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SEND YOUR CHECKS OR MONEY ORDER TO: GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT FOUNDATION
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Box 190 #628
Washington DC 20004
CONTACT: info@godinthetemplesofgovernment.com
August 18 2011 www.reelfilmnews.com/?p=3188
A Website That Asks the Question of the Relationship Between Religion and Government Posted on August 18, 2011 by wayres8935 A colleague of mine forwarded me over the link to her website and asked Reel Film News to take a look at it. It concentrates on the inclusion of religious symbols within government. Now, most everyone knows that officially there is a “separation of church and state” but surprisingly there are a lot of religious symbols within government.
One example of this is to take out a $1 bill from your wallet/purse and turn it over. You’ll see the words “In God we Trust.” That in itself questions the so called separation of church and state.
If you browse down on her page you’ll notice a video that was put together by Grae Stafford and directed by my colleague Carrie Devorah. I advise you give it a watch and you’ll see many landmarks here in the DC area that we all know and appreciate, and the subtle addition of “God” and religious symbols into the landmarks. It’s a very interesting subject to be sure.
To check out the page and get information on just where you’ll see this and how much religion and God has impacted our government, head over to www.godinthetemplesofgovernment.com
August 8 2011 http://www.politicalchristian.org/wordpress/2011/03/08/seven-days/
December 2 2010 Bing uses Devorah's "Lady of Liberty" in search engine
November 3 2010 PRESS RELEASE: Third time I happened to notice my Cafe Press "GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT" headlining the top of the www.drudgereport.com page... grin October 29 2010 PRESS RELEASE: International photographer Carrie Devorah located and archived 16 new representations of the TEN COMMANDMENTS in the Capitol area previously undiscussed, in faith debates. Devorah says she also located 9 additional Moses along with other imageries she has been archiving for her God project “GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT.
November 3 2010 PRESS RELEASE: Third time I happened to notice my Cafe Press "GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT" headlining the top of the www.drudgereport.com page... grin October 29 2010 PRESS RELEASE: International photographer Carrie Devorah located and archived 16 new representations of the TEN COMMANDMENTS in the Capitol area previously undiscussed, in faith debates. Devorah says she also located 9 additional Moses along with other imageries she has been archiving for her God project “GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT. October 31 2010 Cafepress.com headlined my GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT image in their Halloween night ad on www.Drudgereport.com !!!! Awesome
http://www.cafepress.ca/+banner,266546298?cmp=dac--ta--us--000--00000&utm_source=Tellapart&utm_campaign=retargeting&pid=6673149&utm_medium=display Banner on CafePress.com www.cafepress.ca
August 25 2010
Press Release: My “GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT” Café Press banner
headlined Drudgereport. www.cafepress.ca
October 15 2009
Courthouse News Service - Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich used her copyrighted photos without permission in his book, "Rediscovering God in America," Carrie Devorah claims in DC Federal Court.
Devorah also sued Thomas Nelson publishers and its imprint, Integrity Publishers. She says the defendants knew or should have known her photos were copyrighted, as they appeared in her book, "God in the Temples of Government," which was published in 2003. Nelson published Gingrich's book in 2006.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/10/15/New_Complaints.htm
October 26 2006
ISBN: 978-1-59145-482-3, Rediscovering God In America
Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our Nation's History and Future
by Newt Gingrich is published by Thomas Nelson Inc
http://www.politicalchristian.org/wordpress/2011/03/08/seven-days/
REMEMBERING OUR CHRISTIAN HERITAGE
THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE
www.theshepherdsvoice.org
WASHINGTON - Our nation has a very rich and substantial Judeo-Christian heritage. Our founding fathers believed the Bible to be the word of God. So this July 4th weekend, as we remember our nation's history, we want to give you an idea of just how much of our Christian heritage is on display in Washington D.C., our nation's Capitol.
Washington D.C. is a city of power and influence, but it is also a city sparkling with the Christian heritage of this nation. Groups like the ACLU want the name of God and government to be separate but that will be pretty difficult here in our nation's capitol.
As a matter of fact, right at 17th and Constitution Avenue is a pretty good place to start. Literally, within a few minutes walk, you bump into so many references to God that the ACLU very well might have a fit.
Carrie Devorah is an investigative photojournalist behind a project called "God in the Temples of Government." She has been searching Washington for signs of a godly heritage, and boy, has she found some. She led us to the prophet Daniel, literally.
He is actually tucked behind some bushes on the property of the Organization of American States building, which is partly funded by Congress." Many employees there did not even know about the statue.
Devorah said, "None of them had a clue where he was, and I don't think anybody knows the condition he's in. He's made from concrete and as you can see he's falling apart, but I have faith in Daniel."
Her tour was not finished. Just down the block, there is an inscription at The Daughters of the American Revolution building. It says, "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair the event. The event is in the hands of God." In our nation's Capitol, there is an inscription of Proverbs 22:28 quoted for everyone to see. Maybe it is a message for the ACLU: "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set."
When we walked by The Department of the Interior, it looked like one of your run-of-the-mill government buildings. But Carrie revealed to us that, behind one of the corner walls, is a time capsule and inside is, among other things, a Bible. It was put there by archaeologists years ago.
Then Devorah brought us to the statue of General Jose Artigas in the middle of this busy intersection on Constitution Avenue, right on federal government property. As our camera peered in, we noticed a cross on his boot. That made Devorah wonder.
She said, "All it takes is one person to walk by and say I don't believe in God, I don't believe in religion, and every time I look at that, it may be just be a decoration on a boot, but I see it as being a cross and I want it taken off."
Then she took a walk over to the Korean Veterans Memorial. Talk about Judeo-Christian Heritage. She found a cross and the Star of David, right there on the Korean Wall!
Devorah said, "It's become almost like being a kid in a candy shop, because there's so much to find."
David Barton, president of the Christian heritage group, Wallbuilders, says that is so true. Take the U.S. Capitol, for instance.
Barton said, "Just walk into the Rotunda. In the Rotunda, four paintings hang on the wall. You have two prayer meetings, a Bible study and a baptism. That's just walking into the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol."
Besides the Capitol, you will find references to God at the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Archives, Senate and House office buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Library of Congress.
