ATLANTA – Several hundred people, including Georgia's governor, rallied at the state Capitol Monday to protest court decisions that have blocked displays of the Ten Commandments.
Gov. Sonny Perdue said citizens must ensure that they are permitted to display the Ten Commandments in public buildings. "Ours is a nation founded on freedom of religion, not freedom from religion," he said.
The rally was prompted by the suspension of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who refused a federal judge's order to remove a Ten Commandments monument (search) from a state judicial building. The monument's prototype was on display during Monday's rally, which was sponsored by the Christian Coalition of Georgia.
A few hours later, a rally that drew fewer than 20 people was held at the same spot to urge strict enforcement of the division between church and state.
Ed Buckner, regional director of the Council for Secular Humanism (search), said his group spoke for those "who understand that this is a free country, not a Christian nation."
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox