Public abuses such as these will occur until such time people like Roy Moore and now this yahoo are made to personal pay all the legal and court costs defending their violations of the law. Ala. Judge Wears Ten Commandments on Robe MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A judge refused to delay a trial Tuesday when an attorney objected to his wearing a judicial robe with the Ten Commandments embroidered on the front in gold. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...ap/20041215/ap_on_re_us/ten_commandments_robe
Hmmm....... Free-thinking liberals such as yourself champion someone like John Kerry for his actions and the political statements he made upon returning from Vietnam, yet criticize this man for making a statement and standing up for what he believes is right. Is he not exercising the same freedom of speech and right of expression as your man John Kerry once did? Maybe people like you are only free-thinking liberals when the topic agrees with you?
this is an argument you christians are going to lose. i will let rex handle this one, but you are wrong and rex is right, even though he can be a liberal lunatic.
I'm not an atheist, but I can see the inapproprateness of a judge wearing his religious beliefs literally on his sleeve. These men must be impartial. Many people before them are of different faiths or no faith at all and the perception that he may be biased toward Jews and Christains cannot be defended. Furthermore a judge must obey the constitution and the rules set for the juduciary both of ehich forbid such mixing of church and state. If a judge chooses to put his religion above the law that is fine, but he should resign and join a seminary. Free speech ends at the point where you violate other peoples rights. Judges should not be making political or religious statements from the bench. Let them go to church like everybody else to practice their faith. Their job in court is to practice law. We have muslim and native American judges in this country, does anybody think they should have the right to wear the Koran on their robe or Indian symbols. Court is for law--not politics or religion.
This is not an argument that can be won or lost. Was a sworn judge right to defy the law and disrupt the proceedings he was sworn to officiate? That is a personal decision only the judge can make. Were his personal convictions more important to him than his job? Obviously so. John Kerry was a sworn Naval Officer, yet when his personal convicitons conflicted with his duty he chose convictions over duty. Although I don't agree with what he did, I do have some sort of admiration for his willingness to stand up for what he believed, if in fact that was what he was doing (hard to tell about that guy). What disgusts me about Kerry was the methods he used to do this, then his sudden change of heart concerning his military service in the months leading up to the election. This judge will be punished according to the law. He made a sacrifice knowing full well the possible consequences of his actions. As for Rex's statement: . All sorts of protesters are forced to pay fines and accept the consequences of their actions, yet many still choose to protest. As for violation of someone's rights, a tree-hugger chained to a tree costs loggers money, so they are in effect in violation of the logger's right to support his family. The protesters who attempted to disrupt the GOP convention cost the tax payers money, but I never heard Rex or any other bleeding heart liberals condemning their actions. Where do people draw the line between their career and their own personal beliefs? It is an individual decision and every American has the right to make this decision. This man made his, now he will accept the consequences of his actions. He believed it was worth it. Let freedom ring. :usaflagwa :usaflagwa :usaflagwa
Sorry, Marc, but a judge does not have First Amendment free speech protections inside a courtroom. The Bill of Rights exists to assert the rights of citizens AGAINST the government; it contains no protections FOR the government. The judge is an agent of government, and therefore IS the government, and is obligated by the Constitution to defer to the restraints placed upon him by the First Amendment's prohibition of government endorsement of religion.
so marc, you agree that the judge was wrong and should be punished then? you just think it was a valid protest or statement?
And he will face consequences, like I said. He felt the removal of the Ten Commandments was unjust, and made a statement against it. I haven't voiced my opinion either way on the subject, I have only defended his choice of personal convictions over his career. Yes he broke the rules, so maybe the government will remove him from the bench. As individuals I feel we all have the right to make that choice, regardless of our employers. (BTW I'm sure he did this to just draw attention to himself, so by posting this you are in effect furthering his cause.)
Yes, based on prior rulings he was wrong. Like I said earlier, it was his protest, his decision to make. Would I have done the same thing? Probably not. Although not exactly the subject of this scipture, I think it is pretty much on target when addressing this issue. Luke, chapter 20 21: They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22: Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" 23: But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24: "Show me a coin. Whose likeness and inscription has it?" They said, "Caesar's." 25: He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Although you seem to think all Christians are irrational, I assure you I have a very rational approach to Christianity and life in general.