As we walked into the main reading room of the Library of Congress, there is a bronze statue of Moses holding The Ten Commandments. On the ceiling, a painting called "Judea" shows a young Israeli woman raising her hands in prayer to God. And there are also quotes on the wall like this: "The heavens declare the glory of God." And down the hallway in the main lobby, two Bibles are on display.
In the National Archives, as our camera panned down from the majestic rotunda, we found a bronze medallion on the floor and right at the top, this: The Ten Commandments, front and center.
At the Jefferson Memorial, God's name is mentioned numerous times, including the famous quote, 'God who gave us life, gave us liberty."
At the Lincoln Memorial, words like "Nation under God," "Bible" and "prayer" are everywhere.
In the Senate and House office buildings, there is a plaque that says "In God we trust."
At the Washington Monument, inside the dark stairway we found almost 200 carved plaques donated by the states. Many of them show scripture verses from the Bible, and others have sayings like "holiness to the Lord." On the outside aluminum tip, there is a Latin phrase inscribed that says 'Laus Deo,' which means 'Praise be to God.' They actually have a replica of the tip inside. But the 'Praise Be to God' phrase is not visible. It is actually against the wall, so it is hard to see.
At the U.S. Supreme Court, The Ten Commandments are located in a few different places, including above the judge's courtroom bench. Yet even with all these references to God in our federal buildings, there are some judges out there who say God and government just do not go together.
Barton said, "You have judges that say we don't believe that and we don't like that religion in politics, so we're going to stop this. And that's what we have, and that's why nearly every decision we have [from] the court will break down between whether the constitution really means something, or whether they'll rewrite it according to [their] will."
And so you see scenes like The Ten Commandments rolled away in Alabama. And that is just the beginning. But the reality is, God's name is cemented in stone, and that is something that cannot be disregarded.
Devorah commented, "I think it's being disregarded because it's politically incorrect, and I tease people about the 'pc' (politically correct). I have the other 'pc,' which is 'pictorially correct.'"
Sometimes you just cannot argue with the evidence. So the ACLU and other groups may try to remove God from the public square, but what they cannot remove is the undeniable fact that our nation was born on the principles of Almighty God, and the pictures are there to prove it.
July 12 2010
Gingrich sued by photographer By: Patrick Gavin
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich faces a lawsuit from a D.C.-area photographer for pictures included in his 2006 book, "Rediscovering God in America."
Carrie Devorah describes herself in the lawsuit as "a professional photographer and photojournalist," and she is frequently seen at various Washington events snapping pictures of visiting celebrities.
Devorah also alleges that Gingrich used some of her copyrighted photos in a 2003 essay, "God in the Temples of Government." The photos include a statue of Moses in the Library of Congress and the White House's Adams Prayer Mantel.
Among the charges in Devorah's 46-page complaint, obtained by POLITICO, is that "Mr. Gingrich has caused tortious injury in the District of Columbia by infringing Ms. Devorah's copyrights in photographs within this District; Ms. Devorah resides in the District of Columbia and will suffer the effects of the tortious injury committed by Mr. Gingrich in this District."
The lawsuit says that the conduct of Gingrich and his publisher, Thomas Media Inc. (Thomas Media Inc. and Integrity Media Inc. are named as defendants in the lawsuit), have "been and continues to be intentional, willful, and with full knowledge of Ms. Devorah's copyright interests and infringement thereof."
Devorah is seeking such things as an injunction against Gingrich and Thomas Media and "an award of actual damages, including licensing fees or reasonable royalties, and profits as permitted under the Copyright Act, in an amoùnt to be determined at trial."
Through a representative, Devorah declined to comment. POLITICO has contacted Gingrich's office for comment.© 2010 Capitol News Company, LLC
2009
PRESS RELEASE: Selected images from GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT published in “Lessons On Liberty: A Primer For Young Patriots An Early & Pleasant Guide To Our Country's History Adorned with Drawings By Judy Mitchell
Peter A. Lillback and Judy Mitchell Published by THe Providence Forum
West Conshohocken PA 19428
ISBN: 0-9786062-8-4
2005
PRESS RELEASE: Selected images from GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT published in The Silencing of God: The Dismantling of America's Christian Heritage
Dave Miller, PHD Apologetics Press, Montgomery Alabama
ISBN 978-1-60063-018-7
March 14 2005
GOD BELONGS IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT By Kudlow, Lawrence
Publication: Human Events
TEN COMMANDMENTS DISPLAYS SHOULD STAY PUT
Much has been written about the Supreme Court case of Van Orden v. Perry, which has at its center a monument of the Ten Commandments that has stood between the Texas State Capitol and the Texas Supreme Court in Austin since 1961. Thomas Van Orden wants to remove it. The state of Texas wants to keep it right where it is.
The Ten Commandments should stay right where they are-in all cases. Various monuments, structures and statues of the Ten Commandments can be found all over the United States, including some highly visible spots in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of "God in the Temples of Government," a photo essay by Carrie Devorah in HUMAN EVENTS (the crusading national conservative weekly), we are reminded of three prominent monuments in the capital city: Moses and the Ten Commandments can be found in the rotunda of the Library of Congress, on the rear facade of the U.S. Supreme Court and inside the Supreme Court's courtroom.
The Ten Commandments are literally chiseled into the American way of life. But there is a campaign going on that would rid this country of any and all religious references. This is part of the ongoing culture war that would stop religious expression in politics and the public square, even though we remain the most religious of all the major industrial countries. Fortunately, brave people like state Atty. Gen. Greg Abbott, who recently argued the Texas position in Van Orden v. Perry before the Supremes, want to keep it that way.
Religion has always been central to our national identity. Religious references do not violate the First Amendment, which was never intended to bar all religious expression or discussion from national discourse. James Madison himself, the author of the First Amendment, was sworn in with his left hand on the Bible. So was George Washington, and, I believe, every President since.
The Ten Commandments provide the very foundation of our nation's legal code. They also make up the basis of the moral values that thankfully guide us in our everyday
March 8 2005
THE BIG TEN by Larry Kudlow - Larry Kudlow, NRO’s Economics Editor, is host of CNBC’s Kudlow & Company and author of the daily web blog, Kudlow’s Money Politic$.
The Big Ten, They’re a good thing.
Much has been written about the Supreme Court case of Van Orden v. Perry, which has at its center a monument of the Ten Commandments that has stood between the Texas State Capitol and the Texas Supreme Court in Austin since 1961. Thomas Van Orden wants to remove it. The state of Texas wants to keep it right where it is.
