The Ten Commandments Monument is an outdoor monument installed on the

Arkansas State Capitol The Arkansas State Capitol, often called the Capitol Building, is the home of the Arkansas General Assembly, and the seat of the Arkansas state government that sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the Capitol Mall in Little Rock, Arkan ...

grounds in

Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...

, in the United States. The monument is being challenged as unconstitutional by the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...

(ACLU). The ACLU says that the monument demonstrates a religious preference, violating the

First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and the religious preference prohibition clause of the Arkansas State Constitution.

Initial installation

The monument was erected on the

grounds on 27 June 2017, then destroyed within 24 hours of its installation. The

Freedom From Religion Foundation The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an American nonprofit organization, which advocates for atheists, agnostics, and nontheists. Formed in 1976, FFRF promotes the separation of church and state, and challenges the legitimacy of many ...

, which had criticized the erection of the Arkansas monument on public government property, also criticized the illegal destruction of the monument. In a news release, FFRF stated: "FFRF does not condone violating the Constitution by erecting a Ten Commandments monument on the Arkansas Capitol grounds. Nor do we condone breaking the law to remove such a display."

Replacement and legal challenges

Following private fundraising from State Senator and Christian minister Jason Rapert, the monument was replaced on April 26, 2018. In protest against the monument,

The Satanic Temple The Satanic Temple, often abbreviated TST, is a nontheistic religious organization that is primarily based in the United States, with additional congregations in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Co-founded by Lucien Greaves, the or ...

offered to donate a bronze sculpture of Baphomet as a symbol of religious pluralism and freedom. The statue of goat-headed Baphomet was blocked because of a 2017 Arkansas law that requires legislative sponsorship for consideration of any monument. According to the Satanic Temple, the state legislature's rejecting one monument while allowing the other demonstrates an illegal religious preference. The Satanic Temple briefly exhibited their statue at the Capitol on August 16, 2018. State senator Rapert told THV 11 news that he "respects everyone's right to free speech under the First Amendment." But, he continued, "It will be a very cold day in hell before an offensive statue will be forced upon us to be permanently erected on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol". After the request to install the Baphomet statue was refused, in an alleged violation of the

Equal Protection Clause The Equal Protection Clause is part of the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The clause, which took effect in 1868, provides "''nor shall any State ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal ...

, Satanic Temple members were granted

legal standing Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...

to challenge the Ten Commandments monument. The monument is being challenged as unconstitutional by the

. The ACLU says that the monument demonstrates a religious preference, violating the

and the religious preference prohibition clause of the Arkansas State Constitution. The

Freedom from Religion Foundation The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an American nonprofit organization, which advocates for atheists, agnostics, and nontheists. Formed in 1976, FFRF promotes the separation of church and state, and challenges the legitimacy of many ...

, the

American Humanist Association The American Humanist Association (AHA) is a non-profit organization in the United States that advances secular humanism. The American Humanist Association was founded in 1941 and currently provides legal assistance to defend the constitutiona ...

, and the Arkansas Society of

Freethinker Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and that beliefs should instead be reached by other methods ...

s are also involved in litigation to challenge the monument.FFRF and ACLU Sue Arkansas Over 10 Commandments Monument
''Patheos'' May 23, 2018.

References

External links

* {{YouTube, 6AOX-_HdFKQ, Satanic Temple's Protest for First Amendment Rights 2017 establishments in Arkansas Monuments and memorials in Little Rock, Arkansas Outdoor sculptures in Arkansas Ten Commandments Vandalized works of art in Arkansas

Initial installation

Replacement and legal challenges

See also

References

External links