Appeals court rules Ten Commandments monument violates Constitution

"DENVER -- An appeals court ruled Monday that a Ten Commandments monument at the county courthouse in Stigler violates the Constitution because its primary effect is to endorse a religion.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 in a challenge to the monument brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma and by a county resident.

"We hold that the [Haskell County commissioners'] actions in authorizing and maintaining the monument . . . had the impermissible principal or primary effect of endorsing religion in violation of the Establishment Clause" of the Constitution, the judges wrote in a 52-page decision.

Haskell County Commissioner Mitch Worsham said he didn't have a comment at this time about the decision.

A message left for Commissioner Kenneth Short Jr., has not been returned and Commissioner Paul Storie could not be reached for comment.

On May 18, Gov. Brad Henry signed a measure to place a privately funded monument of the Ten Commandments at the Capitol.

The week before, the Senate gave final approval to House Bill 1330, By Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, and Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso.

The monument is to be placed where there are numerous
monuments, the measure said.

The measure passed despite concerns that it could draw a costly legal challenge and could be interpreted as the state's endorsement of a religion.

"I am disappointed they ruled that," said Ritze. "I don't know that much about the Haskell County display."

Ritze is the author of House Bill 1330, which calls for the placement of a privately funded Ten Commandments monument at the Capitol.

Ritze, who will provide the funding for it, said the Oklahoma law was based on a law in Texas which withstood constitutional scrutiny.

He believes the Oklahoma law will survive a legal challenge.

Henry, who signed the measure into law, declined to comment on the court's decision."
By ROBERT BOCZKIEWICZ, World correspondent and SARA PLUMMER, World Staff Writer
Published: 6/8/2009 4:08 PM
Last Modified: 6/8/2009 8:59 PM

No surprised here. While I hate this B.S. going on and on and on and on and on... I am glad to see when things are said as much. Srsly, people. Keep your god out of my government and I might consider keeping my government out of your Church... which should be taxed, mind you.

Liberty University Should Lose its Tax Exemption

Taken from the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster:

"Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the IRS to investigate whether Liberty University - the church school founded by Jerry Falwell - is in violation of tax law.

Liberty shut down the school’s Democratic club (because of unGodly support for gay rights, pro-choice views, etc.) The school’s Republican club is still intact and receiving school support.

AU says that’s bullshit since, as a tax-exempt institution, Liberty is barred from showing preference for one political party over another.

An excerpt from the letter AU sent the IRS:

'By banning a Democratic club while permitting a Republican club to exist and offering funding to the latter but not the former, university officials appear to be operating in violation of federal tax law.'"

Liberty University should lose its tax exemption

You can click the title link about to read the PDF. Yeah, that is bullshit and imo a clear violation. Will anything be done about it? Likely not. The best I can honestly "hope" for is the liberal group is allowed to conduct itself again, though having the LU paying taxes would kick more ass. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster give its owns view on the topic in general, which basically sums up my own views on this topic: "Our view: the Church of FSM believes religious organizations should not be exempt from paying taxes." It goes on to rant about the long process for tax exemption and reveals a wish that the CFSM was tax exempt. If we cannot have all religions paying taxes, the least we can do is give followers of FSM a big break!