When I achieve my lifelong goal of becoming the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, I want to put a giant statue of the Buddha in the rotunda of my court house. When the oppressive federal government tries to remove the statue and deny my First Amendment right to practice my religion.
Just a hunch, but I think the scene in Alabama would be a lot different, and all those citizens concerned about the "freedom of religion" would not be facing the extreme heat to protest the removal of my statue.
The entire idea of keeping a statue of the Ten Commandments inside a public courtroom is nothing short of ridiculous. Nevertheless, an incredible 77 percent of Americans support the monument remaining in the courthouse ("Ten Commandment Monument Moved," www.cnn.com, Aug. 28). Supporters of Justice Roy S. Moore claim to be sticking up for the First Amendment and states' rights through civil disobedience, but they are merely trying to force their religious beliefs on others illegally.
The monument perverts the sense of justice within Alabama. Surely, most of the commandments are good rules to live by -- for Christians and non-Christians alike -- but they are not the rule of law in Alabama or the United States. A Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist or any other religious follower could easily not feel welcome under Moore's Christian court. The monument gives the impression that Moore would be more forgiving to a God-loving Christian than any other man or woman. Lady Justice is supposed to be blind; Moore gave her glasses tinted with bias.
The bias is significant. The impression of a fair justice system to all Alabamians is essential to a working court system. Granted, few Alabamians would feel oppressed by such a monument. But the number is insignificant. A justice system is only as good as its reputation.
Certainly, the monument will not influence many people's opinion of the justice laid down by the Alabama Supreme Court. Nevertheless, Bill O'Reily of Fox News accused the federal government of oppressing the people of Alabama. In reality, the federal government is helping Alabamians from oppressing themselves. O'Reily argues that since such an overwhelming majority of Alabamians are Christian, they have the right to place a Christian monument in the rotunda of the court house. Perhaps O'Reily should read John Stuart Mill, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton or nearly any of the Founding Fathers. The tyranny of the majority was the greatest fear in establishing the new republic. As I've argued, the monument is not harmless; it can and will affect justice in Alabama. Keeping the monument would oppress the minority of Alabamians who choose not to live by the Bible.
Alabamians and Americans alike need to realize we do not live in a Christian state. Certainly, the vast majority of our Founding Fathers were Christian and invoked God in the Constitution. At the Constitutional Convention, the delegates insisted on including God into the inaugural oath for the president.
However, the Christianity of our forefathers does not give a carte blanche excuse to ignore the separation of church and state. Thomas Jefferson insisted on putting a library, not a church, at the head of the University. The separation of church and state was established with the purpose of preventing an official state religion.
What legitimizes a state religion more than a religious monument in a state-funded courthouse?
As if Moore's refusal to obey federal law didn't discredit him enough, his dogmatic views and inability to separate Christianity from civic laws make him an awful judge for a country which prides itself on its separation of church and state. If he wants his monument so badly, he can try to legally repeal the First Amendment.
Certainly, the battle of traditionalism and secularism will rage on. Making the Pledge of Allegiance illegal because of the words "Under God" is almost as ridiculous as keeping a religious monument in a court house. There is a significant difference, however. A student can easily refrain from uttering the words that offend him; a citizen cannot avoid the monument right in the middle of the courthouse. Moreover, the schoolhouse dispenses education; the courthouse dispenses secular justice.
Every Alabamian and every American has the right to practice the religion they choose privately. Moore is more than welcome to keep that statue in his office or anywhere else where it doesn't disrupt the justice process. But ultimately God belongs in a church, temple or mosque, not in a courthouse.
(Patrick Harvey is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. He can be reached at pharvey@cavalierdaily.com.)
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