The disputes are part of a national debate over how entangled religion and government can be. [Christian Science Monitor]
In contrast, in mid-July a federal judge in La Crosse, Wis., ordered the city to remove a Ten Commandments monument from a city park because, she said, it made some community members “feel they were not welcome, that they did not belong in La Crosse unless they followed Judeo-Christian traditions.” The monument had been there since 1965.
“The First Amendment guarantees persons of all faiths that the government will treat them with equal concern and respect,” wrote US District Judge Barbara Crabb.
I am fascinated who those community members are. It appears that these community members are more comfortable with murder and robbery than a Ten Commandments monument that they can ignore. I can see where these people would be uncomfortable with religion being pushed down their throats but I do not see how a Ten Commandments monument pushes religion. They are not going to get follow up phone calls from a monument. The Ten Commandments are some of the moral foundations our legal system are built upon. That is not going to change. Many faiths share these same values. The primary purpose of Ten Commandment monuments is to focus our attention on the concept of right and wrong. That is why you see these monuments and displays primarily at courthouses and schools. If a monument stops just one person from committing a crime, it is worth it!
