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Old 05-12-2003, 08:37 AM   #1
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Default Indiana's, Tennessee's, What's the Difference?

Seems that the Elkhart County, Indiana Administration Building houses a display that includes the Ten Commandments and some other stuff. Among the other stuff is the preamble to the Indiana Constitution, which talks about Hoosiers' "indefeasible right to worship almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience." Trouble is, the quoted verbiage comes from the preamble to the Tennessee Constitution.

Oops.

The preamble to the Indiana Constitution actually reads:

Quote:
TO THE END, that justice be established, public order maintained, and liberty perpetuated; WE, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to ALMIGHTY GOD for the free exercise of the right to choose our own form of government, do ordain this Constitution.
Looks as though a mere expression of gratitude to Almighty God written in big ol' capital letters didn't quite cut the mustard for the folks who donated the display. And, of course, the Indiana Constitution is a bit more balanced than it might appear to someone who STOPS READING at the preamble. From the Bill of Rights:

Quote:
Section 4. No preference shall be given, by law, to any creed, religious society, or mode of worship; and no person shall be compelled to attend, erect, or support, any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry, against his consent.

* * *

Section 6. No money shall be drawn from the treasury, for the benefit of any religious or theological institution.
Somehow, though, I doubt that either of the above provisions will figure prominently in the display, if they figure in it at all.
Stephen Maturin is offline  
Old 05-12-2003, 09:48 AM   #2
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Default Re: Indiana's, Tennessee's, What's the Difference?

Quote:
Originally posted by Stephen Maturin

Trouble is, the quoted verbiage comes from the preamble to the Tennessee Constitution.
This is probably a case of frugal Hoosiers taking advantage of clearance sales on displays that have been declared unconstitutional in Tennessee.

The City of Elkhart "donated" $78,000 to the Indiana Civil Liberties Union when they lost the fight to keep the 10C monument the Eagles donated in the 1950s.

I'm surprised the county wants to go through the same thing.
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