Ten Commandments: Supreme Court Opinion and Briefs with IndexesOne of the key founding principles of the United States of America was separation of church and state. Keeping them separate, however, has been a non-trivial problem from the outset of the republic. It is difficult to determine if banning statues of the 'Ten Commandments' should merit the attention of the high court, when there are so many blatant examples of real attacks on America's principles going on, but perhaps because it is so visible, the people are being treated to this presentation. Many say 'leave the Ten Commandments statues alone and watch the folks who are trying to plant a bomb under it instead'. And the Supreme Court itself is divided on the issue as is evident from this book. If there is an issue here, it is probably a blue versus red state issue. |
Contents
Brief for Petitioners | 55 |
Reply Brief for Petitioners | 93 |
Brief for Respondents | 111 |
Motion for Leave to File Supplemental Brief after Argument and Supplemental Brief after Argument for Petitioners | 149 |
Supplemental Brief After Argument For Petitioners | 153 |
Index | 159 |
Common terms and phrases
1999 Resolution abandoned acknowledgment action Allegheny Amendment American law Appeals argument assert authority beliefs Bible Brief Christian Circuit cited Civil Colonial Commandments common concurring Constitution contains context copy Court courthouse creche Decalogue Declaration of Independence dissenting District Court documents educational effect endorsement Establishment Clause evidence expression fact Foundations Display framed governmental Green hold influenced issue Judge Justice Kentucky Lady Justice law and government legislative Lemon liberty Lynch Mayflower Compact McCreary meaning Mercer County moral motivated neutrality O'Connor objective observer official omitted opinion original passed Petitioners played posting practice prayer present President principle prohibition prong question reasonable observer record references regarding religion religious repealed Respondents Rights role second display secular purpose significant Sixth statement STEVENS Stone Supp symbol Ten Commandments third tradition United violated Wallace WHEREFORE
Popular passages
Page 108 - Let it simply be asked, where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained •without religion.
Page 32 - The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts.
Page 10 - Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant nor his maidservant, nor his ox nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Page 36 - I shall need too' the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our forefathers, as Israel of old, from their native land, and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessaries and comforts of life...
Page 43 - All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.
Page 5 - DC 20543, of any typographical or other formal errors, In order that corrections may be made before the preliminary print goes to press.
Page 35 - Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
Page 32 - Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other sects? that the same authority which can force a citizen to contribute three pence only of his property for the support of any one establishment, may force him to conform to any other establishment in all cases whatsoever?
Page 33 - It is possible to hold a faith with enough confidence to believe that what should be rendered to God does not need to be decided and collected by Caesar.
Page 7 - Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbor's.