The Ten Commandments should stay right where they are — in all cases. Various monuments, structures, and statues of the Ten Commandments can be found all over the U.S., including some highly visible spots in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of “God in the Temples of Government,” a photo essay by Carrie Devorah in Human Events (the crusading national conservative weekly), we are reminded of three prominent monuments in the capital city: Moses and the Ten Commandments can be found in the rotunda of the Library of Congress, on the rear façade of the U.S. Supreme Court, and inside the Supreme Court’s courtroom.
The Ten Commandments are literally chiseled into the American way of life. But there is a campaign going on that would rid this country of any and all religious references. This is part of the ongoing culture war that would stop religious expression in politics and the public square, even though we remain the most religious of all the major industrial countries. Fortunately, brave people like state attorney general Greg Abbott, who recently argued the Texas position in Van Orden v. Perry before the Supremes, want to keep it that way.
Religion has always been central to our national identity. Religious references do not violate the First Amendment, which was never intended to bar all religious expression or discussion from national discourse. James Madison himself, the author of the First Amendment, was sworn in with his left hand on the Bible. So was George Washington, and, I believe, every president since.
The Ten Commandments provide the very foundation of our nation’s legal code. They also make up the basis of the moral values that thankfully guide us in our everyday lives.
I have a suspicion, however, that too many folks forget what’s on that list of commandments, or maybe never learned them in the first place. And even if we do know the Ten Commandments by heart, it never hurts to read them through and contemplate them from time to time. So here’s all ten:
I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before me.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
Honor thy mother and father.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet they neighbor’s wife.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.
I have a few direct questions for you: Is it such a bad thing to think about not killing, not stealing, not lying, and not committing adultery? Is it so bad to talk about honoring one’s parents? Or to think about a power greater than oneself — about God or some higher deity? Or to set aside just one day a week as a spiritual day, separate from the material strivings of the other six days?
Attempting to live by these moral and religious values is a worthy endeavor. No one of us is perfect; that role is for God alone. But if we strive for better values in our day-to-day lives, if we seek to meet the age-old standards of goodness and honesty, if we try to help our neighbors in all we do, won’t we be better people, even if our imperfections cause us to fall short?
I should think that anyone who strolls the grounds of the Texas state capitol, and for one moment stops to read the Ten Commandments on the monument that Mr. Abbott is trying to keep in place, will be the better for it. Moral commandments — like most spiritual thoughts in this day and age — seem too few and far removed from our usual toils and tribulations. But deep down inside we all have a desire to live as better citizens, better spouses, better parents, better co-workers, and better friends. An occasional reminder as to how to do this cannot be a bad thing. No — keeping the Ten Commandments in the public square must perforce be a good thing.
February 2005
PRESS RELEASE: Selected images from GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT appear as evidence in Amicus Brief No. 03-1500. Carrie Devorah is named an Authority by SCOTUS in The Supreme Court of the United States, Thomas Van Orden, petitioner v Rick Perry in his official capacity as Governor of Texas and Chairman, State Preservation Board Et Al, respondents On Writ of Certiorari To The United States Court of Appeals For the Fifth Circuit Bried For The Ethics and Public Policy Center as Amicaus Curiae In Support of Respondents:
Mark Perry Counsel of Record
Daniel J Davis
Ryan P Meyres
Dustin K Palmer
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Washington DC
Counsel For Amicus Curiae
July 2004
FINDING GOD’S SIGNATURE IN WASHINGTON
By David Brody http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/CWN/070204washington.asp
Washington D.C. is a city of power and influence, but it's also a city sparkling with the Christian heritage of this nation. Sometimes, you have to look a little bit close to find it.
CWNews.org – The United States has a very rich and substantial Judeo-Christian heritage. The nation's Founding Fathers believed the Bible to be the Word of God, and it shows.
So, in preparation for this year's July 4th Independence Day celebrations, I set out to see just how much our Christian heritage is on display in the nation's capitol.
Sometimes, you have to look a little bit close to find it.
Washington D.C. is a city of power and influence, but it's also a city sparkling with the Christian heritage of this nation.
Groups like the ACLU want the Name of God and government to be separate, but that'll be difficult here in our nation's capitol.
As a matter of fact, right here at 17th and Constitution Avenue is a pretty good place to start. Literally, within a few minutes walk, you can bump into so many references to God that the ACLU very well might have a fit.
Meet Carrie Devorah. She's an Investigative Photo-Journalist, behind a project called 'God in the Temples of Government.' She's been searching Washington, D.C. for signs of a Godly heritage, and boy, has she found some.
Carrie said, "Here at 17th and Constitution, I found God."
Soon she led us to the Bible prophet Daniel, literally. He's actually tucked behind some bushes on the property of the Organization of American States Building, which is partly funded by Congress. Many employees there didn't even know about the statue.
Carrie told me that, "None of them had a clue where he was. And," she went on, "I don't think anybody knows the condition he's in. He's made from concrete, and as you can see he's falling apart [from weathering]." She patted the statue fondly near the word 'liberty' on it, then said, "But I have faith in Daniel."
Her tour wasn't finished. Just down the block, there's this inscription at the Daughters of the American Revolution Building, a quote from our first President George Washington at the Constitutional Convention in 1787: "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair. The event is in the hands of God." There's also Proverbs 22:28 quoted for everyone to see. Maybe it's a message for the ACLU: "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set."
We walked by the Department of the Interior, it looked like one of your run-of-the- mill government buildings. But Carrie revealed to us that behind one of the corner walls is a time capsule. Inside is, among other things, a Bible put there by archaeologists years ago.
Then Carrie brought us here to the statue of General Jose Artigas in the middle of this busy intersection on Constitution Avenue, right on federal government property. As our camera peered in, we noticed this 'cross'-loops of gold braid décor-on his boot. It made Carrie wonder.
Carrie said, joking but also seriously, "All it takes is one person to walk by and say I don't believe in God, I don't believe in religion. And every time I look at that-it may be just be a decoration on a boot-but I see it as being a 'cross' and I want it taken off."
Then, Carrie took me on a walk over to the Korean Veterans Memorial. Talk about Judeo-Christian heritage, she found something that made me say, "Oh my goodness!" Because the Cross and the Star of David were right there on the Korean wall.
