The recent happenings in the Montgomery, Ala., Ten Commandments case are indicative of some Americans’ ongoing attempt to deny that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs.
The biggest crisis in this country is not the economy or the rising gasoline prices, but the spin the American Civil Liberties Union and other ultra-liberal groups are putting on the Constitution.
An overwhelming example of this spin is the interpretation of the religion section of the First Amendment to the Constitution, also known as the "establishment clause." The amendment states, in relation to religion, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
The First Amendment does not guarantee freedom from religion, but freedom of religion. In other words, Congress cannot pass a law making a specific religion the official religion of the United States, but an individual, whether it be the president or a regular citizen, can practice openly or in private without persecution.
On Aug. 27, Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly said in the "Talking Points" segment of his show, "The founding fathers rightly figured that a God-fearing people would behave better than people with no moral boundaries."
The ACLU responded to the recent removal of the Ten Commandments monument from a Montgomery courthouse. In a statement, ACLU members called it "a tremendous victory for the rule of law. This controversy has never been about the Commandments, it’s about maintaining a court system that treats all Americans fairly, regardless of religious beliefs."
The statement could almost sound as if it points to God-fearing people as the bad guy.
It is refreshing that someone like Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore took a stand and defied a court order to remove the Ten Commandments monument from the courthouse. Justice Moore and his supporters did not commit violent acts of protest; they were peaceful.
Justice Moore’s battle has even spread to Alabama’s neighbor, Mississippi. "It would be my honor to host the monument as a symbol of every Mississippian’s dedication to the fundamental principles of the Ten Commandments," stated Mississippi’s Democratic governor, Ronnie Musgrove.
Only if the rest of America would take a stand like this would the ACLU and its fellow organizations realize that this country is not about to fall to their ideals.
The United States has been around for more than 225 years as a country promoting its Judeo-Christian roots. Why should it change now? Especially after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The infamous "separation of Church and state" clause is another ultra-liberal assault on American values. Not one American historical document mentions that clause. The only place "separation of church and state" is found is in the former Soviet Union’s constitution.
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Anthony Scafide is a Review intern and a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism at Temple University. His views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other staff members.
