Judge Roy Moore: A modern-day ‘Braveheart’

By: E. Ray Moore Jr.

COMMENTARY--- Many remember the 1995 Mel Gibson movie “Braveheart” on the life of Scottish leader William Wallace, who led his nation to seek freedom from England and King Edward I. Wallace was betrayed by the Scottish nobles after carrying on a near impossible war and was executed. This incident so provoked the Scottish people that they were later able to secure their freedom as a nation led by Robert the Bruce at the battle of Bannockburn. Wallace is still remembered today as one of the founders of the Scottish nation.

Judge Roy Moore, chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, has carried on a spirited defense of the placement of a Ten Commandments monument in the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Center for about two years. In recent weeks, the Ten Commandments monument has been removed by Alabama officials, and Judge Roy Moore has been suspended as chief justice. He awaits a hearing on possible removal from office for his defiance of the order from Federal Judge Myron Thompson to remove the monument.

Chief Justice Moore has had strong support from many major Christian leaders, such as Dr. James Dobson, Rev. Jerry Falwell and Dr. Alan Keyes. But others like Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission have disagreed, saying Moore should have followed the “rule of law.” In the past, I have heard Land speak in support of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement and their exercise of civil disobedience. Did they respect the “rule of law” in the segregation era?

If there had been one judge, one general, in Germany who had confronted the Nazis and their judicial tyranny, perhaps World War 2 and the death of so many Jews may have been prevented. We will never know, of course. The evangelical pastors of the “Confessing Church,” led by Martin Niemoller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, stood against Hitler and the Nazis, but they acted too late and were divided. Some German pastors compromised for temporary advantage in face of the Nazi tyranny. Others were arrested.

The early Baptists in Virginia defied the judges in their preaching and worship without state approval. The great leader of religious liberty in early American history, Rev. John LeLand, was instrumental in persuading Thomas Jefferson to craft and offer the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom. Although it was a different issue, the early Baptists understood there were limits to the authority of the state, particularly in areas of religious practice. We have a First Amendment in our U.S. Constitution today somewhat due to their influences and willingness to be jailed for their belief in religious liberty.

The Lord in His great providence has provided the right issue with the Alabama Ten Commandments case; the right timing with the backdrop of Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned state laws against sodomy, and other immoral decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court; and a courageous leader and magistrate with Judge Roy Moore. The right man and the right moment have met.

When the federal judicial system and the current regime removed the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Judicial Center, they won a Pyrrhic victory. The raw tyranny of a federal judiciary out of control was exposed to millions of Christian believers. It is now apparent, if it has not been before, that our federal court system is at war with the Church and against our Christian faith.

Judge Moore also is simply operating in the great Church and Reformation tradition of the “interposition of the lesser magistrate.” (See John Calvin’s “Institutes,” chapter XX.) Martin Luther was called before Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms. At the conclusion and after Luther’s heroic stand where he said, “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me,” Charles V gave orders for Luther’s arrest which would surely have led him to the same fate as Jon Hus. Frederick the Wise, elector of Saxony, exercised the right of “interposition of the lesser magistrate” and had Luther put under protective custody. Frederick disobeyed the “rule of law” of Emperor Charles V. If not for the courage of Frederick the Wise, we would have been without Luther’s great leadership in the Reformation.

Judge Roy Moore may lose his office over this incident, but he enjoys the respect and affection of many Americans—both Christian and non-Christian. “USA Today” published the CNN/Gallup poll on Aug. 28 showing 77 percent of all Americans agree with Moore that the Ten Commandments monument should be allowed to remain in the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Center. This poll also indicates that Moore could be one of the most popular Christian leaders in the U.S. at this time.

Americans love a Braveheart.

Judge Roy Moore will be in Columbia Oct. 20-21 to speak at a banquet for Frontline Ministries and at a breakfast for Christian lawyers. For more information, call (803) 714-1744. (9/12/2003)

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