Carrie said, "It's almost like being a kid in a candy shop because there's so much to find." David Barton agreed, "That is so true!" David is President of The Christian Heritage Group, Wallbuilders.
Take the U.S. Capitol for instance. David Barton pointed out, "Just walk into the Rotunda. In the Rotunda, there are 4 paintings hanging on the wall. In those 4 paintings, you've got two prayer meetings, a Bible study and a baptism. That's just while walking into the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol!"
Besides reference to God in the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial, you'll find God's Name mentioned at the National Archives, Senate and House Office Buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Library of Congress.
As we walked into the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress, there's a bronze statue of Moses holding The Ten Commandments. On the ceiling, a painting called "Judea," shows a young Israeli woman raising her hands in prayer to God. There are also Bible quotes on the walls like: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork." And, down the hallway in the main lobby, two Gutenberg Bibles are on display.
In the National Archives, as our camera tilted down from the majestic Rotunda, we found a bronze medallion on the floor, and right at the top of it is The Ten Commandments, front and center.
At the Jefferson Memorial, God's name is mentioned numerous times, including the famous Jefferson quote, "God Who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?"
At the Lincoln Memorial, words like "Nation Under God", "Bible" and "Pray" are everywhere inscribed in the building stones.
In the Senate and House Office Buildings there's a plaque that says "In God We Trust."
At the Washington Monument, our CBN cameras managed to get inside the dark stairway. We found almost 200 carved plaques, donated by the States. Many of them show Scripture verses from the Bible and Bible sayings, like "Search the Scriptures" and "Holiness to the Lord". On the outside aluminum tip, there's a Latin phrase inscribed that says "Laus Deo", which means 'Praise Be To God.' They actually have a replica of the tip inside. But the 'Praise Be To God' phrase is not visible. Since it's actually against the wall, it's hard to see. (But our cameras managed to get its picture by using a mirror.)
At the U.S. Supreme Court Building, The Ten Commandments are located in several different places including on the carved stone frieze on the front of the building which shows Moses leaning his arm on The Ten Commandments, and The Ten Commandments is also on the wall above the judge's courtroom bench. Yet, even with all these references to God in our federal buildings, there are some judges out there who say God and government just don't go together.
David Barton said, "You have judges that say we don't believe that. And we don't like that 'religion in politics.' So we're going to stop this. And that's what we have today-that's why nearly every decision of the court will break down between whether they believe that the Constitution really means something it says, or whether they rewrite it according to their will."
So you see scenes like The Ten Commandments monument in Alabama being rolled away out of sight. But the reality is, God's name is chiseled in stone all around, and that is something that can not be disregarded..
Carrie said, "I think it's being disregarded because it's 'politically incorrect' and I tease people about 'the P.C.' I have 'the other P.C.'-the 'pictorially correct'."
Sometimes, you just can't argue with the evidence.
The ACLU and other groups may try to remove God from the public square, but what they can't remove is the undeniable fact that our nation was born on the principles of Almighty God and the pictures are there to prove it.
November 24 2003
HUMAN EVENTS: GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT (Part 1)
by Carrie Devorah
On November 13, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary ordered the removal of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore from his post. The decision resulted from Moore’s refusal to obey what he considered a tyrannical order from a federal judge commanding him to remove a stone monument of the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the Alabama supreme court building.
The federal court, which was not overruled because the Supreme Court refused to consider Moore's s appeal, insisted that the state of Alabama could not acknowledge God by displaying a religiously-based representation, even though the Alabama constitution says, "We, the people of the State of Alabama, in order to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution and form of government for the State of Alabama."
HUMAN EVENTS intern and photojournalist Carrie Devorah went to federal government buildings in the District of Columbia and photographed some of the many religious and religiously inspired items in those buildings. In addition, she obtained a picture from the White House of the Adams Prayer Mantel. These pictures are a small sampling of the many religious images scattered throughout government buildings in D.C. and around the country.
Will all of these images eventually be removed by the order of unrestrained federal judges? Will the Alabama state constitution?the current version of which was adopted over 100 years ago, in 1901?have to be revised? More important, will Congress and the President act to restrict federal courts jurisdiction over such matters, as the U.S. Constitution explicitly gives them the authority to do, before it is too late?
November 26 2003
WASHINGTON’S COMMANDMENTS
When this nation's citizens sit down tomorrow for their Thanksgiving turkey,
most will begin their meal with another traditional American custom: grace.
These days grace increasingly is held to be one of those things that should
remain purely private. But from the Mayflower Compact through George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, public acknowledgment of Providence as the source of both our law and our blessings has long been a prominent feature of American civic life too.
That's easy to lose sight of amid the turmoil over the recent removal Judge Roy Moore's Ten Commandments display from the Alabama Supreme Court or the seasonal wrangling over how just how many snowmen it takes for a creche on public property to pass legal muster. But when Human Events intern Carrie Devorah took her camera around the nation's capital, she found that our federal buildings and monuments are filled with religious imagery. The result is a striking photo essay called "God in the Temples of Government," available at the conservative weekly's Web site (HumanEventsOnline.com).
Not surprisingly, the Ten Commandments and Moses -- the law and the lawgiver -- feature prominently. Start with the large seal of the Commandments on the floor of the National Archives. Then move to the bronze statue of Moses in the Library of Congress. And let's not forget the Supreme Court, which features Moses both at the center on the East Portico as well as on a frieze inside the courtroom (less well known is that the prophet Mohammed appears on another frieze).
Miss Devorah also captures the stained glass window of a kneeling George
Washington, hands clasped as he recites the King James version of the 16th
Psalm. She includes too a quotation from Lord Tennyson hanging in the Library of Congress rotunda: "One God. One Law. One Element. And One Far-Off Divine Event To Which The Whole Creation Moves."
We could add the carving of the Ten Commandments on the wooden doors to the Supreme Court. The marble relief of the face of Moses that faces directly
opposite the Speaker's chair in the House of Representatives. Or the depiction in the Capitol rotunda of the sister ship of the Mayflower, the Speedwell, where the Bible is open on the chaplain's lap and the Pilgrim motto, "In God We Trust, God With Us," plainly visible on the ship sails.
Miss Devorah's photos only scratch the surface of America's religious heritage. But on the eve of Thanksgiving, they help remind us of the link between the faith of our forefathers and the freedoms that all Americans -- believers and nonbelievers -- give thanks for today.
