Next Ten Commandments Battle Brewing

[truthpusher]

http://wcco.com/topstories/topstories_story_362104111.html

Next Ten Commandments Battle Brewing

Judge Wears Robe With Biblican Rules On It

Dec 27, 2004 9:37 am US/Central

ALABAMA (AP) Another Alabama judge could be at the center of the next Ten Commandments battle. Covington County
Circuit Judge Ashley McCathan wears a robe in court embroidered with the Biblical rules.

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore lost his job over a fight to keep a Ten Commandments monument in the Alabama Judicial building.

<snip>

But legal experts say the fact that the words are on a garment is a big difference in the two cases.

One of Moore's former lawyers says that shows it is a personal statement. McCathan started wearing the Ten Commandments robe during court proceedings earlier this month.

http://wcco.com/topstories/topstories_story_362104111.html

here is a link to an NPR story aired today on the same topic:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4246583

[theorist]

1. So is it a really tacky robe, or what?

I wonder if it's embroidered with real gold and rhinestone buttons going down the back.

[Thor_MN]

14. Sequins. I bet it's all spelled out in purple sequins.

on a gold lame' robe.

[NC_Nate]

26. A Picture of the robe..

:eyes:

[arwalden]

41. Oh BARF!! This Judge Is A CLOWN!!

[bunkerbuster1]

42. I'd be ok with the robe if he had to wear an orange fright wig with it

And big ol' red (state) rubber nose.

[Inland]

51. Thrilled to know he used the "thy" and "thou" version preferred by the

truly sanctimonious pricks.

[despairing optimist]

60. The writing is so small, you have to be nearby to read it

Can't he wear a sandwich board in the shape of tablets? Any soap-opera set designer could help out if he pays union scale (which he probably doesn't).

The thought of getting within spitting distance of that guy scares me. I don't want any contact with his bodily fluids.

[politicaholic]

2. Mistrials over judicial bias are very productive and protect society.

NOT!

[Bouncy Ball]

3. Hello all you lawyers out there wanting to be judges!

Especially lawyers of the right wing bent! We need to have a little chat, just you and me, ok?

Here's the deal: if you cannot support separation of church and state, you probably shouldn't be a judge. Don't get me wrong: I have not a problem in the world with you worshipping the Ten Commandments or the Bible. God might, since there was that little thing about worshipping anything or anyone but Him, but that's between you and Him. *I* don't care. Be an elder or a deacon in your church, teach Sunday School until you drop from exhaustion, have at it.

But when you sit on the bench, you are there as an agent of the state. Thus to embroider religious writings on your very robes is most definitely a violation of the establishment clause. Having attended law school, I would assume you would be well aware of that.

You are not being persecuted for being Christian, so you can stop all that nonsense. What is happening is you are being asked to uphold the Constitution, which is part of your job. Nay, the very ESSENCE of your job. If you cannot and will not uphold the Constitution, you do not need to be a judge, or acting in any way as an agent of the state, ok?

I'm glad we had this chat. Now go on and be as RELIGIOUS as all get out! Just leave it out of your job as a judge.

P.S. As a teacher, and thus an agent of the state, the same applies to me. I didn't even go to law school and I understand I cannot advocate any particular religion over another in my classroom. It's even more imperative for you, since you are there to uphold the laws of the land.

Special side note to pharmacist students: it's kind of the same concept for you, though it doesn't involve separation of church and state. If you feel you cannot, in good conscience, dispense certain drugs, you may want to look into other career fields, ok?

[PartyPooper]

13. Thanks for a great post!

Bravo!

:hi:

[jdj]

20. Plus, embroidery is so 1972.

What's next, crocheted SCOTUS robes?

[Inland]

50. What was that thing that put studs into the jacket? He should use that.

[athenap]

54. The BeDazzler! n/t

[Mr_Spock]

15. Thanks for the post!

I wish the folks who needed to see this could accept input, but unfortunately they know all they need to know and don't want to know anything else.

[manly]

19. the ten commandments and the robe, all in one

You're post is excellent. You realize, I'm sure, that your warnings to the judge about separation of church and state and upholding his oath of office apply equally well to bush, who violates his oath everytime he comes out in favor of religion, faith-based organizations, etc.

