Should a county judge (USA) have his walls decorated with Christian art?

lcmcpa

Any reason you are keeping the state a secret? An Alabama judge was order by the Supreme Court to remove his religious artifacts. It is illegal and the judge knows it. He is flaunting the law. Contact the ACLU and see if they want to pursue it.

GOODKyle

Of course he does. Everyone has a right to express themselves here in the good old USA

danny14551

The judges chamber is his personal space and he can decorate it anyway he wants, it is his office. they have to pay with there own money for an extras they bring into their chambers. Be more concerned with your self since you were the one in court.

ohioguy4jc

The same forefathers you are referring to also fought for the freedom of religion. Remember that part?

kysersozeus

This is going too far. I am not Cristian but so what if a person has his PERSONAL space decorated with religious art? Let us assume he paid for it.
Why are people not offended when Churches (Like that of the Reverened fruitcake Wright) while taking tax exupmtions become political?
I had a poster of "Three Kings" in my office onceand I was employed. Like said, I am not a Chrisitan. I liked it for its artistic rendering. Almost 99% of our county was Christian. My Bosses had the stupidity of making me take it down whild another peice of art -a Buddhist one was allowed to stay put. That is height of politcal correctness (read stupidity.
P.S. I am not a Buddhist either.

raichasays

It's his private office, not his courtroom. No religion is being promoted in the courtroom.

He has a right to his own religious beliefs and to surround himself with symbols of his faith in his private office.

Unless you have proof that the judge's decision was biased or unfair due to his religious beliefs, there is nothing to complain about.

EDIT - Paying your taxes does not give you the right to suppress the judge's freedom of religion in what is set aside as his private office space. If your boss told you that you could not wear a religious symbol around your own neck at work, or that you could not display patriotic, religious items, anti-war slogans or the Darwinian fish at your desk, would you feel that he/she was suppressing your first amendment rights? The judge is no different from you in that regard, so long as he is not promoting his religion in his public capacity.

The Alabama case was different. Those symbols were in the actual courtroom. This judge may be skirting danger if he regularly conducts public business in his private space, but for the most part, he is within his own constitutional rights.

cj k

Well you ask 2 different thing. Your first question is should he? then you ask can he legally?

I would say it is in poor taste and he shouldn't do that, but he can legally decorate his private chambers in Satanic pentagrams and depictions of animal sacrifices if he was so inclined and the rules of that court don't prohibit it.. The legal precedent is for judges using denominational symbols in public locations, where as his chambers (even if the public is invited into it on a regular basis) is his 'office' and is not governed by constitutional rules, only the rules of the leadership of the court.

So you could complain to his superiors if you want to, but don't expect much.

Bushrod Isbister

If its his office, he can decorate it as he pleases.

Colon Blow

Actually, our founding fathers got this country going with the idea of God blessing it. "Separation" was a different generation's idea. By the way...more power to the county judge you speak of. He has every right to glorify Christ in his office.

mr doodles

If the artwork were in the court room where the public is then i would have to say no but in his private chambers (you have to beware of the word private) he can do as he pleases about the type of art he wants to surround him. liberals have the idea that the founding fathers wanted religion out of government but that was not the case when this was put in the constitution. the pilgrams that came to america wanted religious freedom mostly from england. If you have studied early american history the pilgrams did not want a national religion like england and other european countries had. pilgrams did not want a national religion period. liberals have stressed the seperation of church and state and have distorted the real meaning of what the founding fathers meant by this statement. since you state that you are not a christian does not keep you from practicing your religion as well as the judge does. mr doodles

blackmule

All judges should.

peter a

he has the right to decorate his office, but it would be illegal if he decorate the court in which he operates in that manner.

springchic

I feel it is "his" office and he can decorate how he pleases. The people elected him and they obviously approved of his belief system. I work in a courthouse and I have always been allowed to decorate my office the way I want to. I firmly believe in seperation of church and state, but I also firmly believe I spend ALOT of time (and so does a JUDGE) in that office and I will put whatever I choose on the walls. If you dont like it, dont go there.
I guarantee you-if he is a county judge-he paid for his artwork. County commissions are notorious for not paying for needed supplies much less pictures.

Zach

The First Amendment protects us from the government imposing a national religion and our free exercise of our religion. Our founding fathers fought so we could exercise our own religion so long as our government doesn't attempt to impose their religion upon us.

It is his private chambers and so it is legal to have it in his office. As many others have said it is a different story if he puts things in his courtroom. To not allow him to put these things in his office would violate HIS first amendment rights. I work for the government and my boss has Christian things in his office, but it is legal for him to do so because he has the right to express that.

If you have issues with it, request to speak with him in another office or in a conference room away from the pictures.

your worst nightmare

yes he can....they are his walls....he can decorate them as he wishes....who cares who paid for it.....maybe the local churches donated it

dsenart34

I think if he had this kind of art displayed in his Courtroom someone would throw a fit until it was removed. However decorated in his own personal chamber, I don't think the same think is applied.

I personally believe there should be a seperation in church vs. state to the point where there is not an established religion set forth for the entire country, but I don't see anything wrong with a courtroom having a bible or a cross, or a koran or any other religious materials. Just because there isn't an established religion in government, it doesn't mean that individuals in government don't have one sort of faith or another. People state by displaying religious material someone is "forcing their religion on them" but if that was true then every commercial you see or hear is "forcing" their product on you and you should sue every company and advertising agency that ever advertised. Also doesn't our money say "IN GOD WE TRUST" on it? Does your money turn you off too for being religous and issued by the government?

Ozark Woman

People that go to jail have the right to worship(or not) anyway they choose. Why would a judge not be able to put whatever art work on his wall he chooses?
Just because you are not a christian does not make him in the wrong, just as being democrate or republican makes nobody right or wrong....I would worry about something important, and let the judge do his own thing, it is none of your business as long as he did not "preach to you or try to force his religion down your throat".

Miss Fix It

It's his office.
Does he have an elected position? If so, rally the atheists to vote him out next term. If not, well, look up his caseload and decision record to see if he has any obvious bias.

BrittanyBaby=)

i only read the top part
but
might offend sum ppl

Reid

It is his chamber and he has the right to put up Christian art is he feels like it. This has nothing to do with seperation fo church and state. He has a right to what belongs to him. He is allowed to be pround of his religion. It isn't forcing anybody to join christianity. The founding fathers basically meant that the church shouldn't BECOME the state.
It is an office!

Mr. Goodhi

No..

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