By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Atheist groups are targeting any mention of God in the public arena. This time the target of their legal harassment is the Marbury High School Cheerleaders and their use of scripture quotes on banners at football games. Former Alabama Chief Justice and the current Republican nominee for the same office, Roy Moore and the Foundation for Moral Law, which he is President of, sent a letter of support to the Autauga County School Superintendent, Spencer Agee, urging him to allow the cheerleaders to continue displaying the controversial scripture banners.
In his letter, the former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court urged Autauga County to “to ignore the sound and fury of radical atheists and instead protect the religious liberty of Marbury cheerleaders, football players, and other students.” Judge Moore said that the Constitution should not be used to censor students expressing their faith. After all, said Judge Moore, “The First Amendment protects freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.”
Judge Roy Moore said in a written statement: “The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FRFF) is an atheist organization seeking to remove the knowledge of God from our land. To say that cheerleaders at Marbury High School cannot encourage their football team with expressions of faith is ridiculous. These bullish tactics may result in some Americans giving up their rights, but we at the Foundation for Moral Law are prepared to defend these students at all costs.”
The Autauga County School System has recently received a letter from the Wisconsin based, Freedom From Religion Foundation protesting the scripture banners being displayed in the public arena of high school football games and demanding that the cheerleaders stop acknowledging God in the paper banners that they make for sporting events.
As President of the Foundation for Moral Law, Judge Moore offered the legal services of the Foundation. Moore assured Autauga County that “we at the Foundation are ready to go the distance in this battle for religious liberty.”
FFRF staff attorney Stephanie Schmitt wrote in her letter to Superintendent Spence Agee, “We understand that each week a different bible verse is displayed for all to observe. You must take immediate action to stop these religious banners from being part of school-sponsored events.” “Student-initiated religious banners that the football team must run through are also inappropriate and unconstitutional.” “Public high school events must be secular to protect the freedom of conscience of all students. Autauga County Schools must take immediate action to ensure that religious messages are not part of any school-sponsored events. These religious messages displayed at football games constitute an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion. A reasonable Marbury student would certainly perceive the banners ‘as stamped with [his/]her school’s approval.’” “No student should be made to run through a religious banner.”
The Montgomery based Foundation for Moral Law is a legal organization that defends religious liberties in court cases across the nation. Judge Moore said in his written statement that the Foundation, “is dedicated to restoring the knowledge of God in law and government through litigation and education relating to moral issues and religious liberty cases.”
Former Chief Justice Roy Moore’s Democratic opponent is Jefferson County Circuit Judge Robert Vance. The election is Tuesday, November 6th
To learn more about the Foundation For Moral Law visit their web site:
To learn more about the Freedom From Religion Foundation visit their website:
