ACLJ: Thousands of Ten Commandments Monuments Stay in Place with Supreme Court Ruling.WASHINGTON -- The American Center The American Center is a high-rise tower in Southfield, Michigan. It was built in 1975 and stands at 26 floors, with one basement floor, for a total of 27. The building's main use is that of a typical office tower. It also includes a parking garage and retail spaces. for Law and Justice (ACLJ ACLJ American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ Appleseed Center for Law and Justice (Washington, DC) ), specializing in constitutional law, said today's decision by the Supreme Court in the Texas case upholding the constitutionality of the public display of the Ten Commandments Ten Commandments or Decalogue [Gr.,=ten words], in the Bible, the summary of divine law given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. They have a paramount place in the ethical system in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. clears the way for thousands of monuments like the one put in place outside the Texas capitol by the Fraternal Order of Eagles Fraternal Order of Eagles International is a fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898, in Seattle, Washington by a group of six theater owners including John Cort (the first president), brothers John W. and Tim J. to remain in place across the country. At the same time, the high court's decision declaring the display unconstitutional in the Kentucky case will create additional confusion in this area of the law. "It is very encouraging that the Supreme Court understands the historical and legal significance of displaying the Ten Commandments and moved to protect thousands of monuments now in place across America," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which defends public displays of the Ten Commandments and has two cases pending before the high court. "The fact that the Commandments hold a religious meaning for many does not render them unconstitutional. The Texas decision recognizes the fact that the Commandments have played a vital role in the development of Western law and represents an integral part of the legal underpinnings of our system. Unfortunately, the high court's decision in the Kentucky case is likely to create more questions and confusion in this area of church/state law." Sekulow added: "The high court has long acknowledged that when religion and culture intersect there are traditions and practices that are appropriate. That principle was reinforced with today's decision in the Texas case." The ACLJ filed amicus briefs in both the Texas and Kentucky cases and the brief in the Texas case was co-authored by Harold J. Berman, the Robert W. Woodruff Robert Winship Woodruff (December 6, 1889 – March 7, 1985) was the president of The Coca-Cola Company from 1923 until 1954. With his enormous Coke fortune, he was also a major philanthropist, and many educational and cultural landmarks in the U.S. Professor of Law at Emory University. Berman is also the James Barr Ames James Barr Ames (1846–1910) was a U.S. law educator, who popularized the "case-study" method of teaching law developed by Christopher Columbus Langdell. He served as dean of Harvard Law School from 1895 to 1910. Further reading Kull, Andrew. Professor of Law, emeritus, at Harvard University where he taught from 1948 to 1985 and again in 1986 and 1989. The ACLJ, which is involved in numerous Commandments cases nationwide, has two pending before the Supreme Court - a case involving a display outside public high schools in Adams County, Ohio Adams County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2000, the population was 27,330. It is named after John Adams, the second President of the United States.[2] Its county seat is West Union. and a case involving the display of a framed poster of the Commandments in the courtroom of a state judge in Ohio. Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice specializes in constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C. The ACLJ is online at www.aclj.org. |
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