Satanic Temple Plans to Sue Arkansas

Current Events, ,

The Associated Press reports the Satanic Temple plans to join the ACLU in a lawsuit against the State of Arkansas over the new monument of the Ten Commandments on the Capitol lawn.

Arkansas unveiled the privately-funded Ten Commandments monument at a brief dedication ceremony yesterday.

The monument is identical to one the U.S. Supreme Court ruled constitutional in Texas in 2005.

You may recall the Satanic Temple threatened to put a satanic monument on the Capitol grounds a few years ago if Arkansas placed a Ten Commandments monument on the property; however, that effort never went anywhere in part because monuments require legislative approval. Arkansas is not obligated to put a statue of Satan alongside its monument of the Ten Commandments.

It’s worth mentioning that the monument installed yesterday actually is a replacement of one that was destroyed last year. You may recall a man plowed a car into the initial Ten Commandments monument less than 24 hours after it was placed on the Capitol lawn.

The ACLU and others who oppose the Ten Commandments monument were swift to issue public statements denouncing the destruction of that monument with a car, but they seem more than eager to try to destroy it with a lawsuit.

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Arkansas Unveils Ten Commandments Monument

Current Events, ,

From Left: State Senator Jason Rapert (R-Bigelow), and Family Council staff members Ken Yang, Charisse Dean, Luke McCoy, and Jerry Cox.

Today Arkansas’ new Ten Commandments monument was unveiled on the Capitol lawn in Little Rock.

The legislature authorized the privately funded monument in 2015, and construction was completed last year. However, less than 24 hours after the initial monument was unveiled, it was destroyed when a man plowed a car into it.

The replacement monument includes concrete bollards to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Meanwhile, several groups continue to oppose the Ten Commandments monument.

The ACLU has promised to sue the state to have the monument removed — even though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled an identical monument constitutional in Texas nearly thirteen years ago — and the leader of the Satanic Temple was present before today’s unveiling ceremony, along with several protesters.

Frankly, there just shouldn’t be anything controversial about honoring the significance of the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are one of the earliest examples of the rule of law in human history, and they have had a tremendous impact on western civilization. The Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are amazing documents, but the Ten Commandments are the great-great-granddaddy of them all.

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Come See the Ten Commandments Monument Unveiled Tomorrow!

Religious Freedom, ,

You and your family are invited to come see Arkansas’ monument of the Ten Commandments unveiled and dedicated at a brief ceremony tomorrow at 11:30 AM on the lawn outside the Arkansas Capitol Building in Little Rock.

The monument celebrates the impact the Ten Commandments have had on our civilization and our system of law.

This is your opportunity to be part of history. I hope you will join us for this momentous occasion. If you need directions or additional information, call our office at (501) 375-7000.

Below is a press release from the American History and Heritage Foundation about the unveiling.

On April 8, 2015, the Arkansas General Assembly passed SB939 – THE TEN COMMANDMENTS MONUMENT ACT – and Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the bill into law becoming ACT 1231. On June 27th, 2017, the original Ten Commandments Monument was installed on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol using private donations. In the early hours of June 28th, 2017, less than 24 hours after the monument had been erected, it was intentionally destroyed when a man rammed his vehicle into the monument. On April 26, 2018, just over 3 years since the law was first enacted, and less than one year since the monument was destroyed, the replacement monument will be installed and given to the State of Arkansas by the American History & Heritage Foundation which has fully funded the project.

The Foundation invites all interested Arkansas citizens to join them for a brief dedication of the Arkansas Ten Commandments Monument.

WHO: American History & Heritage Foundation

WHAT: Arkansas Ten Commandments Monument Re-Installation WHEN: Thursday, April 26, 2018, 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Arkansas State Capitol Grounds

A statement will be read on behalf of the American History & Heritage Foundation, Inc. honoring the gift of the new monument to the people of Arkansas and offering thanks to supporters who made private donations to make the monument possible. You can read more about the American History & Heritage Foundation at www.americanhistoryandheritage.org, follow them on Twitter @Am_Heritage or FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/AmericanHistoryHeritage/

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The American History & Heritage Foundation, Inc. is an Arkansas non-profit organization dedicated to educating and informing the public about American history and heritage.

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