Frequently
Asked Questions
1.
What kinds of legal cases does the Foundation usually
take?
2. What does the Foundation mean by
“acknowledgments of God” in the public square?
3. Why is it important that America
acknowledges God?
4. Why is it important to post the
Ten Commandments?
5. Does the Foundation defend religious
freedom and other moral values in a different way
than other religious liberties organizations?
6. What is an example of the Foundation’s
approach to constitutional law?
7. Are contributions to the Foundation
for Moral Law tax deductible?
1. What
kinds of legal cases does the Foundation usually
take?
The Foundation specializes in First
Amendment constitutional law cases relating to public
officials acknowledging God. The Foundation believes
that a gaping void exists in this particular area
where people should be standing up for truth; the
Foundation can make a vital impact on our nation
and people’s lives through enabling more and stronger
acknowledgments of God in public.
The Foundation’s work also includes other vital
moral issues of our day such as abortion, marriage,
and gambling. To see examples of the legal issues
the Foundation has worked on, go
here
2. What does the Foundation mean by “acknowledgments
of God” in the public square?
An acknowledgment of God is an
action someone takes while in the public arena,
i.e., on public property, holding public office,
etc., that recognizes God’s sovereignty over the
affairs of men. It could be offering a public prayer,
erecting a display of the Ten Commandments, reading
from the Bible, taking oaths “So Help Me God,” reciting
“under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, or similar
actions that point the public toward the existence
and importance of God in political, legal, and/or
civil affairs.
3. Why is it important that America acknowledges
God?
Acknowledgments of God in public
are important because this nation was founded and
its laws are predicated on a steadfast belief in
God. Without that foundation the country will cease
to operate as a free and prosperous nation able
to serve as an aid and example to the rest of the
world. The acknowledgment of God recognizes the
source of our inalienable rights, to life, liberty,
and property and the only proper source of our morality.
4. Why is it important to post the Ten
Commandments?
The Ten Commandments are the succinct
summary of God’s law given to humanity for righteous
living. They represent God’s law, which is higher
than any man-made law. Without a recognition of
higher law there are no limits on man’s behavior.
God and His law restrain both governments and the
people governed. Posting the Ten Commandments reminds
both the government and the governed of this higher
law and, by implication, it reminds them of God.
The first table of the law—the first four commandments—are
the duties humans owe to God and we should only
be accountable to Him for keeping or breaking them.
The second table of the law—the final six commandments—are
the duties humans owe to each other and we may be
held accountable by society in various ways for
failures to keep them. This division is important
for understanding the proper reach of government
over people’s lives, especially as it pertains to
their relationship with God.
Much of the law in America is based directly on
the Ten Commandments themselves or principles derived
therefrom. Thus, in order to understand the foundations
of American law it is important to know the Ten
Commandments. Reminding the nation of such true
moral first principles helps rekindle the moral
fabric of the nation and reminds citizens of their
moral responsibilities.
5.
Does the Foundation defend religious freedom and
other moral values in a different way than other
religious liberties organizations?
Yes. Unfortunately, most legal
organizations today based their arguments on whatever
the latest United States Supreme Court case says
is the law. These cases rarely discuss the meaning
of the words of the Constitution and even rarer
still do they follow what the words say to decide
the case before them. As a result, textual analysis
has fallen out of favor in constitutional law despite
the fact that the Constitution is still the governing
law until it is properly amended by the process
set forth in that document.
Like the Founding Fathers, the Foundation believes
that in order to arrive at fair and truthful conclusions
in constitutional cases, the text must be the standard
for determining the outcome. Thus, even though it
may not be the “popular” legal argument and even
though some judges may reject it altogether, the
Foundation stands to put the true meaning of Constitution
before the judiciary and other lawyers in hopes
that the understanding of the law may once again
be restored to its rightful place as the right way
to dispense constitutional justice.
6. What is an example of
the Foundation’s approach to constitutional law?
In the Ten Commandments cases that
were recently decided by the U.S. Supreme Court,
other religious liberties organizations defended
the display of the Ten Commandments by arguing that
they are an important historic artifact, not a religious
document. In order to make the Ten Commandments
acceptable under Supreme Court precedent, these
organizations diminished the religious importance
of the Decalogue and denied that they are an acknowledgment
of God’s sovereignty over the affairs of men.
The Foundation, on the other hand, argued in briefs filed in McCreary County, Ky. v. ACLU of Ky. and Van Orden v. Perry that these Ten Commandments displays were constitutional
under the historic meaning of the First Amendment
to acknowledge God’s superintending providence over
this nation. Simply put, just because the Ten Commandments
are religious does not mean that they are an “establishment
of religion,” which is what the First Amendment
prohibits. The Founders never intended to ban religious
things from public view and we should not have to
diminish God’s word by relegating it to mere history
in order to show it in public.
7. Are contributions to
the Foundation for Moral Law tax deductible?
Yes. The Foundation is a designated
501(c)(3) non-profit organization and as such all
contributions are tax deductible.
