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Deadline for Removing Ten Commandments is Midnight
Aired August 20, 2003 - 13:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Not since Moses has there been such a row over the Ten Commandments. Despite a looming deadline, Alabama's chief justice says he is keeping a statue displaying God's rules in his courthouse, and now he's taking his case to the Supreme Court.
Our Eric Philips is in Montgomery. Thou shall now explain how the monument showdown could come to a head tonight -- Eric.
ERIC PHILIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, that's one commandment I will obey. Time is running out for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. He has until tonight at midnight to remove the two-ton monument of the Ten Commandments from the judicial building here in Montgomery, but he is not budging. And those who support him say that if, in fact, an attempt is made to remove the monument from the courthouse, they will block the doors by kneeling in prayer.
And just behind me, you can see that that's exactly what they're doing right now. They've been holding several prayer vigils throughout the day. They plan on holding a rally again tonight in order to make sure that the message is very clear that they don't want this monument moved. They will pray and hope that God answers that prayer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jesus, we first pray that our hearts would be open to you.
PHILIPS (voice-over): The first thing this morning, a small crowd gathered at the judicial building for prayer -- prayer that the Ten Commandments will not be removed from this building. Chief Justice Roy Moore continues to dig in his heels on this issue, despite a court order to remove the monument by midnight.
CHIEF JUSTICE ROY MOORE, ALABAMA SUPREME COURT: Are we willing to give up the fact that God gave us our rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
PHILIPS: The case stems from a lawsuit filed in 2001 by three Alabama lawyers, who frequented the judicial building, and said the monument violated their First Amendment rights.
ROBERT VARLEY, PLAINTIFFS' ATTORNEY: Chief Justice Moore does not have a right under the Constitution to put a monument to his religion, to his God, in a public building.
PHILIPS: Many of Moore's opponents say he has gone too far.
LARRY DARBY, AMERICAN ATHEISTS: He is sending the symbol that if you don't believe the way he believes that you are a second-class citizen.
PHILIPS: Moore's supporters say that's not the message at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A line in the sand has been drawn here in Montgomery, Alabama, and our prayer is that Christians and non- Christians -- people who cherish free speech, civil liberty, human rights, justice -- will come down here and say the Commandments must stand.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILIPS: I'm back live now here in Montgomery, Alabama, where a small crowd has gathered for a fervent prayer at noon local time. Again, they are praying and hoping that the two-ton monument to the Ten Commandments will remain here at the judicial building.
But, of course, there is a court order saying that that monument has to go by midnight tonight. If Chief Justice Roy Moore does not comply with that order, the state could face fines of $5,000 a day for each day the monument remains here.
Chief Justice Moore has filed a motion with the Supreme Court, and he's waiting at this hour to hear back to hear from them.
Live in Montgomery, Alabama, I'm Eric Philips.
Kyra -- back to you.
PHILLIPS: Eric, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired August 20, 2003 - 13:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Not since Moses has there been such a row over the Ten Commandments. Despite a looming deadline, Alabama's chief justice says he is keeping a statue displaying God's rules in his courthouse, and now he's taking his case to the Supreme Court.
Our Eric Philips is in Montgomery. Thou shall now explain how the monument showdown could come to a head tonight -- Eric.
ERIC PHILIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, that's one commandment I will obey. Time is running out for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. He has until tonight at midnight to remove the two-ton monument of the Ten Commandments from the judicial building here in Montgomery, but he is not budging. And those who support him say that if, in fact, an attempt is made to remove the monument from the courthouse, they will block the doors by kneeling in prayer.
And just behind me, you can see that that's exactly what they're doing right now. They've been holding several prayer vigils throughout the day. They plan on holding a rally again tonight in order to make sure that the message is very clear that they don't want this monument moved. They will pray and hope that God answers that prayer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jesus, we first pray that our hearts would be open to you.
PHILIPS (voice-over): The first thing this morning, a small crowd gathered at the judicial building for prayer -- prayer that the Ten Commandments will not be removed from this building. Chief Justice Roy Moore continues to dig in his heels on this issue, despite a court order to remove the monument by midnight.
CHIEF JUSTICE ROY MOORE, ALABAMA SUPREME COURT: Are we willing to give up the fact that God gave us our rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
PHILIPS: The case stems from a lawsuit filed in 2001 by three Alabama lawyers, who frequented the judicial building, and said the monument violated their First Amendment rights.
ROBERT VARLEY, PLAINTIFFS' ATTORNEY: Chief Justice Moore does not have a right under the Constitution to put a monument to his religion, to his God, in a public building.
PHILIPS: Many of Moore's opponents say he has gone too far.
LARRY DARBY, AMERICAN ATHEISTS: He is sending the symbol that if you don't believe the way he believes that you are a second-class citizen.
PHILIPS: Moore's supporters say that's not the message at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A line in the sand has been drawn here in Montgomery, Alabama, and our prayer is that Christians and non- Christians -- people who cherish free speech, civil liberty, human rights, justice -- will come down here and say the Commandments must stand.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILIPS: I'm back live now here in Montgomery, Alabama, where a small crowd has gathered for a fervent prayer at noon local time. Again, they are praying and hoping that the two-ton monument to the Ten Commandments will remain here at the judicial building.
But, of course, there is a court order saying that that monument has to go by midnight tonight. If Chief Justice Roy Moore does not comply with that order, the state could face fines of $5,000 a day for each day the monument remains here.
Chief Justice Moore has filed a motion with the Supreme Court, and he's waiting at this hour to hear back to hear from them.
Live in Montgomery, Alabama, I'm Eric Philips.
Kyra -- back to you.
PHILLIPS: Eric, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
