WASHINGTON, June 15 /
Christian Newswire/ -- The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the purpose of the Ten Commandments display placed in the Courts of McCreary and Pulaski Counties is religious and it violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.
However, Judge James L. Ryan recommended a rehearing with the full Sixth Circuit panel of Judges because of several other rulings by the court which had different outcomes. Judge Ryan said, "Perhaps the panel will reconsider an en banc hearing in this case."
Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University Law School said, "The Ten Commandments are a part of the fabric of our country. They are as much at home in display about the foundations of law or as the stars and stripes are in the flag. The Founding Fathers would be outraged that we are even debating the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments."
Don Swarthout, President of Christians Reviving America's Values said, "These rulings against the Ten Commandments and against Christianity are nothing but ludicrous. Since when did we make the Federal Courts out to be the thought police? How can the Federal Courts say the thinking of our Founding Fathers was unconstitutional, when it was our Founding Fathers who thought out our Constitution before they wrote it?"
A quote attributed to John Quincy Adams said, "The greatest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." Swarthout said, "That seems pretty clear about what the thoughts of our Founding Fathers actually were when they wrote the Constitution.
Jesus said in Matthew 22:21, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are Gods. Jesus gave both Christianity and government validity in that sentence. Jesus was telling us, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which make up the principles of good civil government; and render unto God the things which make up the principles of Christianity.
Swarthout said, "From John Quincy Adams and Jesus Christ we should understand the principles of good civil government and the principles of Christianity are exactly the same. We should not have any battles between government and Christianity. How would our courts rule on that argument?"