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Box 190 #628
Washington DC 20004
CONTACT: info@godinthetemplesofgovernment.com
August 18 2011 www.reelfilmnews.com/?p=3188
A Website That Asks the Question of the Relationship Between Religion and Government Posted on August 18, 2011 by wayres8935 A colleague of mine forwarded me over the link to her website and asked Reel Film News to take a look at it. It concentrates on the inclusion of religious symbols within government. Now, most everyone knows that officially there is a “separation of church and state” but surprisingly there are a lot of religious symbols within government.
One example of this is to take out a $1 bill from your wallet/purse and turn it over. You’ll see the words “In God we Trust.” That in itself questions the so called separation of church and state.
If you browse down on her page you’ll notice a video that was put together by Grae Stafford and directed by my colleague Carrie Devorah. I advise you give it a watch and you’ll see many landmarks here in the DC area that we all know and appreciate, and the subtle addition of “God” and religious symbols into the landmarks. It’s a very interesting subject to be sure.
To check out the page and get information on just where you’ll see this and how much religion and God has impacted our government, head over to www.godinthetemplesofgovernment.com
August 8 2011 http://www.politicalchristian.org/wordpress/2011/03/08/seven-days/
December 2 2010 Bing uses Devorah's "Lady of Liberty" in search engine
November 3 2010 PRESS RELEASE: Third time I happened to notice my Cafe Press "GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT" headlining the top of the www.drudgereport.com page... grin October 29 2010 PRESS RELEASE: International photographer Carrie Devorah located and archived 16 new representations of the TEN COMMANDMENTS in the Capitol area previously undiscussed, in faith debates. Devorah says she also located 9 additional Moses along with other imageries she has been archiving for her God project “GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT.
November 3 2010 PRESS RELEASE: Third time I happened to notice my Cafe Press "GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT" headlining the top of the www.drudgereport.com page... grin October 29 2010 PRESS RELEASE: International photographer Carrie Devorah located and archived 16 new representations of the TEN COMMANDMENTS in the Capitol area previously undiscussed, in faith debates. Devorah says she also located 9 additional Moses along with other imageries she has been archiving for her God project “GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT. October 31 2010 Cafepress.com headlined my GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT image in their Halloween night ad on www.Drudgereport.com !!!! Awesome
http://www.cafepress.ca/+banner,266546298?cmp=dac--ta--us--000--00000&utm_source=Tellapart&utm_campaign=retargeting&pid=6673149&utm_medium=display Banner on CafePress.com www.cafepress.ca
August 25 2010
Press Release: My “GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT” Café Press banner
headlined Drudgereport. www.cafepress.ca
October 15 2009
Courthouse News Service - Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich used her copyrighted photos without permission in his book, "Rediscovering God in America," Carrie Devorah claims in DC Federal Court.
Devorah also sued Thomas Nelson publishers and its imprint, Integrity Publishers. She says the defendants knew or should have known her photos were copyrighted, as they appeared in her book, "God in the Temples of Government," which was published in 2003. Nelson published Gingrich's book in 2006.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/10/15/New_Complaints.htm
October 26 2006
ISBN: 978-1-59145-482-3, Rediscovering God In America
Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our Nation's History and Future
by Newt Gingrich is published by Thomas Nelson Inc
http://www.politicalchristian.org/wordpress/2011/03/08/seven-days/
REMEMBERING OUR CHRISTIAN HERITAGE
THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE
www.theshepherdsvoice.org
WASHINGTON - Our nation has a very rich and substantial Judeo-Christian heritage. Our founding fathers believed the Bible to be the word of God. So this July 4th weekend, as we remember our nation's history, we want to give you an idea of just how much of our Christian heritage is on display in Washington D.C., our nation's Capitol.
Washington D.C. is a city of power and influence, but it is also a city sparkling with the Christian heritage of this nation. Groups like the ACLU want the name of God and government to be separate but that will be pretty difficult here in our nation's capitol.
As a matter of fact, right at 17th and Constitution Avenue is a pretty good place to start. Literally, within a few minutes walk, you bump into so many references to God that the ACLU very well might have a fit.
Carrie Devorah is an investigative photojournalist behind a project called "God in the Temples of Government." She has been searching Washington for signs of a godly heritage, and boy, has she found some. She led us to the prophet Daniel, literally.
He is actually tucked behind some bushes on the property of the Organization of American States building, which is partly funded by Congress." Many employees there did not even know about the statue.
Devorah said, "None of them had a clue where he was, and I don't think anybody knows the condition he's in. He's made from concrete and as you can see he's falling apart, but I have faith in Daniel."
Her tour was not finished. Just down the block, there is an inscription at The Daughters of the American Revolution building. It says, "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair the event. The event is in the hands of God." In our nation's Capitol, there is an inscription of Proverbs 22:28 quoted for everyone to see. Maybe it is a message for the ACLU: "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set."
When we walked by The Department of the Interior, it looked like one of your run-of-the-mill government buildings. But Carrie revealed to us that, behind one of the corner walls, is a time capsule and inside is, among other things, a Bible. It was put there by archaeologists years ago.
Then Devorah brought us to the statue of General Jose Artigas in the middle of this busy intersection on Constitution Avenue, right on federal government property. As our camera peered in, we noticed a cross on his boot. That made Devorah wonder.
She said, "All it takes is one person to walk by and say I don't believe in God, I don't believe in religion, and every time I look at that, it may be just be a decoration on a boot, but I see it as being a cross and I want it taken off."
Then she took a walk over to the Korean Veterans Memorial. Talk about Judeo-Christian Heritage. She found a cross and the Star of David, right there on the Korean Wall!
Devorah said, "It's become almost like being a kid in a candy shop, because there's so much to find."
David Barton, president of the Christian heritage group, Wallbuilders, says that is so true. Take the U.S. Capitol, for instance.
Barton said, "Just walk into the Rotunda. In the Rotunda, four paintings hang on the wall. You have two prayer meetings, a Bible study and a baptism. That's just walking into the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol."
Besides the Capitol, you will find references to God at the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Archives, Senate and House office buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Library of Congress.
As we walked into the main reading room of the Library of Congress, there is a bronze statue of Moses holding The Ten Commandments. On the ceiling, a painting called "Judea" shows a young Israeli woman raising her hands in prayer to God. And there are also quotes on the wall like this: "The heavens declare the glory of God." And down the hallway in the main lobby, two Bibles are on display.
