High court weighs Ten Commandments displays

By Tom Strode - Mar 15, 2005 - comment

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments March 2 in two cases involving Ten Commandments displays on government property, and defenders of the exhibits expressed hope they would be upheld by the justices.

Pat Trueman, senior legal counsel for the Family Research Council, said in a written statement after observing the arguments a “clear Supreme Court majority appeared very reluctant to suggest that the Ten Commandments violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment.”

The justices heard oral arguments for two consecutive hours in separate cases, one involving a stand-alone monument on the Texas state capitol grounds in Austin and the other framed displays of the Decalogue in two Kentucky courthouses as part of exhibits of historical documents that include the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Magna Carta.

The justices are expected to rule on both cases in either a consolidated opinion or separate decisions before they adjourn this summer.

Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, expressed confidence the court would uphold the display in Texas but thought its ruling on the Kentucky exhibits would be closer.

Although the ERLC was not a party to briefs in the cases, Richard Land affirmed the agency supports Ten Commandments displays. “It is clear to any reasonable mind that the posting of the Ten Commandments along with other documents foundational to the constitutional and legal system of the United States either by government or private citizens is not a violation of the establishment clause,” Land said. “Our founding fathers would find the argument that it was a violation to be incomprehensible.”

Further Learning

Learn more about: Faith, Citizenship, Church and State, Religious Liberty, 10 Commandments

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