Considering Faith: Judge Roy Moore Update
The battle over the Ten Commandments monument took place literally on the courthouse steps in Montgomery, Alabama. In the summer of 2001, Alabama’s newly elected Chief Justice, Roy Moore, moved the 5,000 pound granite monument into the central rotunda of the State Judicial Building. The ACLU of Alabama, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Southern Poverty Law Center all sued in U.S. District Court to have it removed.
Back then, Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said the monument was offensive.
“The heart of this case in my view is that everyone should feel welcome in a courthouse and no courthouse should contain a symbol which promotes one religion over others.”
The lawyers argued the government was endorsing the practice of religion in general and Judeo-Christianity in particular. It was a showdown that led country music songwriter Bill Monaghan to croon….
The Ballad of Roy Moore: “Down in Alabama there’s a fight going on. It’s time to stand up for what’s right or what’s wrong. Judge Moore has drawn a line in the sand. He’s chosen in this moment to be God’s man. Let the demons scream, let the devils walk, but keep God’s word in the courthouse hall.”
Roy Moore knew he could lose his job as the State’s Chief Justice, yet he dug in his heels and stood firm.
“It’s about whether the State can acknowledge God. And certainly the Courts of this land need to get that when they open their court with ‘God Save This Honorable Court’, and can’t explain who that God is. Do they use that name in vain? Are our courts so down-trodden they can’t even know what they are saying anymore?”
People from coast to coast flocked to Montgomery to hear then-presidential contender Alan Keyes speak passionately about how God should not be stripped from the pledge of allegiance, schools, or town squares.
“Let me be granted again what the tyranny of the courts has sought to wrest from us…. The freedom to live in communities that are governed by laws that reflect our beliefs.”
After a federal judge ordered Moore to remove the monument from the judicial building, the controversial rock toured the U.S. for a while. It has come to rest in Gadsden, at the Cross Point Community Church in Coosa Christian School.
Today, Roy Moore works for a Montgomery non-profit called the Foundation of Moral Law. The organization represents individuals involved in religious liberty cases.
“I speak and we speak and we also got approved to have a COE which is to teach lawyers about the constitution and particularly the First Amendment, so we will be opening the program doing that, which I am very excited about because most lawyers are not taught the First Amendment.”
In 2005, Moore published a book entitled, “So Help Me God. ” This man, who defied a federal judge and lost his job in the process, plans to publish his second book in the next few months. He says the seeds of victory are in defeat.
Auburn tabs USF’s Alex Golesh as its next coach, replacing Hugh Freeze on the Plains
The 41-year-old Golesh, who was born in Russia and moved to the United State at age 7, is signing a six-year contract that averages more than $7 million annually to replace Hugh Freeze. Freeze was fired in early November after failing to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three seasons on the Plains.
Alabama Power seeks to delay rate hike for new gas plant amid outcry
The state’s largest utility has proposed delaying the rate increase from its purchase of a $622 million natural gas plant until 2028.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor
Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
