In the seemingly unending war between religious fanatics and our Constitution, a recent battle has caught the public eye.

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore has been suspended because his religious beliefs have affected his ability to properly represent our American ideals.

Moore is responsible for placing a 5,300 pound monument displaying the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Alabama Supreme Court building. He is also responsible for not removing it as ordered by federal entities as well as by his colleagues.

It is unfortunate this man achieved high status in our legal system in the first place. Although radical, his current actions are not surprising knowing what he has said in previous years about certain hot button topics.

One would wonder what Moore thinks about homosexuality. Last February, he ruled against a lesbian woman trying to obtain custody over her three children. Moore rejected the woman’s request, saying homosexuality is “an act so heinous that it defies one’s ability to describe it.” He justified his comments shunning homosexuality via the oft-quoted anti-homosexuality Bible verses in Genesis and Leviticus. Justice Moore has even hinted that capital punishment might be suitable for homosexual offenders.

Some of us are familiar with this line of thought, and most would attribute it to none other than the notorious Fred Phelps. It’s surprising the chief justice could retain his position this long having ideas shared with the man everyone loves to hate. If Moore continues on the path he is walking, I fear he might find himself unemployed.

Moore’s supporters are equally guilty for trying to force their religion onto others. At a rally in favor of Moore’s controversial monument, a speaker condemned Islam, comparing the prophet Allah to Lucifer.

Where is the tolerance taught by Jesus? I hate to sound like a pacifist hippie, but I don’t understand why we can’t all get along.

As I muddled my way through a lot of Bible-thumping to prepare for this article, I found one Christian activist who stood out more than anyone else, with the exception of Moore, of course. Randall Terry takes the cake for arguing with seemingly no logic at all. Apparently, Mr. Terry thinks our current government is “behaving like Mao Tse-Tung or Josef Stalin or Adolf Hitler, where there is a conscious effort to drive the Ten Commandments out of the public square.”

I have a few other connections between our governmental officials and ruthless dictators Mr. Terry might want to investigate. Among them is the fact that all of them walk on two legs; they are warm-blooded and their names can be spelled with letters from the alphabet.

Moore gives Christianity a bad name. Fortunately, there are good Christians out there — I happen to work with one I respect greatly. He gives countless amounts of time to his church selflessly. Unfortunately, he isn’t interviewed by numerous networks nor is he given awards for being the great societal contributor he is. Instead, the fanatics achieve religious glory. This idea is proven by the actions of hundreds of Christians who are currently protesting the removal of the monument. I don’t think the protesters understand their actions are of little significance. They think they can receive great recognition for jumping on the bandwagon, but in the end, their cause will not be furthered.

I fail to see how having the monument at the courthouse betters religion — I don’t believe it will help anyone pray better or feel closer to God. So, the only reason for its creation must have been to rub the Christian lifestyle in everyone’s faces. Whenever anyone acts in this manner, the only goal accomplished is pissing people off.

I don’t complain about our money saying “In God We Trust” or having to swear under God that I’ll tell the truth in a courtroom. In return, I wish Christians would stop trying to squeeze religion into every conceivable nook and cranny of our government and public education system. People don’t need Jesus and the Bible to lead perfectly moral lives. Some of the best people I’ve met in my lifetime have been atheists. Maybe it’s because they are living for today while others spend their time preparing for death.

Chief Justice Moore, you don’t like homosexuals parading their lifestyle down your street, so don’t be a hypocrite. Your religious lifestyle should be of a private nature. I’d appreciate it if you’d try to keep it in the closet.