In the National Archives, as our camera panned down from the majestic rotunda, we found a bronze medallion on the floor and right at the top, this: The Ten Commandments, front and center.
At the Jefferson Memorial, God's name is mentioned numerous times, including the famous quote, 'God who gave us life, gave us liberty."
At the Lincoln Memorial, words like "Nation under God," "Bible" and "prayer" are everywhere.
In the Senate and House office buildings, there is a plaque that says "In God we trust."
At the Washington Monument, inside the dark stairway we found almost 200 carved plaques donated by the states. Many of them show scripture verses from the Bible, and others have sayings like "holiness to the Lord." On the outside aluminum tip, there is a Latin phrase inscribed that says 'Laus Deo,' which means 'Praise be to God.' They actually have a replica of the tip inside. But the 'Praise Be to God' phrase is not visible. It is actually against the wall, so it is hard to see.
At the U.S. Supreme Court, The Ten Commandments are located in a few different places, including above the judge's courtroom bench. Yet even with all these references to God in our federal buildings, there are some judges out there who say God and government just do not go together.
Barton said, "You have judges that say we don't believe that and we don't like that religion in politics, so we're going to stop this. And that's what we have, and that's why nearly every decision we have [from] the court will break down between whether the constitution really means something, or whether they'll rewrite it according to [their] will."
And so you see scenes like The Ten Commandments rolled away in Alabama. And that is just the beginning. But the reality is, God's name is cemented in stone, and that is something that cannot be disregarded.
Devorah commented, "I think it's being disregarded because it's politically incorrect, and I tease people about the 'pc' (politically correct). I have the other 'pc,' which is 'pictorially correct.'"
Sometimes you just cannot argue with the evidence. So the ACLU and other groups may try to remove God from the public square, but what they cannot remove is the undeniable fact that our nation was born on the principles of Almighty God, and the pictures are there to prove it.
July 12 2010
Gingrich sued by photographer By: Patrick Gavin
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich faces a lawsuit from a D.C.-area photographer for pictures included in his 2006 book, "Rediscovering God in America."
Carrie Devorah describes herself in the lawsuit as "a professional photographer and photojournalist," and she is frequently seen at various Washington events snapping pictures of visiting celebrities.
Devorah also alleges that Gingrich used some of her copyrighted photos in a 2003 essay, "God in the Temples of Government." The photos include a statue of Moses in the Library of Congress and the White House's Adams Prayer Mantel.
Among the charges in Devorah's 46-page complaint, obtained by POLITICO, is that "Mr. Gingrich has caused tortious injury in the District of Columbia by infringing Ms. Devorah's copyrights in photographs within this District; Ms. Devorah resides in the District of Columbia and will suffer the effects of the tortious injury committed by Mr. Gingrich in this District."
The lawsuit says that the conduct of Gingrich and his publisher, Thomas Media Inc. (Thomas Media Inc. and Integrity Media Inc. are named as defendants in the lawsuit), have "been and continues to be intentional, willful, and with full knowledge of Ms. Devorah's copyright interests and infringement thereof."
Devorah is seeking such things as an injunction against Gingrich and Thomas Media and "an award of actual damages, including licensing fees or reasonable royalties, and profits as permitted under the Copyright Act, in an amoùnt to be determined at trial."
Through a representative, Devorah declined to comment. POLITICO has contacted Gingrich's office for comment.© 2010 Capitol News Company, LLC
2009
PRESS RELEASE: Selected images from GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT published in “Lessons On Liberty: A Primer For Young Patriots An Early & Pleasant Guide To Our Country's History Adorned with Drawings By Judy Mitchell
Peter A. Lillback and Judy Mitchell Published by THe Providence Forum
West Conshohocken PA 19428
ISBN: 0-9786062-8-4
2005
PRESS RELEASE: Selected images from GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT published in The Silencing of God: The Dismantling of America's Christian Heritage
Dave Miller, PHD Apologetics Press, Montgomery Alabama
ISBN 978-1-60063-018-7
March 14 2005
GOD BELONGS IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT By Kudlow, Lawrence
Publication: Human Events
TEN COMMANDMENTS DISPLAYS SHOULD STAY PUT
Much has been written about the Supreme Court case of Van Orden v. Perry, which has at its center a monument of the Ten Commandments that has stood between the Texas State Capitol and the Texas Supreme Court in Austin since 1961. Thomas Van Orden wants to remove it. The state of Texas wants to keep it right where it is.
The Ten Commandments should stay right where they are-in all cases. Various monuments, structures and statues of the Ten Commandments can be found all over the United States, including some highly visible spots in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of "God in the Temples of Government," a photo essay by Carrie Devorah in HUMAN EVENTS (the crusading national conservative weekly), we are reminded of three prominent monuments in the capital city: Moses and the Ten Commandments can be found in the rotunda of the Library of Congress, on the rear facade of the U.S. Supreme Court and inside the Supreme Court's courtroom.
The Ten Commandments are literally chiseled into the American way of life. But there is a campaign going on that would rid this country of any and all religious references. This is part of the ongoing culture war that would stop religious expression in politics and the public square, even though we remain the most religious of all the major industrial countries. Fortunately, brave people like state Atty. Gen. Greg Abbott, who recently argued the Texas position in Van Orden v. Perry before the Supremes, want to keep it that way.
Religion has always been central to our national identity. Religious references do not violate the First Amendment, which was never intended to bar all religious expression or discussion from national discourse. James Madison himself, the author of the First Amendment, was sworn in with his left hand on the Bible. So was George Washington, and, I believe, every President since.
The Ten Commandments provide the very foundation of our nation's legal code. They also make up the basis of the moral values that thankfully guide us in our everyday
March 8 2005
THE BIG TEN by Larry Kudlow - Larry Kudlow, NRO’s Economics Editor, is host of CNBC’s Kudlow & Company and author of the daily web blog, Kudlow’s Money Politic$.
The Big Ten, They’re a good thing.
Much has been written about the Supreme Court case of Van Orden v. Perry, which has at its center a monument of the Ten Commandments that has stood between the Texas State Capitol and the Texas Supreme Court in Austin since 1961. Thomas Van Orden wants to remove it. The state of Texas wants to keep it right where it is.
