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Volume
II No. 01
08-18-03
Alabama
State Supreme Court Justice Roy S. Moore
{
Blinded By The Light Of Christian Arrogance }
author:
Vance Cureton
©
Copyright 2003
You
thought the Civil War was over? Well, you were wrong.
Those good ole' boys
down South sho 'nuff do revile the federal
government. This past
Thursday, in a grandstanding performance
worthy of an oscar-nominated
actor, Alabama State Supreme
Court Justice Roy S.
Moore vowed { in a voice trembling with
righteous indignation
} to continue the fight to keep his proselytizing
"Ten Commandments Monument"
in the rotunda of the Alabama
Judicial building. --
Ignoring the order of the US District court
that the statue must
be removed by August 20th of this year.
Judge Moore is determined
that he will proselytyze to the masses,
and promote his Christian
faith on Alabama state government
property, and no proxy
of the federal government { in this instance,
U.S. District Judge
Myron H. Thompson who issued the ruling }
is going to tell him
anything different. Justice Moore might as
well put on his gray
uniform. Because it's going to be the battle
of the Blue versus
the Gray one more time.
Will the South go to
battle again under the code words "states
rights?" -- And you
thought this crisis was about religion, didn't
you?
Here is how Justice Moore
views this fight.
"They { the federal
courts } have no power, no authority, no
jurisdiction to
tell the state of Alabama that we cannot acknowledge
God, as the source
of our law...."
Just replace the word
"God"
with a few thoughts about the legitimacy
of slavery in the South,
and those quotes would sound like something
right out of a speech
from the pre-Civil War era.
And those were just a
few of the kinder words the justice used.
Here is more...
"...The very purpose
of the First Admendment to the United States
Constitution was
to allow the freedom to worship God, but today
that freedom is
being taken away from us by federal courts who
misuse the First
Admendment as a sword to take away our rights,
instead of a shield
to preserve them for us."
Obviously Justice Moore
sees this as a battle of biblical proportions.
They must really do things
differently down in Alabama. Separation
of church and state
is a concept they just can't grasp. But, the
argument is really abut
something very basic. It is about the arrogance
of people who hold that
their religious principles and ideals are more
important than everyone
else's. Thus, when such individuals watch
quietly - and do nothing
- as religion crosses that line into the affairs
of the state. It is
okay....because it is their "anointed" religion.
Because you can rest
assure that Justice Moore doesn't care what
any Muslim, Buddhist,
Jew, Hindu, etc., thinks when they walk into
that rotunda and are
forced { by the monument's mere girth } to
contemplate the meaning
and signficance of this 5,280 pound granite
tribute to a religion
that is not their own. -- Not withstanding, that
these groups tax dollars
help support and keep that judicial building,
clean and presentable
to the public.
Does Justice Roy S. Moore
really care about the non-Christians
down in Alabama? From
his press conference one can only wonder.
Fundamentalists of his
type tolerate non-Christians { when they
are not trying to
convert them }. Because the "God" that the Justice
"pleads" that the state
of Alabama has the right to acknowledge,
certainly ain't Buddha.
And what about the state
of Alabama itself? Will the publicity
from this never-ending
court case help the needy citizens down
there?
Alabama is hardly an
economic juggernaut like New York,
Texas, or Florida. Or
even the currently-troubled California.
The public school systems
in Alabama rank far behind the
nation's best.
Maybe if Justice Moore
could get just as indignant about the
problems of health care
for the elderly, or the worn out and
decrepit county roads
in some of the poorer sections of the state,
not to mention the status
and treatment of those unfortunate to
be incarcerated in Alabama,
then perhaps Justice Moore could
do something positive
for all the people in that state.
But as usual religion
becomes a can't-lose platform for "politicians"
who want to carry-on
about "what they believe in," as if there are
no other problems in
the entire world. -- Outside of some federal
agitators stopping
them from practicing their faith.
This is an old battle.
It has been fought time and again. The words
and the arguments {
on both sides } are all the same. And, the
result, in the end,
will be no different.
The monument will
removed. In part, because it is simply too large,
too obvious, and too
intrusive. The monument all but proclaims.
"Alabama
is a Christian state. Founded and ruled by Christians."
That is why the U.S.
District Court was correct in ruling that the
monument should be removed
from the rotunda. The people of
Alabama are free to
worship as they please. But, the courthouse
is not a place of worship.
The judicial bench is not a pulpit.
Justice Moore is crusading
for what he believes Christianity ought
to represent in public
life. He knows that. And all clear-thinking
people realize his game.
He is fighting a battle for a particular group
of citizens of the state
of Alabama. But not for all the citizens of that
state.
{ in fact, this crisis
would not be occuring at all, if the justice would
simply obey
the law and remove the monument }
The individuals in Alabama
who do not share the justice's particular
brand of Christianity
are apparently invisible to him. And inconsequential.
And are not in any way
a part of the equation that dictates his
intransigent stance
on this issue.
Alabama is not the place
it was in the 1800's or the 1900's. Neither
is the United States,
in general. The population of this country is
remarkably more diverse
than it was just a couple of generations ago.
In these times we must
be more diligent on this issue. Not less so.
No matter how purposeful
or well-intended is the Christian evangelism
that is sweeping across
some sections of this country, religion must
remain separate from
the affairs of the state. -- And clearly so.
All citizens of any locale
in this country must feel that they are equal
in the eyes of the law.
And are not judged - whether silently or overtly
- on the basis of their
personal belief system.
Alabama State Supreme
Court Justice Roy S. Moore is over the line.
His actions betray a
strong religious arrogance, as if he is blinded by
the purity of his own
faith. He places his religious beliefs above the
very law he has been
sworn to uphold. In fact, Justice Moore has
stated that he believes
"law" derives from God. { the God of the Christian
faith }
Not from man.
In truth, the justice
has the right to believe just that.
Such an attitude might
be extremely appropriate for an individual preaching
from the pulpit. - And
trying to save souls. And the debate about where
the main principles
of American judicial law originated from, would make
an ideal subject for
discussion in a philosophy class. But, Justice Moore's
attitude speaks poorly
for an individual who is supposed to represent and
protect the rights of
all citizens from an impartial and fair bench. -- At least,
as much so, as is
humanly possible.
The bench is not the
proper place for an individual who in all instances,
public, private, official,
and unofficial believes that his or her's religious
beliefs are superior
to all other systems of faith. And that their religious
beliefs are "above"
the same law that they have been sworn to uphold
in an impartial manner.
There are many sad examples
in the world today - and throughout history
- of the abuses that
follow when such grandiosity is not thwarted.
The principle of the
separation of church and state protects the vulnerable
minority, from the irrepressible
majority, and keeps in check, otherwise
principled men, who
when in positions of high authority, are intoxicated
by their own sense of
righteousness.
ReadingPost.Com
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2003
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