Last night, while watching Hannity & Colmes on Fox News (10/26/2006), a segment featured an African-American man who was held in contempt of court for saying “Oh, God.” What’s going on here? Is it still not the United States of America, where the Supreme Court of the United States opens its daily sessions with the invocation: “God save the United States and this Honorable Court”?

I didn’t hear which state court this gentleman appeared in, but I have a hunch it was somewhere in California. Perhaps that judge forgot that engraved in stone on the head of the Chief Justice of the United States are the Ten Commandments. Moses is also included among the great lawgivers in the Herman A. MacNeil marble sculpture relief on the East Portico in case there is any doubt as to where those Ten Commandments originated.

Our National Declaration of Independence upholds our God-given rights. These inherent rights have never been more happily expressed than in the Declaration of Independence, which states: “We hold that these truths are self-evident that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights and that among them are the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and to assure them, not to grant them, but to assure them, governments are instituted among men.

United Supreme Court 1844, in the case Vidal v. Girard Enforcers, 43 US 126, 132, Judge Joseph Story issued the court opinion. The case concerned Stephen Girard, a deist from France, who had moved to Philadelphia and later died. In his will he left all of his property, valued at more than $ 7 million, to establish an orphanage and a school, with the stipulation that no religious influence would be allowed. The city rejected the proposal, as stated by its attorneys:

“The proposed education plan is anti-Christian and therefore repugnant to the law …”

Supreme Court of the United States on February 29, 1892, in the case of Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 143 US 457-458, 465-471, 36 L ed 226, Judge Josiah Brewer issued the superior court decision stating:

“The Declaration of Independence recognizes the presence of the Divine in human affairs … The happiness of a people and the good order and preservation of civil government depend essentially on piety, religion and morality … Religion, morality and knowledge [are] necessary for the good government, the preservation of the freedom and the happiness of the humanity “.

The judge who recently couldn’t stand “Oh God” in his court would do well to remember that freedom of speech is upheld in the first amendment to the Constitution. Furthermore, it is historically recognized and documented throughout our national history that we are a Christian, God-fearing nation. This judge acted dishonorably and should be held in contempt of court, not the citizen who said “Oh Lord.”