Liberty Counsel Requests Support for Ten Commandments Case
Mathew D. Staver, president and general counsel of the national public interest firm that will be arguing the Ten Commandments case before the U.S. Supreme Court next February is asking for prayers and financial support to tackle the blockbuster case.
In a letter mailed to the constituents of Florida-based Liberty Counsel, Staver estimated the cost of the court battles involving the Ten Commandments to exceed $500,000.
Staver will be defending McCreary County in a suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky. The ACLU argues that framed copies of the Ten Commandments, which hung in McCreary and Pulaski county courthouses, are government endorsements of religion. The courthouses added other historical documents such as the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence following the suit.
The Supreme Court hasnt reviewed a case involving the display of the Ten Commandments since its 1980 decision that banned posting the Ten Commandments in public schools. But conflicting lower rulings have forced the justices to give another look to the controversial issue.
The stakes of the case are high, according to Staver.
A loss would mean that all references to religion in the public square and in public school curriculum would come under attack, wrote Staver in the letter, adding that the Pledge of Allegiance and even the nation's motto, "In God We Trust, would be in danger of eradication.
With God's help, we are determined not to let that happen, he said. We have one shot at this case.
Liberty Counsel has also launched a website to post updates on the case, www.defendtheten.org.
For more information on Liberty Counsel, visit www.lc.org.