Controversy Over Commandments Lapel Pin

[MDM4AU 337]

A business group said Wednesday it fired a supporter of Roy Moore for wearing a Ten Commandments pin like the one worn by the ousted chief justice, contending the symbol improperly brought politics into the workplace.

The firing of 23-year-old Christopher Word by the Hoover Chamber of Commerce was denounced by Moore. He said the chamber ought to be "embarrassed and ashamed" for making Word chose between his faith and his job.

Word was dismissed after about nine months as a new member recruiter for the Hoover chamber because he refused the director's request to remove the pin from his lapel while at work, said chamber attorney A.W. Bolt.

The gold-colored pin, shaped like two stone tablets, bears the Roman numerals sometimes used to represent the Old Testament laws. A chamber member called the pin "pretty political" during a meeting last week, Word said in an interview, but no prospective member ever mentioned it.

Word, who is a supporter and family friend of Moore, said he is a Christian and wears the pin to show his belief in the right to acknowledge God publicly, not as a political statement favoring Moore.

Bolt said the chamber disagreed.

"The wearing of the lapel pin is a political statement in Alabama in 2004," Bolt said during a news conference at the chamber, which promotes business growth and has more than 1,100 members in suburban Birmingham.

Bolt said he was unaware of anyone complaining about Word's pin, but some within the chamber were concerned that it was a political statement. Bolt said chamber director Bill Powell was in a meeting with Word and a chamber member during which Word used his job "to advocate his personal political views" about Moore.

Word said his statements to the member were based on the "personal religious reasons" he has for backing Moore. Word said Powell fired him Monday after he refused to resign. He said he has no plans to sue.

The Foundation for Moral Law, a private organization which handles Moore's legal defense fund, is a chamber member and may resign unless Word is rehired, said Rich Hobson, a Moore aide and president of the group.

Rep. Spencer Bachus, whose district includes the Birmingham suburbs, called the chamber's actions "troubling."

"Equating the wearing of a religious symbol with making a political statement is outrageous," said Bachus, R-Birmingham, who is opposed in the Republican primary on June 1 by Phillip Jauregui, one of Moore's attorneys.

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[Ranger12 46]

This guy was on Rick and Bubba this morning. He said that his immediate superior actually told him at first to not worry about it and he had his back on it if somebody ever said anything. This guy had been wearing it for awhile without anybody saying anything until one potential member told him "that is a pretty signficant political statement you are making". Word then quickly told him it had nothing to with politics, it was about his faith. That is when his superior and others turned on him. He also said that he never contacted any media, but instead was contacted by several media outlets within an hour that he was fired, so he is not doing this for any attention to himself. He said the only people he had told before the firing was some "prayer warriors" at the church he attended, because he had already been told it was now becoming an issue, so he wanted them to pray for him. Even if you disagreed with Roy Moore, this is gone beyond that, because this guy is not a political figure and wearing this lapel is no different then any other person wearing a symbol of their faith such as a Jew, Muslim, etc. If this would have been anybody of another faith, this would not be an issue at all. It is getting more and more where Christians are told to not show their faith in public, but they must be tolerate of other faiths when they are shown in public

[channonc 466]

This is a very gray area. On one hand, I can see that he probably didn't mean to offend anyone, on the other hand I can see how it could be portrayed as a political symbol. Especially when he goes to the same church as Roy Moore.

If this guy really thinks he's in the right, he needs to hire a great attorney.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

This whole area is full of hypocracy and really irritates me. Our government buildings are full of religious markings, display, etc., and I have no problem with that. Why can Muslim women wear their religious head scarves but this guy can't wear a lapel pin showing the ten commandments. Is freedom going to be only for non-Christians? I don't agree with everthing Roy Moore does or says but he has my highest admiration for standing up for what he thinks is right, the very principle our country was founded on. It's to bad so few of our judges and politicians understand that anymore.

[Weagle98 119]

This is a very gray area. On one hand, I can see that he probably didn't mean to offend anyone, on the other hand I can see how it could be portrayed as a political symbol. Especially when he goes to the same church as Roy Moore.

If this guy really thinks he's in the right, he needs to hire a great attorney.

So what if it is a political statement. Are we or are we not in a free country? I personally think we are going down the wrong path on many of our laws and norms now.

[MDM4AU 337]

Here's my .02 about it.

There is a problem if this is simply a religeous statement. This man has every right to wear that as anyone has to wear a yamulke, a turban, a head scarf, etc. The only people that know what his motives are are Mr. Word and God.