[Just Me]

66. Apparently, you have a far better grasp of both our country's founding,...

,...and constitutional protections than this wacko (who must have barely survived law school)!!!

FABULOUS POST!!!!

:yourock:

Moreover, let us PRAY that this man gets the medical, psychological and pharmaceutical treatment he REALLY NEEDS *LOL*!!!

[Paul Hood]

4. Next Ten? Ten wasn't enough?

Now we're up to twenty. Kidding sorry. :)

[teach1st]

5. Will judges be able to embroider words from the...

...Koran or Bhagavad-Gita on their robes?

How about a Grateful Dead patch? Better yet, an Enron patch.

[Straight Shooter]

6. No better way to get attention than to exploit the Ten Commandments

I want to get ten tin cans, and write a commandment upon each of them. I can tie them to the bumper of my car and drive through my city. Then when I'm cited for disturbing the peace, I can claim that they're infringing on my right to express my religion.

Jeebers, maybe I'll get famous. I can raise a big stink about the Ten Commandments and my right to display it in whatever manner I want, and it doesn't matter if it pisses everyone off, because I'm just exercising my effin religious freedom. /sarcasm off

It's just an ego trip for these blasphemous bastards.

[truthpusher]

7. I heard that he has yet to be challenged! Anyone here from Alabama!

[quaoar]

21. You rang?

The guy is a political opportunist -- just like Roy Moore.

[CornField]

8. I thought the point of the robes was to cover the personal statements

That is, I thought it was to make all judges appear (and feel?) more of an agent of the state than a peer with his or her own prejudices. If that is the case then it seems really ignorant for any judge (yep, including Renquist) to be allowed to alter the garb of the state.

[kodi]

9. according to such logic, wearing a swastiki is just a personal statement

.

[dave123williams]

10. The douchebag is hiding behind the 1st ammendment....simple.

[quaoar]

22. He isn't hiding behind it

He's daring anyone to tell him he has to stop wearing the robe. He wants to be a fucking martyr so he can tell everyone how the godless liberal judges are trying to kick God out of the courthouse. That way, maybe he can get elected to Congress or perhaps as attorney general. He can't run for governor because Roy Moore's gonna do that.

If nobody persecutes him it's going to spoil his whole plan.

[GiovanniC]

35. How Can You Hide Behind Something You're Shunning?

[Bozita]

11. He oughtta add some Rehnquist racing stripes

[Lostnote03]

28. Lmao....n/t

[MADem]

47. Old William thinks he's a Navy Captain in a maternity mumu....

...with his four golden stripes. For the life of me, I can't understand why he didn't go whole hog and go for a Fleet Admiral look--there's some fatass gold for ya! He could have tossed in a couple of stars to finish the look off!

What a loser...when I saw that foolish robe, I thought IMMEDIATELY of Nixon and his foolish "palace guard" outfits (they were not UNIFORMS, they were "outfits") that were so derided during his term. If I recall, they had PLUMES in the hats...those poor Marines, can you imagine the humiliation? I remember the pictures, those poor kids looked like dogs do when humans dress them up in clothing...that "Jesus, KILL ME NOW!!!" look.

Talk about "The Mouse that Roared"....!!!!

[InvisibleBallots]

12. just in time to distract from Social Security privatization!

Let's all take the bait!

[givemebackmycountry]

16. If I was a judge

I'd get me a robe that said "GOLDEN PALACE.COM" or some other casino logo so I could get paid while sending uneducated rednecks away.

I just wish these religious zealots would shut up.
They are making me very uncomfortable.

Especially Pastor Chimpy and his vapid emotionless wife.
They really scare me.

[Oldpals]

17. Judges robes issue

I swear the country is regressing back to times akin to those of the puritans. This intolerance and brandishing of their "faith" is exactly what people like Ian Paisley did in Northern Ireland. Sectarianism is not far away when you have people like these "devout" Christians preaching what they believe to be right and trying to force it upon everyone else.
Paisley was one of those that spewed vile hatred for Catholics and the pope whom he referred to as the papish bastard.

Makes me wonder what Hannity and O'Reilly think of these people that view Catholics with the same intolerance. Bob Jones being one that comes to mind immediately. Do you think they excuse them because of their right wing politics?

[truthpusher]

18. Listen to the NPR clip from the original post...

...the guy actually says that he knows one person who is not a Christian..he is obviously living in an alternate universe.

[Bridget Burke]

31. It's the Dominionist movement.

Closely related to Christian Reconstructionism. These are the people who want the USA to become a Calvinist version of Old Testament society. By preaching & by stealth they have co-opted other religious groups & politicized them. (I can remember when the Southern Baptists avoided politics.)

The Bob Jones University gang is deeply into the movement. Bob Jones (the original, I believe--we're now up to BJIII) bestowed honorary degrees upon George Wallace, Strom Thurmond, Lester Maddox & John Ashcroft; but one of his first honorees was none other than Ian Paisley. Paisley has spoken at BJU numerous times & two of his sons are on the faculty. No wonder you've been reminded of the Reverend....

[Sandpiper]

23. Jesus was no fan of religious grandstanding

Or look-at-me displays of insincere piety.

From Matthew chapter 6:

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly

[A Simple Game]

52. If I were being judged by this fool,

I would have those verses on my shirt or jacket.

I would dare him to say something about it.

Should mean an automatic mistrial or retrial before another judge.

[mitchum]

24. What a tacky motherfucker!

[FDRrocks]

25. Alabama and Texas....

Alabama and Texas.... Alabama and Texase... Alabama and Texas.... Alabama and Texase... Alabama and Texas.... Alabama and Texase... Alabama and Texas.... Alabama and Texase... Alabama and Texas.... Alabama and Texase... Alabama and Texas.... Alabama and Texase... Alabama and Texas.... Alabama and Texase... Alabama and Texas.... Alabama and Texase... Alabama and Texas.... Alabama and Texase...

*head explodes*

[lazarus]

27. This was my judge for a custody hearing

6 years ago. I believe my ex-wife brought up my atheism.

Hmm....

[Lostnote03]

29. Did I Miss Something???

.... those "activist" judges I keep hearing about, are they up to something again.....

[truthpusher]

48. activist judges...yep.

[xchrom]

30. activist judge.

[bunkerbuster1]

43. yep. looks lack one a' them what thinks 'sokay to legislate from the bench

[MKE Dem]

32. Did I miss something......

I grew up Catholic in MN. We had inter-faith youth meetings with other houses of worship, in fact learned about Buddhism and converted.

How is Christianity under attack? All day at work, I see people wearing crosses and signs at every desk I visit about God taking care of there problems, this years office casual day for Xmas I counted 15 "Jesus is the reason for the season" sweatshirts.

It makes me want to scream.....

I have spoken to some of these people and I cannot make them see that they are blessed to be allowed to wear those shirts and crosses. If they want to really see an issue go to a non "Christian" nation and pull that crap.

I worry for my daughter and the future she is going to inherit...

[harper]

33. So would she wear that robe while sentencing someone to death?

Would she even see the irony of wearing "Thou shalt not kill" emblazoned across her chest while giving the state permission to kill someone? These folks always think the ten commandments apply to others, not them. Or I guess they think their compliance is optional cause "Jesus will forgive them". How handy.

[Tyler Durden]

34. I think this "Ashley" is a guy...

sort of like Margaret Mitchell/"Gone With The Wind"...?

"Why Ashley Wilkes! How y'all DO go on!"

Hey, when does that whole Antebellum bullshit get to REALLY be gone with the wind? They have a TON of tornadoes down there; I'd think that was wind enough, by jingo.

[quaoar]

40. It only lives on

in the minds of Northerners who think they know what the South is like.

[leesa]

36. Why don't these fools just memorize them. I had to when I was a kid.

[0007]

37. Silly silly silly Dimwits!

[Massachusetts]

38. 11th Commandment and 12th. Commandment

11th. DON'T WEAR YOUR RELIGION ON YOUR SLEEVE.

12th. DON'T SHOVE YOUR RELIGION DOWN YOUR FELLOW HUMANS THROAT.O8) :evilgrin: :smoke:

[tiredofthisstuff]

39. If it is just a statement then........

If this is true, he is wearing it as a personal statement then I guess this gives the rest of us the right to make personal statements in court.

