NY Times Letters to the Editor:
The Judge and the Commandments. Swearing on the Bible is a carryover from English common law, and the oath-taking of Presidents is aped from the British coronation ritual. Trivia: GWB swore on a historic Masonic Bible, something that some evangelicals should have had a *very* hard time with.
History has consistently shown us that oftentimes it is better to be moral than religious. If obeying a Federal court order conflicted with his ‘high’ morals, Mr. Moore should have simply resigned. He ignored his religion’s own teachings, “Render unto Caesar.” Moore took an oath to uphold God’s laws, yes ... but also our secular government’s laws. In essence, he violated *both.*
Conservative Christians are normally quite exacting about the law. But none are looking at this situation from the bad precedent it sets. If another Justice decides to raise a monument to Odin (Norse god, our jury system is Norman/Nordic in origin. And Frankish. Info.), and performed these same machinations, the outcome would be quite different. No less deserving of a place in the Courthouse, certainly.
Perhaps a separation of church and state would be wise? Before our courthouse lobbies get so full that justice can’t be done?
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