You also think people should be thrown in jail simply for wishing they had other peoples things?

I suppose you think they should also be imprisoned for worshiping a different god?

"Think you'll get religious?" So if someone steals your tv then that means the universe is ruled by a magic man in the sky who had a son who is also him, & who had him self killed but not really and now he can read your mind?

[TheAlvinealy]

Keep your myth out of my public space.

[RhondaH]

Too ridiculous for words. Why to the theist insist on displaying their propaganda on government buildings and claim it doesn't promote their religious views? Exactly how stupid do they think the rest of us are?

[Naxzgul23]

it's really sad that a church would waste $1500 on a campaign to put up 'the ten commandments' in a courthouse, most of which are completely irrelevant to our civil laws, rather than spending the money on feeding and sheltering needy people as jesus would have done if he had $1500. the courthouse is not a museum. it's for court. any displays there should represent fairness and balance; something the bible has a difficult time doing when it teaches that raping a woman makes her your wife.

[prolefeedprocessor]

I find it really funny that the same people who are for the display of the Ten Commandments are also avid capitalists ("greed is good") who have disobeyed their parents, probably had affairs, gossip and work on the weekends.

[Mattmon2]

If they're going to allow a ten commandments monument, they they also need to allow a monument saying "There is no god".

[YMNTWTANKH]

Why don't you Christians lobby for a change of name of the USA to the UNITED CHRISTIAN STATES OF AMERICA.. That would prove how much Poisoning America is suffering from Religion. It is turning into a 3rd World Country due to the stupidity of the Bible Thumping Morons who are under the delusion that there is a "god". At least my country, we now have an Atheist Prime Minister. How long before you elect an Atheist to the White House.

RELIGION POISONS EVERYTHING

[GoonCityTVFLA]

YOUR COUNRTY WAS FOUND SLAVES BACK AND TAKING OF NATIVE LANDS , IT WAS A BLOOD BATH TO BUILD THIS COUNTRY , ONE COMMANDMENT WAS NOT TO KILL OAND THE OTHERE NOT TO STEAL AND EVEN NOT TO RAPE, EVEN SO THERE ARE 72 COMANDMENT WHY YOU ONLY FOLLOW TEN AND NO AO WELL

[Pagan1980]

Maybe we were founded as a Christian nation. That doesn't mean that religious laws should be posted in our courts. We were also founded as a misogynistic, racist, slave-owning nation. Those were considered good Christian values at one time. We've moved beyond them. But we hang onto the belief in an invisible man in the sky. We seem to forget that along with "thou shalt not kill" and "love thy neighbor," god also speaks in favor of incest, rape, domestic abuse, and genocide.