The Ten Commandments should stay right where they are — in all cases. Various monuments, structures, and statues of the Ten Commandments can be found all over the U.S., including some highly visible spots in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of “God in the Temples of Government,” a photo essay by Carrie Devorah in Human Events (the crusading national conservative weekly), we are reminded of three prominent monuments in the capital city: Moses and the Ten Commandments can be found in the rotunda of the Library of Congress, on the rear façade of the U.S. Supreme Court, and inside the Supreme Court’s courtroom.
The Ten Commandments are literally chiseled into the American way of life. But there is a campaign going on that would rid this country of any and all religious references. This is part of the ongoing culture war that would stop religious expression in politics and the public square, even though we remain the most religious of all the major industrial countries. Fortunately, brave people like state attorney general Greg Abbott, who recently argued the Texas position in Van Orden v. Perry before the Supremes, want to keep it that way.
Religion has always been central to our national identity. Religious references do not violate the First Amendment, which was never intended to bar all religious expression or discussion from national discourse. James Madison himself, the author of the First Amendment, was sworn in with his left hand on the Bible. So was George Washington, and, I believe, every president since.
The Ten Commandments provide the very foundation of our nation’s legal code. They also make up the basis of the moral values that thankfully guide us in our everyday lives.
I have a suspicion, however, that too many folks forget what’s on that list of commandments, or maybe never learned them in the first place. And even if we do know the Ten Commandments by heart, it never hurts to read them through and contemplate them from time to time. So here’s all ten:
I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before me.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
Honor thy mother and father.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet they neighbor’s wife.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.
I have a few direct questions for you: Is it such a bad thing to think about not killing, not stealing, not lying, and not committing adultery? Is it so bad to talk about honoring one’s parents? Or to think about a power greater than oneself — about God or some higher deity? Or to set aside just one day a week as a spiritual day, separate from the material strivings of the other six days?
Attempting to live by these moral and religious values is a worthy endeavor. No one of us is perfect; that role is for God alone. But if we strive for better values in our day-to-day lives, if we seek to meet the age-old standards of goodness and honesty, if we try to help our neighbors in all we do, won’t we be better people, even if our imperfections cause us to fall short?
I should think that anyone who strolls the grounds of the Texas state capitol, and for one moment stops to read the Ten Commandments on the monument that Mr. Abbott is trying to keep in place, will be the better for it. Moral commandments — like most spiritual thoughts in this day and age — seem too few and far removed from our usual toils and tribulations. But deep down inside we all have a desire to live as better citizens, better spouses, better parents, better co-workers, and better friends. An occasional reminder as to how to do this cannot be a bad thing. No — keeping the Ten Commandments in the public square must perforce be a good thing.
February 2005
PRESS RELEASE: Selected images from GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT appear as evidence in Amicus Brief No. 03-1500. Carrie Devorah is named an Authority by SCOTUS in The Supreme Court of the United States, Thomas Van Orden, petitioner v Rick Perry in his official capacity as Governor of Texas and Chairman, State Preservation Board Et Al, respondents On Writ of Certiorari To The United States Court of Appeals For the Fifth Circuit Bried For The Ethics and Public Policy Center as Amicaus Curiae In Support of Respondents:
Mark Perry Counsel of Record
Daniel J Davis
Ryan P Meyres
Dustin K Palmer
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Washington DC
Counsel For Amicus Curiae
July 2004
FINDING GOD’S SIGNATURE IN WASHINGTON
By David Brody http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/CWN/070204washington.asp
Washington D.C. is a city of power and influence, but it's also a city sparkling with the Christian heritage of this nation. Sometimes, you have to look a little bit close to find it.
CWNews.org – The United States has a very rich and substantial Judeo-Christian heritage. The nation's Founding Fathers believed the Bible to be the Word of God, and it shows.
So, in preparation for this year's July 4th Independence Day celebrations, I set out to see just how much our Christian heritage is on display in the nation's capitol.
Sometimes, you have to look a little bit close to find it.
Washington D.C. is a city of power and influence, but it's also a city sparkling with the Christian heritage of this nation.
Groups like the ACLU want the Name of God and government to be separate, but that'll be difficult here in our nation's capitol.
As a matter of fact, right here at 17th and Constitution Avenue is a pretty good place to start. Literally, within a few minutes walk, you can bump into so many references to God that the ACLU very well might have a fit.
Meet Carrie Devorah. She's an Investigative Photo-Journalist, behind a project called 'God in the Temples of Government.' She's been searching Washington, D.C. for signs of a Godly heritage, and boy, has she found some.
Carrie said, "Here at 17th and Constitution, I found God."
Soon she led us to the Bible prophet Daniel, literally. He's actually tucked behind some bushes on the property of the Organization of American States Building, which is partly funded by Congress. Many employees there didn't even know about the statue.
Carrie told me that, "None of them had a clue where he was. And," she went on, "I don't think anybody knows the condition he's in. He's made from concrete, and as you can see he's falling apart [from weathering]." She patted the statue fondly near the word 'liberty' on it, then said, "But I have faith in Daniel."
Her tour wasn't finished. Just down the block, there's this inscription at the Daughters of the American Revolution Building, a quote from our first President George Washington at the Constitutional Convention in 1787: "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair. The event is in the hands of God." There's also Proverbs 22:28 quoted for everyone to see. Maybe it's a message for the ACLU: "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set."
We walked by the Department of the Interior, it looked like one of your run-of-the- mill government buildings. But Carrie revealed to us that behind one of the corner walls is a time capsule. Inside is, among other things, a Bible put there by archaeologists years ago.
Then Carrie brought us here to the statue of General Jose Artigas in the middle of this busy intersection on Constitution Avenue, right on federal government property. As our camera peered in, we noticed this 'cross'-loops of gold braid décor-on his boot. It made Carrie wonder.
Carrie said, joking but also seriously, "All it takes is one person to walk by and say I don't believe in God, I don't believe in religion. And every time I look at that-it may be just be a decoration on a boot-but I see it as being a 'cross' and I want it taken off."
Then, Carrie took me on a walk over to the Korean Veterans Memorial. Talk about Judeo-Christian heritage, she found something that made me say, "Oh my goodness!" Because the Cross and the Star of David were right there on the Korean wall.
Carrie said, "It's almost like being a kid in a candy shop because there's so much to find." David Barton agreed, "That is so true!" David is President of The Christian Heritage Group, Wallbuilders.
