Elkhart Ten Commandments Monument Ordered Removed

In 2000 the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a Ten Commandments monument on the lawn of the City of Elkhart's Municipal Building be moved. Now, another Ten Commandments display has been ordered removed from an Elkhart County office building. Can't they learn?

The First Amendment Center reports:

"The record before the court cannot support a finding that the county had any purpose other than paying homage to the Ten Commandments," Miller wrote. "The Constitution guarantees citizens the right to pay homage, but forbids governments from doing so."

"It's sad, but it's not totally unexpected," said Bob Weaver of Shipshewana, one of the display's donors. ... Elkhart County Commissioner Martin McCloskey said the county likely would appeal Miller's ruling.

The reason it wasn't unexpected is surely because they know that the courts don't approve of governments trying to support and endorse particular religious beliefs or principles. The fact that this Ten Commandments display was in the context of other historical documents might have saved it in some cases, but if the record makes it clear that the other documents were just an excuse to promote the Ten Commandments, then the court couldn't have justified ruling any other way. Why can't people learn that the government has no authority to promote their religion?

Read More:

• Separation of Church and State 101
• Ten Commandments