Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Jewel · 07-15-2003, 04:49 AM

Quote:

HAINES CITY -- Raising the $150,000 to pay for a black granite monument to America's founding principles has become a greater concern than the legal challenges it will surely face for a Baptist pastor planning to dedicate it at the Polk County Administration Building on Sept. 11.

The Rev. Mickey Carter told county commissioners last week that he still needs more than $100,000 to pay for the "Foundation Rock," which will be carved with the Ten Commandments as well as excerpts of 15 other historic documents such as the Constitution.

"A lot of folks are giving, but it takes a lot of $5, $25 and $100 offerings," he said. "It's coming in, but I don't know if it's fast enough. I'm a little concerned about that."

I'm not sure how other multidocument displays that have included religious documents have held up in legal challenges.

Quote:

But Carter maintains his design, which gives equal weight to various documents of historical significance, will foil legal challenges.

The article doesn't mention what other documents, other than the Constitution, the display will contain. Even so, shouldn't the Constitution be given a more prominent display than the commandments, since it is the Constitution that guides (should, anyway) our country's laws??

beejay · 07-15-2003, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jewel

I'm not sure how other multidocument displays that have included religious documents have held up in legal challenges.

A four-sided monument (with 10C on one side, Indiana historical documents on the other) was held unconstitutional when the State of Indiana tried it (a few years ago.)

I think the recent Tennessee cases (Chattanooga, etc.) were multi-document displays, ruled unconstitutional.

(And I think one of these ended up in Elkhart IN, complete with reference to the Tennessee Constitution. Currently being challenged by the ICLU.)

But I think there are displays in North Carolina that haven't been challenged or the plaintiffs decided to settle.

So it's a mixed bag, but generally adding non-religious documents doesn't make the monument OK.

(I think especially when you look at the history of Foundation Rock. The 10C had to be there, everything else was negotiable. When asked if other religions' documents could be included, the response was "absolutely not".)

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