You are not affected by it in any way except in your mind.
I'm going to have to go back and look at what Judge Moore had to say about it. I don't recall him saying that it was just a symbol of our heritage. I thought he said that it was the law to which we are bound. I admit I haven't been following the details on this, but I'm sure he said something like that.
Maybe if he hung a sign up over it identifying it as just a symbol of our heritage. And maybe another sign asserting that defendants, witnesses, court officials, victims were treated equally in the court regardless of their religious affiliation. Otherwise someone might get the idea, say, that a witness who affirms rather than swears on the Bible should not be trusted. Then it might be OK. Wouldn't want to give the wrong impression. (A bit of tongue in cheek, here, in case it's not obvious.)
Would you address the question of why this heritage has to be expressed as the Ten Commandments? There are lots of symbolic choices. Like maybe a cross. That's at least a bit more generic religion wise and it has the added benefit of not confusing the laws of God, the Commandments, with the law of the land, which is what the courthouse is supposed to be about. And then there's always the choice of the Star of David...
EDIT BTW, do you recall which Christian sect's version of the Commandments it is? I forget and I'm too lazy to research it. |