So the next time you go in front of a judge for any reason, be sure to were your "Marijuana or Go Fu** Yourself" T-Shirt. Hey, you are only making a personal statement.

[yellowcanine]

44. Wouldn't he have to recuse himself on divorce cases involving adultery?

Or the "losing" side would have a slam-dunk case for a retrial? Judges are supposed to consider cases based on the law and they are not supposed to bring personal religious beliefs into the courtroom. If the 10 commandments are something the judge couldn't refer to during the course of the trial, how is having the text on his robe any different? Does he think the jury can't read it? Personal statement? I thought judges could not make personal statements. What if a lawyer showed up festooned with "personal statements" on his/her clothing? Wouldn't most judges tell them to change or cover them up - and if they refused - hold them in contempt?

[KDLarsen]

46. I thought I heard about something like this on 60 minutes

Apparently a Jury used parts of the bible to argue for someones guilt? I never did hear what happened to that story (keep in mind that the 60 Minutes programs we get is usually a month old or something like that).

[fob]

45. Biblican? That sounds like a perfectly cromulent word!

Actually it should replace republican or at least be combined so as to show the true path these bozos are trying to hurl us ALL down.

The biblican Party
Teh rebiblican Party aka, the gee owe DEE Party

I may start using that one;

Are you a bush* biblican?

A what?

You know, a church OVER stater?

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

49. Anyone want to lay odds that this judge has a KKK family history?

Alabama hyper-religiosity, sanctimonious behavior, and virulent racism tend to cluster together...what a sad piece of shit.

Note to self: Avoid Alabama like the plague.

JB

[truthpusher]

53. I'll bet you 3K!

[athenap]

55. What I'd like to see...

...is nobody making a fuss over this. Roy Moore got away with it because he was the original obnoxiousness. This guy is bucking for attention and isn't even creative enough to come up with an original idea.

Then I want to see a liberal or at least more moderate judge...or lawyer, or court clerk quietly don a robe with the Beatitudes on it, and make sure to pose next to this guy as much as possible every single time there's a camera in the vicinity.

I'd like someone to show off exactly what kind of hypocrite this guy is.

[VegasWolf]

56. Does he have "In God We Trust?" on the back?

[genieroze]

57. Is this like sewing ones name on underwear? Maybe he keeps on

forgetting them and needs a little reminder. Maybe he should try to embroider the Bill Of Rights on his robe.

[msmcghee]

58. I imprint T-shirts

Can anyone here suggest a good short one-sentence quotation that would be useful to wear while attending trial in this idiot's court?

Something about the purpose of justice under our constitution - that would be an implicit challenge to this idiot? I'd like to see the judge tell the defendant that his message about justice under the constitution isn't allowed - but the judge's 10 Commandments robe is OK.

If I use it I'll send you a free shirt.

[Bozita]

59. The Biblical line about not wearing your religion on your sleeves

Make mine an XL.

[msmcghee]

61. Good suggestion . .

. . but to qualify, you have to look it up.

:toast:

[Bozita]

62. ummm, it's Matthew 6

Here it is ... in a Molly Ivins column:


http://www.funnytimes.com/notfunny/20040629MI.html


Natural Bastards vs. Self-made

by Molly Ivins


AUSTIN, Texas -- When it comes to religion, I've always believed it's more important to walk the walk than to talk the talk. I come from a tradition (Episcopal) that considers it rather in bad taste to wear your religion on your sleeve, presumably from Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 5 and 6:

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

Of course, I also had some Baptist input and so am fond of making a joyful noise unto the Lord. Texans even like to sing hymns around campfires while drinking beer -- I'm not sure if that counts.

more...

[msmcghee]

63. Well, that seems pretty long.

It is on point, however.

I'd be a little worried that a long biblical passage like that would not get read or understood. The wearer would simply be percieved as a "fundie with some biblical stuff on his T-shirt" by a majority of the viewers.

Would you want to wear it in public?

That's why T-shirt messages (or bumper stickers) need to be short if they will be effective. I'll think about it for a while.

Feel free to offer other suggestions though.

[truthpusher]

64. perfecto!

[VegasWolf]

65. Alabama, a bright light against the path of darkness for the soul. n/t