Ten Commandments

The Supreme Court handed down two decisions regarding the display of the Ten Commandments, one prohibiting it, and one allowing it. The only conclusion I can draw is they really don't know what they are doing. It appears like many justices seem to think it is their job to protect us from religion, but if there are enough secular display around it, it is ok.

In McCreary County, Kentucky, et al. v. American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky et al. they said it was not OK to display it in Kentucky Courthouses

• Syllabus
• Opinion (Souter)
• Concurrence (O’Connor)
• Dissent (Scalia; Rehnquist and Thomas join, and Kennedy joins partially)

In Van Orden V. Perry they said it was OK to display it among the 21 historical markers and 17 monuments surrounding the Texas State Capitol

• Syllabus
• Opinion (Rehnquist)
• Concurrence (Scalia)
• Concurrence (Thomas)
• Concurrence (Breyer)
• Dissent (Stevens; Ginsburg join)
• Dissent (O’Connor)
• Dissent (Souter; Ginsburg and Stevens join)

SCOTUSblog has an interesting discussion of these decisions.