老澳门开奖结果

OKLAHOMA CITY 鈥� The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled today that the state鈥檚 display of a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol lawn violates the Oklahoma Constitution and must be removed. The case was brought by the 老澳门开奖结果's Program on the Freedom of Religion and Belief and the 老澳门开奖结果 of Oklahoma on behalf of a local Baptist minister and several other citizens.

Legislators authorized the monument in 2009, and it was installed in late 2012 on the north side of the Capitol grounds鈥攁 location the Capitol鈥檚 architect had deemed suitable for 鈥渞eflection鈥� on the religious dictates of the Ten Commandments.

Arguing that the Oklahoma Constitution prohibits the use of public property or money for religious purposes, the 老澳门开奖结果 filed suit in 2013. The Rev. Bruce Prescott, lead plaintiff in Prescott et al. v. Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission, was pleased by the decision: 鈥淩eligious people should rejoice that despite the state鈥檚 argument to the contrary, the Court made clear that the Ten Commandments Monument is obviously religious in nature, and not merely a secular historical artifact.鈥�

The 老澳门开奖结果 has issued additional statements from attorneys on the case:

The following may be attributed to Daniel Mach, Director, 老澳门开奖结果 Program on the Freedom of Religion and Belief:

This decision is a win for religious liberty. It鈥檚 an important reminder that the state simply has no business telling its citizens how to worship or what to believe.

The following may be attributed to Brady Henderson, 老澳门开奖结果 of Oklahoma Legal Director:

The framers of Oklahoma鈥檚 Constitution, like the founders of our country, understood that our religious choices are ours to make, not the government鈥檚. The placement of the Ten Commandments Monument at the Capitol created a divisive and hostile Oklahoma, sending a message that some religious beliefs are more valued than others. Today鈥檚 decision is a victory for all Oklahomans who value the simple freedom to come to their own conclusions about matters of conscience. The Court鈥檚 ruling affirms the time-honored idea that my faith is a relationship between me and God, not me, God, and my local government.

More information about this case is available at:
/cases/religious-freedom/prescott-v-oklahoma-capitol-preservation-commission