Judge's Ten Commandments Display in Courtroom Ruled Unconstitutional

[Ichingcarpenter]

Source: Politics Daily

A federal appeals court ruled unanimously Wednesday that a local trial judge in Ohio has no constitutional right to hang in his courtroom a poster of the Ten Commandments along with his own pointed comments about "moral relativism" and the rule of law.



Hung on Deweese's courtroom wall in 2006, the poster includes the following comments from the judge himself above the familiar list of commandments:


"There is a conflict of legal and moral philosophies raging in the United States. That conflict is between moral relativism and moral absolutism. We are moving towards moral relativism. All law is legislated morality. The only question is whose morality. Because morality is based on faith, there is no such thing as religious neutrality in law or morality.

"Ultimately," Deweese's poster states, "there are only two views: Either God is the final authority, and we acknowledge His unchanging standards of behavior. Or man is the final authority, and standards of behavior change at the whim of individuals or societies." In addition, underneath the commandments, the judge added this comment:

"The cases passing through this courtroom demonstrate we are paying a high cost in increased crime and other social ills for moving from moral absolutism to moral relativism since the mid 20th century. Our Founders saw the necessity of moral absolutes. . . . The Declaration of Independence acknowledges God as Creator, Lawgiver, 'Supreme Judge of the World,' and the One who providentially superintends the affairs of men. Ohio's Constitution acknowledges Almighty God as the source of our freedom. I join the Founders in personally acknowledging the importance of Almighty God's fixed moral standards for restoring the moral fabric of this nation."

Read more: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/02/judges-ten-commandments-display-in-courtroom-ruled-unconstituti/?icid=maing%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk3%7C41080

[atreides1]

1. This man is a judge?

This man should read the Declaration of Independence...

[Hosnon]

3. Or even better: the Bill of Rights. nt.

[No Elephants]

25. Declaration of Independence is not governing law. Constitution of U.S. is.

D of I includes religious verbiage. COTUS does not.

[Hosnon]

2. Wow - usually these cases are somewhere in the grey area between legal history

and religion, but not this one.

As he's a judge, I tend to believe he knew this was over the line. Hopefully he gets popped with attorney fees and court costs. I also wouldn't be surprised if the Ohio Bar looked into this.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. In his home, or in a corner bar, he has a right to those opinions...

but posting those opinions on the wall calls into question his qualifications to be a judge. The law requires that Judges, as much as possible, be blind to such influences.

[queerart]

5. Indeed.....

"Our Founders saw the necessity of moral absolutes".......


The founding fathers were NOT Christians, but rather overwhelmingly "Deists".......


They might have believed in a higher power.... but they did not (even back then) accept the baggage of "Organized Religion".....


Zealots can try to spin it until they are dizzy... but their (The Founding Fathers) words are here for everyone to read... even though the revisionists try to stifle them.....


http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/farrell_till/myth.html

http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

[social_critic]

12. The founding fathers are irrelevant

The founding fathers did not have powers delegated to them by the people to do anything but to write a constitution. The constitution was approved by the state governments, which had been elected by the people. Therefore it is in the statements made by the state congresses, which had the power, where we must seek enlightment as to what the Constitution means.

When I look at the Constitution, and read the statements issued by the state governments, and the speeches made to support the constitution, I see nothing regarding lack of morality outside of the framework of a particular religion. In other words, nowhere does it say that religion is required for morality. Nor does it say that religion is required at all to pass a law, or to obey it.

[Bragi]

23. Deflating Founding Father myths?

That can get you sent to the Principal's office.

[Ian David]

6. ...

[DavidDvorkin]

7. What part of "separation" do they not understand?

All of it, apparently.

[annabanana]

8. "Hey Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat."

The courts have been pretty regular in ruling on this shit...

[SkyDaddy7]

9. Yes! A WIN for the US Constitution! nt.

[yellowcanine]

10. So I am assuming that if an atheist shows up in his courtroom he recuses himself?

Never mind.

[KansDem]

11. The fascinating thing about the 10 Commandments...

...is there are only three that are law--killing, lying, and stealing--and these laws were "on the books" in civilizations before Greece and Rome.

The other seven comprise merely a "wish list" and have no basis in law...

[social_critic]

13. Ahem

But the Ten Comandments are supposed to have been given to Moses around 1300 BC. At that time Greek civilization was just getting started and Romans didn't even exist.

Before you come after me, I have to add: I believe Moses was a fictional character, and Exodus never happened. But that's a subject better left for religion chat.

[KansDem]

14. Precisely my point.

But the Ten Commandments are supposed to have been given to Moses around 1300 BC. At that time Greek civilization was just getting started and Romans didn't even exist.

In his book, "Civilisation before Greece and Rome," HWF Skaggs points out that laws forbidding murder, theft, and lying were already in existence long before the Christian world appeared. It seems reasonable considering such laws were necessary to maintain social order.

But the other seven commandments comprise a "wish list:" Four are rules for how to worship a god, and the other three are impractical.

[Ratty]

15. Exactly. Have these people even READ them?

I find it hard to believe they know what the commandments are and still insist they should guide our law. All religions except Judaism and Christianity should be outlawed? Cursing illegal? Operating a business on Saturday? Can you imagine how ruinous it would be for the Republican party if they actually outlawed adultery? And they'll have to take my American Idol away from my cold dead hands!

[KansDem]

16. And if the Commandments requiring respect of parents & forbidding the coveting of property were laws

99% of American teens would be in jail and Madison Avenue would come crashing down...

[hobbit709]

26. That's it

3 involve laws, the other 7 are variations of "Bow down to supreme authority"

[VWolf]

17. My "10 commandments" come from Tae Kwon Do

Be loyal to your country
Be loving and show fidelity to your parents
Be loving between husband and wife
Be cooperative between brother and sister
Be faithful to your friends
Be respectful to your elders
Establish trust between teacher and student
Think before killing any living thing
Never retreat in battle
Always finish what you started

[Ichingcarpenter]

18. Fine.... just don't put that crap in you courtroom

LOL!..... no really... don't I'm not kidding.

[VWolf]

19. I don't have a courtroom ...

but if I did, the only thing in it would be a pic of the president and a flag.

And maybe a copy of that Flying Spaghetti Monster book

[Ratty]

20. Always finish what you started

I'm going to jail!

[jdadd]

21. I got called for jury duty in this clowns court....

Luckily,no cases where a jury would be required,happened during my stint.....
The conservative clowns here in Richland County Ohio,keep re electing this guy. I'm living in a RED HELL!!!!

[alp227]

22. Of course it is. Now I wonder if this judge will play "persecuted Christian"

a la Roy Moore? n/t

[Overseas]

24. K&R ! Yes Please !! I should hope so! //nt

[No Elephants]

27. Dweese is not original. He is a Roy Moore wannabe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Moore

[NYC Liberal]

28. I like George Carlin's Three Commandments:

1. Thou shalt always be honest and faithful to the provider of thy nookie.

2. Thou shalt try real hard not to kill anyone, unless of course they pray to a different invisible man than you.

3. Thou shalt keep thy religion to thyself.