Take the U.S. Capitol for instance. David Barton pointed out, "Just walk into the Rotunda. In the Rotunda, there are 4 paintings hanging on the wall. In those 4 paintings, you've got two prayer meetings, a Bible study and a baptism. That's just while walking into the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol!"
Besides reference to God in the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial, you'll find God's Name mentioned at the National Archives, Senate and House Office Buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Library of Congress.
As we walked into the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress, there's a bronze statue of Moses holding The Ten Commandments. On the ceiling, a painting called "Judea," shows a young Israeli woman raising her hands in prayer to God. There are also Bible quotes on the walls like: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork." And, down the hallway in the main lobby, two Gutenberg Bibles are on display.
In the National Archives, as our camera tilted down from the majestic Rotunda, we found a bronze medallion on the floor, and right at the top of it is The Ten Commandments, front and center.
At the Jefferson Memorial, God's name is mentioned numerous times, including the famous Jefferson quote, "God Who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?"
At the Lincoln Memorial, words like "Nation Under God", "Bible" and "Pray" are everywhere inscribed in the building stones.
In the Senate and House Office Buildings there's a plaque that says "In God We Trust."
At the Washington Monument, our CBN cameras managed to get inside the dark stairway. We found almost 200 carved plaques, donated by the States. Many of them show Scripture verses from the Bible and Bible sayings, like "Search the Scriptures" and "Holiness to the Lord". On the outside aluminum tip, there's a Latin phrase inscribed that says "Laus Deo", which means 'Praise Be To God.' They actually have a replica of the tip inside. But the 'Praise Be To God' phrase is not visible. Since it's actually against the wall, it's hard to see. (But our cameras managed to get its picture by using a mirror.)
At the U.S. Supreme Court Building, The Ten Commandments are located in several different places including on the carved stone frieze on the front of the building which shows Moses leaning his arm on The Ten Commandments, and The Ten Commandments is also on the wall above the judge's courtroom bench. Yet, even with all these references to God in our federal buildings, there are some judges out there who say God and government just don't go together.
David Barton said, "You have judges that say we don't believe that. And we don't like that 'religion in politics.' So we're going to stop this. And that's what we have today-that's why nearly every decision of the court will break down between whether they believe that the Constitution really means something it says, or whether they rewrite it according to their will."
So you see scenes like The Ten Commandments monument in Alabama being rolled away out of sight. But the reality is, God's name is chiseled in stone all around, and that is something that can not be disregarded..
Carrie said, "I think it's being disregarded because it's 'politically incorrect' and I tease people about 'the P.C.' I have 'the other P.C.'-the 'pictorially correct'."
Sometimes, you just can't argue with the evidence.
The ACLU and other groups may try to remove God from the public square, but what they can't remove is the undeniable fact that our nation was born on the principles of Almighty God and the pictures are there to prove it.
November 24 2003
HUMAN EVENTS: GOD IN THE TEMPLES OF GOVERNMENT (Part 1)
by Carrie Devorah
On November 13, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary ordered the removal of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore from his post. The decision resulted from Moore’s refusal to obey what he considered a tyrannical order from a federal judge commanding him to remove a stone monument of the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the Alabama supreme court building.
The federal court, which was not overruled because the Supreme Court refused to consider Moore's s appeal, insisted that the state of Alabama could not acknowledge God by displaying a religiously-based representation, even though the Alabama constitution says, "We, the people of the State of Alabama, in order to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution and form of government for the State of Alabama."
HUMAN EVENTS intern and photojournalist Carrie Devorah went to federal government buildings in the District of Columbia and photographed some of the many religious and religiously inspired items in those buildings. In addition, she obtained a picture from the White House of the Adams Prayer Mantel. These pictures are a small sampling of the many religious images scattered throughout government buildings in D.C. and around the country.
Will all of these images eventually be removed by the order of unrestrained federal judges? Will the Alabama state constitution?the current version of which was adopted over 100 years ago, in 1901?have to be revised? More important, will Congress and the President act to restrict federal courts jurisdiction over such matters, as the U.S. Constitution explicitly gives them the authority to do, before it is too late?
November 26 2003
WASHINGTON’S COMMANDMENTS
When this nation's citizens sit down tomorrow for their Thanksgiving turkey,
most will begin their meal with another traditional American custom: grace.
These days grace increasingly is held to be one of those things that should
remain purely private. But from the Mayflower Compact through George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, public acknowledgment of Providence as the source of both our law and our blessings has long been a prominent feature of American civic life too.
That's easy to lose sight of amid the turmoil over the recent removal Judge Roy Moore's Ten Commandments display from the Alabama Supreme Court or the seasonal wrangling over how just how many snowmen it takes for a creche on public property to pass legal muster. But when Human Events intern Carrie Devorah took her camera around the nation's capital, she found that our federal buildings and monuments are filled with religious imagery. The result is a striking photo essay called "God in the Temples of Government," available at the conservative weekly's Web site (HumanEventsOnline.com).
Not surprisingly, the Ten Commandments and Moses -- the law and the lawgiver -- feature prominently. Start with the large seal of the Commandments on the floor of the National Archives. Then move to the bronze statue of Moses in the Library of Congress. And let's not forget the Supreme Court, which features Moses both at the center on the East Portico as well as on a frieze inside the courtroom (less well known is that the prophet Mohammed appears on another frieze).
Miss Devorah also captures the stained glass window of a kneeling George
Washington, hands clasped as he recites the King James version of the 16th
Psalm. She includes too a quotation from Lord Tennyson hanging in the Library of Congress rotunda: "One God. One Law. One Element. And One Far-Off Divine Event To Which The Whole Creation Moves."
We could add the carving of the Ten Commandments on the wooden doors to the Supreme Court. The marble relief of the face of Moses that faces directly
opposite the Speaker's chair in the House of Representatives. Or the depiction in the Capitol rotunda of the sister ship of the Mayflower, the Speedwell, where the Bible is open on the chaplain's lap and the Pilgrim motto, "In God We Trust, God With Us," plainly visible on the ship sails.
Miss Devorah's photos only scratch the surface of America's religious heritage. But on the eve of Thanksgiving, they help remind us of the link between the faith of our forefathers and the freedoms that all Americans -- believers and nonbelievers -- give thanks for today.
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