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In a a nation that espouses the motto “Liberty and justice for all,” is our nation really ready for the consequences should the Ten Commandments suddenly become unprotected speech?
Fortunately the Federal Court of Northern Ohio the summer of 2008 ruled in favor of the display of a form of the Ten Commandments in a courtroom in Richland County. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged Judge James DeWeese for his current display. Judge Kathleen O’Malley ruled in favor of DeWeese, stating, “The court finds the ACLU’s arguments unpersuasive because it overlooks the realities of the particular litigation previously before court and of civil litigation generally.”
Interestingly, earlier in the Spring of 2008, the Sixth District Court of Appeals stated in a decision, “The ACLU’s mantra of church and state separation has become tiresome.”
We have to keep in mind that the First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech.”
Judge DeWeese is neither establishing a national religion nor a member of Congress; therefore he is not capable of making law. If the ACLU goes unchecked, it will continue to overlook the factual basis of our nation’s history and exploit our society’s lack of regard for who our Founding Fathers were.
The Ten Commandments play a prominent part in U.S. jurisprudence. Over the head of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is a carved marble relief containing a tablet on which are the Ten Commandments.
Twelve of the thirteen original States included the Ten Commandments as civil law in their respective state constitutions. Interesting that these same fledgling states were able to defeat the tyranny of the world’s lone superpower where the sun never set (The British Empire).
John Jay, our nation’s first Supreme Court Chief Justice wrote: “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It’s impossible that it should be otherwise; and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.”
THe U. S. Supreme court in trinity v. the United states, 1892
Nearly a century later, the Supreme Court ruled in 1892 in Trinity v. The United States, “Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It’s impossible that it should be otherwise; and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.”
In the Trinity v. The United States court case, the Court gave eighty-seven historical precedences to validate its decision.
Furthermore, 1983 was declared as the “Year of the Bible” in a joint Congressional resolution signed by President Ronald Reagan which called the Bible “the Word of GOD” and that “renewing our knowledge of and faith in GOD through the Holy Scriptures can strengthen us as a nation and people.”
There is something that can be said of our Constitution which has lasted an unprecedented 221 years. During this time, France has had 15 different governments. Since 1822, Brazil has had 7 different governments, since 1921, Poland has had 6 different governments and since 1918, Russia has had 4 different governments.
Being born and raised in Nigeria, I naturally keep my ear to the ground on issues pertaining to religious liberty. Make no mistake, there has been no greater religious liberty observed than when a government embraces the Christian-Judaic tradition.
While some support the notion that taking Judge DeWeese’s commentary of the Ten Commandments down brings greater religious liberty, this attempt is ultimately censorship.
If our federal government continues on its kamikaze course towards the censoring of the Ten Commandments displays on public grounds, it will be like spitting against the wind.
Reverend El Akuchie is Coordinator of the Richland Community Prayer Network.
