New Decalogue Display in Alabama Apparently Ignored by Earlier Critics
by Allie Martin
February 10, 2004
(AgapePress) - The president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama says he's puzzled by the response of the Southern Poverty Law Center to a new display in the rotunda of the state judicial building featuring the Ten Commandments.Recently several state officials placed in the state judicial building in Montgomery an exhibit focusing on the foundation of Western law. In addition to the Ten Commandments, the display includes the U.S. Constitution and the Magna Carta. The display is located in the same building where, last summer, another Commandments display -- a granite monument -- was the center of a historical controversy. That monument had been put in place by Roy Moore when he was chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.
John Giles, president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, was there in Montgomery in late August when Moore's monument was carted off and stuck in a closet. Still, he says, there are positives associated with similar displays.
"Any time ... the moral foundation of our law, which is the Ten Commandments, is put on display in a public building, we welcome it," Giles says. "We hated that the monument [placed by Judge Moore] was removed."
One of the group's that brought suit against Moore for removal of the two-and-half-ton monument was the Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Montgomery. Giles says he is surprised this latest exhibit has not resulted in another lawsuit from the SPLC.
"What's disturbing about this is it doesn't necessarily seem that the Ten Commandments were the target of the Southern Poverty Law Center, but Chief Justice Roy Moore was the target," the Christian activist says. "The comments that the [Center] has made about this display and another display at the Capitol clearly indicate that they're not going to sue for the removal of these documents."
Moore was eventually removed from his post as chief justice for refusing to remove the granite monument.
