Attorneys for a Texas county have pushed back against calls from a group to remove a Ten Commandments monument.
In May, the atheist organization Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to Rockwall County claiming the monument has an “explicitly religious nature.”
“Far from serving a neutral historical purpose, the monument’s approval, presentation and unveiling demonstrate a coordinated governmental effort to promote a particular religious viewpoint,” the letter reads. “We write to inform the County that it cannot display the Ten Commandments on government property. Displaying the Ten Commandments in front of the county courthouse is not only an unconstitutional display of favoritism toward religion, it needlessly marginalizes and excludes county residents who do not share the religious beliefs that the Ten Commandments embody and represent.”
First Liberty Institute responded to the letter on June 10, doubling down on the Ten Commandments’ presence. “Crucially, the Letter omits the most recent binding precedents from the Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit on this area of the law, instead, relying on outdated and extinguished tests,” First Liberty Institute Associate Counsel William G. Bell wrote. “Likewise, it misapprehends the Decalogue’s influence on our Nation’s system of laws and governance as has been consistently acknowledged by Founding Fathers, judges, and representatives, and inexplicably ignores the extensive history of state-erected Ten Commandments displays across the country.”
Rockwall County Commissioner Lorne Liechty celebrated the monument’s dedication in May. “The Ten Commandments are an important component of the moral and historical foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America,” Liechty stated. “It is appropriate that during this 250th Anniversary of our Nation’s founding, Rockwall County will erect a monument to display the Ten Commandments. May God bless America, the State of Texas, and our wonderful Rockwall County!
