Weighing the Ten Commandments and the Constitution

Re “Defying the Law In Support of the Law” (Feb. 13): What part of the separation of church and state don’t Judge Roy Moore, Alabama Gov. Forrest James Jr. and their supporters understand?

Far from seeming “a bit trivial,” as your story suggests, the issue is the 1st Amendment, the very keystone of our society. With Judge Moore “just saying no” to enforcing the Constitution (his sworn duty) and Gov. James threatening dissenters with physical violence by calling out the National Guard and the state troopers to keep the Ten Commandments plaque in Moore’s courtroom), I say thank God for the ACLU.

KATIE SILBERMAN

San Francisco

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The Ten Commandments are not strictly a religious offering. They are found in the history books of the times, and have been the basis of most of the common law known to man. To demand that a judge remove them from his courtroom is anti-religious fanaticism. Would we throw the Magna Carta out because the Church of England was behind it? Would we throw out our own Constitution because it was framed by religious people?

The Constitution doesn’t forbid religion; it says we cannot force one religion on the people. Hanging a law on the wall doesn’t force anything on anyone.

MARY CASE

Chatsworth

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Reading about the Alabama judge who defends his “freedom of religion right” to display the Ten Commandments in his courtroom makes me wonder about his impartiality as a judge. Were I, an unabashed agnostic, to find myself in his court, I would worry about the effects of his honor’s possible bias.

On further thought, I realize that my best bet is to stay as far as possible from Etowah County, Ala., unfortunately a luxury not available to everyone.

HORACE GAIMS

Los Angeles