By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Thursday, August 24th, 2017, U.S. Senate candidate former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (R) denounced a ruling by the 9th District Court of Appeals which ruled that the Bremerton School District was justified in suspending Coach Joe Kennedy after he took a knee and prayed silently at midfield after football games.
On Wednesday, the Court ruled that Coach Kennedy’s public display of faith was not protected by the US Constitution.
Judge Moore responded to the ruling: “Our do nothing Congress seems to forget that lower courts are fully the creation of the Legislative Branch of government. That rouge lower court panels, such as the Ninth Circuit, have gotten this far in trampling on our most sacred and foundational rights – without facing any opposition from Congress – is a testament to our lack of principles, disregard for the Constitution, and ignorance of our own power. The same courts that have unilaterally granted foreign nationals a religious liberty right to immigrate are now preventing American Christians from praying.”
Justice Moore said, “When I get to the Senate, the days of silent submissiveness from the Legislative Branch will be over. We will remind the courts, especially the lower courts, how they were created and directed. We will restore the courts to their proper role and we will protect religious liberty.”
Moore argued that, “Religious liberty is the civil rights issue of our time and judicial supremacy is the biggest challenge to righting that ship. It begins by members of Congress taking our oath to the Constitution seriously.”
For centuries, American public school children were led in prayers by their teachers at the start of each school day and the Bible was a key part of the curriculum. That changed in the 1960s by rulings from an activist U.S. Supreme Court. A string of U.S. Supreme Court rulings including: Engel v. Vitale (1962) which ruled that an official school prayer was unconstitutional; Abington School District v. Schempp (1963) which ruled that Bible readings and other school-sponsored religious activities were prohibited; Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) which set severe limits on entanglements between government and religion; Lee v. Weisman (1992) which outlawed graduation prayers; and Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe (2000) which outlawed prayers over the public address system prior to high school sporting events have forced religious instruction out of the schools, which were originally created primarily FOR religious instruction.
Now while schools increasingly tolerate, and even promote, deviate sexual practices and lifestyles, more and more pressure is being put on Christians not to share their or express their faith and beliefs in schools or even in school sporting events. The Bremerton School Board versus Kennedy decision will only further intimidate Christians in the work place at public school systems.
Roy Moore is in the Republican Primary runoff for U.S. Senate. His opponent is Sen. Luther Strange on September 26. The winner of the GOP runoff will face Birmingham Attorney Doug Jones (D) on December 12.
