Calvin E. von Weissenfluh forwarded this delicious bit of irony:
SAN FRANCISCO -- The federal appeals court that ruled the Pledge of Allegiance was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion is being sued for allegedly displaying the Ten Commandments on its seal and courthouses.
The case was brought by Pleasanton attorney Ryan Donlon, who was admitted to practice before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in June.
In his lawsuit against the San Francisco-based court, he said the certificate admitting him contains the court's seal which unlawfully contains what he believes is a tablet object that "represents the Judeo-Christian Decalogue commonly referred to as the Ten Commandments."
My atheist self is a bit of an (ahem) agnostic on Ten Commandment displays. Doesn't offend my tender (ahem) sensibilities any more than nativity scenes at the mall. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the sight of the 9th District Court squirming in its robes.
Hoist on their own petard.
Good. They deserve it.
Why on Earth do you imagine the judges of the Ninth Circuit are discomfited by this?
They can continue their crusade against religious display, and simultaneously get rid of those commandments, which must have been bugging them for years.
This one will, I predict, be tossed out of the trial court in short order, since the tablets just have ten lines on them, with no text whatsoever. None of the text of the Commandments is on the seal, nor is there anything other than the fact that there are ten lines to connect the tablets to the Commandments.
Anal-retentive nitpicking lawyer alert. That court is the 9th Circuit, not District, court of appeals. Nomenclature-wise, "district" courts are usually trial courts and "circuit" courts are usually appellate bodies.
And it's nice to see the 9th Circuit squirm, even though I have no problems with ceremonial deism.
Green an atheist? Who'd a thunk it? And since you are, please benefit us all with the proof you have that there is no God.
"allegedly displaying the Ten Commandments on its seal and courthouses".
Allegedly?? How difficult is it for a Bay Area news organization to either get on the phone or simply send over a reporter to prove whether or not they actually do??
This is somewhat facetious, but I wonder how long it will be before this crowd ends up having the names of cities like...San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, et al, changed for their "unconstitutional endorsement of religion"?
Heh. Read Lars Walker's "Wolf Time", Ed.
Ron,
I don't think you've been reading our Vodka flavored Green very long if you didn't know he's an atheist.
On average, for how long do you read the blogs you comment on before you end up asking something that stupid?
