The Norman Transcript

Opinion

June 10, 2009

Separating church and state

The recent decision by Oklahoma lawmakers to allow a Ten Commandments monument at the state Capitol could be put on hold now that a federal court has ruled on a similar monument.

A federal appeals court in Denver has ruled Haskell County's monument endorses religion and has asked a federal judge in Muskogee to issue a ruling consistent with their decision.

The monument went up in Stigler in 2004. Two years later, the Muskogee judge rejected arguments that the statue promoted Christianity at the expense of other religions.

But instead of making plans to alter or move the marker, County Commissioner Mitch Worsham told the Associated Press, "We're not going to take it down."

Sometimes it takes a federal court ruling to remind us of the need to separate church and state.

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