Got To Admire Him

I've been watching the story of Judge Moore, the Ten Commandments judge in Alabama, with growing interest. In his latest move he has decided to defy a federal appeals court order to remove the monument from an Alabama courthouse.

As I said in an earlier post, I believe that the appeals court decision is correct in a legal sense, but it's not good for the moral fabric of the nation.

But let's look a little deeper here. What is the real problem?

Is it the actual text of the Ten Commandments? If so, which one? I find it hard to believe that someone could possibly have a problem with "thou shalt not kill" or "thou shalt not steal."

The Ten Commandments aren't important because they are some special super secret Judeo-Christian bit of wisdom that no one else could ever possibly understand. No, the Ten Commandments are important because they are universal truths. They are the foundations of a civil society, of one based on laws.

So what is the problem with the monument in the courthouse?

I think that the major problem is that the words are carved into tablets, as in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

So remove the design of the tablets and leave the words. That would serve to leave the Commandments raised, but they would just be the words, not the symbols.

Perhaps around the periphery, along the recessed edges the judge could include universal wisdom from other philosophers, religions, or texts. Not major texts, but four or five word truths that apply to everyone regardless of color, creed, religion, or whatever. Then title the "new" monument "The Universal Truths" and let the ACLU try to kill it again.

I admire Judge Moore for standing up for his beliefs. And if he has another appeal planned, he should leave the monument as it is until all his legal options have been exhausted.

But if he finally loses, if he finally has to admit defeat, this suggestion would be a way for him to highlight the importance of the Commandments in our court system and our national moral character. He's absolutely correct in the need to educate more Americans about the values of the nation and I support him in that effort.

But as a judge, he should also respect the rule of law. If and when the game is up, he needs to either remove or modify the monument.

If it comes to that, I hope to be reading about his "diversity modifications." It would be a fair compromise, in my opinion.