Ten Commandments Monument Removed From Oklahoma Capitol Grounds

Ten Commandments Monument Removed From Oklahoma Capitol Grounds

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Under the cover of night, a 6-foot-tall (180-cm) granite monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments was removed from the Oklahoma Capitol grounds after judges said its placement on government land violated state law, officials said on Tuesday.

The monument, which had drawn strong support from the Republican leadership of the socially conservative state, has been the subject of simmering lawsuits launched by groups who said its placement steps from the Capitol violated local laws and U.S. Constitutional provisions against government support of a religion.

Along with a heavy security presence from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, workers began to remove the monument at about 10:30 p.m. on Monday, said John Estus, a spokesman for the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services.

About damn time! I find it equally silly that this operation had to be conducted at night time and with a stationed guard for the workers' safety. Hey and they aren't even destroying it; so all you Christians don't have to feel persecuted.

The statue will be installed outside the offices of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a conservative public policy analysis group near the Capitol, he said.

I don't even care if it is at that location. It's a non-government building so it has every right to be there. And hey now the Christians don't have to fight off accusations of hypocrisy against Satanists and Flying Spaghetti Monster monuments.

Lawmakers have argued that the monument, which was paid for with private money and installed in 2012, was not serving a religious purpose but was meant to mark a historical event.

That opened the door for other groups, including Satanists and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, to apply for permission to erect their own monuments on Capitol grounds to mark what they say are historical events.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

That opened the door for other groups, including Satanists and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, to apply for permission to erect their own monuments on Capitol grounds to mark what they say are historical events.

Damn! Don't ya hate it when that happens?

As a major supporter of Separation of Church and State.

YAY!

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: Krazysh0t

That opened the door for other groups, including Satanists and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, to apply for permission to erect their own monuments on Capitol grounds to mark what they say are historical events.

Damn! Don't ya hate it when that happens?

And that has happened.

Atheists now have a bench next to a monument that local government refused to move.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

To me, this all ties into the "Politically Correct" movement, which is actually beginning to really #ing piss me off.

That monument shouldn't have been there in the first place, I agree.

Satanists and Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster-worshippers (not sure what they refer to themselves as) are entitled to the same rights as Christians.



I just wish issues like this were handled more quickly and with less "talking". Our freaking representatives love to hear themselves talk and "address" issues but don't get anything important done. Regression, screwing over the working class, "blah blah blah we're working hard to represent your needs blah blah"

No religious monuments on/near government buildings, end of story. Now I hope we don't hear a bunch of other stupid news articles about similar monuments/memorials for months and years to come but of COURSE we will...

a reply to: FamCore

Well the you are mad at the people that wanted it to stay up since they are the ones that delayed its removal. Is that who you are talking about when you bring up the pc and being pissed off?

originally posted by: FamCore

No religious monuments on/near government buildings, end of story. Now I hope we don't hear a bunch of other stupid news articles about similar monuments/memorials for months and years to come but of COURSE we will...

You've heard of the Religious Right - - right?

They're not going down without a fight.

dp

a reply to: FamCore

Keep in mind, this isn't the first time this monument controversy reared its head. There was a MUCH bigger one about ten years ago in Texas. The funny part about THAT story is that the monument was a relic from a promotional stunt for the stupid Ten Commandments movie starring Charlton Heston.

'Ten Commandments' went from film to stone

Yippy!! A win for those of us that believe in the separation of church & state. Let me take this opportunity to spout about The Freedom From Religion Foundation....doing more to insure the separation of church & state that about all others combined. Great website, great news letter; over all pretty decent organization of free thinkers. That's why I'm a member.

a reply to: Annee

The thing is, they're the only ones who think they are "going down".

No, they just aren't going to have the same stranglehold on American politics and policy they once had. They're still just as free to believe what they want and try to enact legislation they want.

When other groups rise to dominance because of their numbers, it doesn't mean there is a "war" on you ... it doesn't mean you are being "persecuted".

Shifting demographics a war does not alone make...

Get Charlie brown Christmas banned and our journey to the dark side will be complete....lol

a reply to: Bluntone22

I'll stand with you on thar fight but think it is a bit melodramatic in this context.
We just have some gold olé constitution adherence here, you like that kind of thing right?

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: Annee

The thing is, they're the only ones who think they are "going down".

I've been watching this since the early 60s with Madalyn Murray O'Hair.

The religious hold on our government never should have been.

They're losing the power and control they never should have had in the first place. Kicking and screaming.

a reply to: Annee

Heck, that's likely why they made the workers work at nighttime instead of during the day where tons of passerbys would see them doing it.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

If it was paid for by private money it should not be in government property.

Still I find interesting that most laws are base in the 10 commandments or they are used to refer as moral standing and rules from ancient society to todays modern society.

will they have to remove the baphomet monument as well?

a reply to: Sremmos80


I'm an atheist myself so the commandments are just words.
This move will do nothing but satisfy a few. Nothing will change at the capital except for the decorations.
As for the constitution, nobody really seems to give a damn about it anymore. They pick and choose what parts suit their views and ignore the rest.
This one violates the first amendment, but there are several threads going today that want to violate the second amendment. I guess we only have to follow the rules we like.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

If it was paid for by private money it should not be in government property.

Still I find interesting that most laws are base in the 10 commandments or they are used to refer as moral standing and rules from ancient society to todays modern society.

The other way around. The 10 commandments were based on laws that preceded the Hebrews by centuries, if not Millennia. The Hammurabi being one example, and a case has been made that Moses(or whoever wrote them down) modeled them after Babylonian law. So much for the "incident" at Mt. Sinai, and "god" engraving the commandments in stone.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Didn't really address much there.

Kinda just skirted around the issue, and played a defeatist attitude.

Do you think by the what is laid out in the constitution this should have stayed?