MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A moving crew rolled a massive Ten Commandments monument out of the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building on Wednesday to comply with a federal court order, as anguished protesters prayed at the building's steps.

It took about an hour and a-half to lift the 5,280-pound granite marker and roll it from its public site to a private place in the building.

About 100 pro-monument supporters who have been on a weeklong vigil on the building's front plaza were urged to remain calm and not rush the glass doors. Some yelled, but the crowd was restrained.

Two dozen city police were stationed around the perimeter of the building and others patrolled the surrounding block on motorcycles.


A federal judge ruled last year that the monument, which Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore installed two years ago, violates the constitution's ban on government promotion of religion and ordered its removal by Aug. 20. The U.S. Supreme Court last week declined to hear Moore's appeal.

Moore had refused to comply. Eight associate justices voted Aug. 21 to remove the monument, and Moore was suspended the next day on charges of violating canons of judicial ethics.

There was no immediate comment on the removal from Moore. His spokeswoman, Jessica Atteberry, said he was not available but tat his legal team would have a statement later.

Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, a group fighting the move, said building manager Graham George told him he would be allowed inside to see the monument later. Mahoney said he didn't know if the monument's new location will be accessible to the public.

The federal court had said the monument could be in a private place in the building but not the highly visible spot in the rotunda directly across from the building's entrance.


(AP) Operation Rescue Director Flip Benham reads a bible as a work crew moves the Ten Commandments...
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People seeking removal of the monument from its public site had said they were grateful that it was finally being moved, a week after the deadline set by a federal judge.

"This is a tremendous victory for the rule of law and respect for religious diversity," the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said before the monument was rolled out of the rotunda. "Perhaps Roy Moore will soon leave the bench and move into the pulpit, which he seems better suited for."

Lynne's organization was among groups suing to remove Moore's monument, which he installed without telling the other eight Supreme Court justices.

Demonstrators promised to keep up their protests of the removal.

"If it takes 75 years to reclaim this land for righteousness, God find us and our children and our children's children ready," said the Rev. Rob Schenck, president of the national clergy council.


(AP) Demonstrators try and take photos or get a view of a work crew as they attempt to move the Ten...
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An afternoon hearing had been scheduled in federal court in Mobile on a lawsuit seeking to keep the monument in the rotunda, but it was canceled.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a Christian radio talk show host and a pastor, had argued that forced removal of the monument would violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion.

Attorney General Bill Pryor, defending the associate justices, had argued that the Mobile court lacked jurisdiction and the complaint lacked merit.

Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the lawsuit relied on "outlandish legal arguments to defend the justice's blatant promotion of religion."

About 150 monument supporters marched on Pryor's office Tuesday, demanding he resign for supporting the associate justices' decision. Seven representatives were allowed inside to meet with Pryor's chief deputy for about 20 minutes. The rest remained outside, chanting "Resign now! Resign now!"

Mahoney has accused Pryor of political grandstanding to aid his nomination to a federal appeals court. The nomination has been stalled by Senate Democrats who attacked the Republican Pryor for stands against abortion and in favor of states' rights.

Pryor has said it is his duty to uphold a federal court order to remove the monument
(what a travesty of justice,Heaven forbid if anyone would see this as something to live by and tofollow and to uphold)
http://apnews.excite.com/article/200...D7T6CIB00.html

Not more spam.

Look dude, why are you on a discussion board if you don't want to 'discuss' anything?

because its fun and i get off on spamming people as its fun watching people make dumb or stupid remarks to what i post and well if no one comments then thats a good thing!

You will serve the downfall of Christianity well with that attitude. You are a troll and a bad example for Christianity.

i saw pictures of people crying about it....damn southerners

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.

THEN WHAT THE FRIGGIN HELL ARE CHRISTIANS DOING WORshippiNG THE GODDAMN MONUMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE????

It's about time they got that monument out of there...

I totally agree, what ever happened to the seperatoon of church and state???

You're an idiot.

Anyway...yeah, they're right to remove the monument. It clearly promotes a religion. Imagine that instead of the Ten Commandments, it was a statue of Krishna. Would you be okay with that being paid for with tax dollars and put up in a court building?

exactly, WHYYYY am i an idiot?

Exactly. It's not that it was a Christian fixture, but that it was a religious fixture. By your example, there would have been hordes of ticked off Christians demanding its removal.

Then of course, you've got that Alabama woman claiming the statue of the panther in front of their civic building is pagan...

You don't worship a monument, so your self-righteous, arrogant reply was entirely without merit. That's why you're an idiot.

if you don't worship a monument, you don't CARE if its there or not, the protests are stupid...THE WORKERS DID NOT REMOVE GOD. they removed a couple of sotnes or whatever, and them being there or not shouldn't affect true believers' faith. AND THAT'S the reason for my comment

this isn't spam

Your logic was that you can't respect something without worshipping it? I mean, I don't think the protests against moving the monument make sense, but I don't assign random motives to them.

Can I be an Idiot too??

i guess u're right. my bad...i jump to conclusions too fast sometimes.

Well you have to keep in mind how many christians are out there. If it was Buddah or Sheeva it would be out with no question why. Maybe a thread in here but not a huge news story about it.