If this is a political statement, I see it slightly different. Your job, especially when you work with the public, is no the place for political statements.

That may in fact cause a bit of a gray area with the political part, but I think the religious part, as I see it, are black and white.

[TitanTiger 20,708]

I wonder what his boss would have said if he changed the Ten Commandments lapel pin to one of a cross or a fish?

[WarTim 3,463]

IF he had on a lapel pin that stated "Praise Allah" or "All white-male-conservatives are unAmerican"........Nothing would have been said or done about it....nothing....

[TitanTiger 20,708]

IF he had on a lapel pin that stated "Praise Allah" or "All white-male-conservatives are unAmerican"........Nothing would have been said or done about it....nothing....

I agree on the "Praise Allah" one, although something might have been said about it.

I'd be willing to bet that very few employers would allow anyone to wear a lapel pin that said that any particular group was "un-American". These people have customers and clients to deal with on a day to day basis and that would so obviously offend people you're doing business with, they'd make you take that sucker off in an instant.

[channonc 466]

IF he had on a lapel pin that stated "Praise Allah" or "All white-male-conservatives are unAmerican"........Nothing would have been said or done about it....nothing....

I agree on the "Praise Allah" one, although something might have been said about it.

I'd be willing to bet that very few employers would allow anyone to wear a lapel pin that said that any particular group was "un-American". These people have customers and clients to deal with on a day to day basis and that would so obviously offend people you're doing business with, they'd make you take that sucker off in an instant.

Titan, that's why I see this as a gray area. I think in general people should have the right to wear, or express whatever they want. But I completely understand the employers position in that sense. You wouldn't want to offend a client that might otherwise do business with you.

[TitanTiger 20,708]

If a client got offended because of a religious message, be it the Muslin crescent, the Jewish Star of David, the Christian cross, etc., then I think the employer needs to back off. But I understand being wary of political statements.

[channonc 466]

If a client got offended because of a religious message, be it the Muslin crescent, the Jewish Star of David, the Christian cross, etc., then I think the employer needs to back off. But I understand being wary of political statements.

I think in this case, especially in the state of Alabama, a 10 Commandment pin could be viewed as political, even if that isn't the person's intent.

[Ranger12 46]

That's the whole problem now. A person's faith is now seen as a political statement by the same ones that scream "seperation of church and state". The want if both freakin ways! How the heck to you prove if a person is doing it for political reasons or it is truly for their faith? You can't. Sorry to say, but politics and religion are cousins and we need to quit trying to treat them as they should never have any ties. It is impossible. It boils down to the fact that a person can't get pass another person's political or religious views and act like a grown up and just get down to business!

[TitanTiger 20,708]

Ranger, think of it this way. If you were looking at different vendors for some item or service you needed, there are obviously several factors that go into choosing one vendor over another...price, quality of past work, how their solution fits your situation, relationship with the salesperson, etc. What if you had two or three options that would all fit the bill and were pretty close in price. Would it bother you and perhaps cause you to take your business elsewhere if one of the salespeople wore an "Impeach Bush" or "Anybody But Bush" or similar type of pin? Be honest. All else being basically equal, I'd be willing to bet you'd lean toward going with one of the other vendors.

This is the dilemma of the employer. They don't really care what you think politically or what your religion is. They just want you to represent their company and their interests on company time, and they don't want to lose business because you've unnecessarily offended a potential or existing customer. That is what they've got to take into consideration. If I were the boss of the "Anybody But Bush" pin wearer, I'd be ticked if I ever figured out we lost business because that rubbed people the wrong way...and I'd be ticked at my salesperson.

[autigger 0]

I'm sorry but i think the whole stand against religion and faith is annoying and disgusting. First of all, if you weren't right on top of the pin you could barely make out what it was. It was the shape of the tablets and had the Roman Numerals on each one. The actual commandments were not written out. He grew up in a Christian home where his father was a minister. Just b/c he chose to continue practicing his religious beliefs, after he left his parents home, where Roy Moore attends church does not tie him to Moore in a political manner. Last time i checked this country was founded on freedom of speech and the freedom of religion. In "God we trust " is branded on every dollar bill these "clients" would be using to pay membership dues to the Chamber. I bet that doesnt offend any of their employees. I bet that getting a dollar bill with this motto on it doesnt offend the atheist of the world out there as long as they have money. Our fore fathers would be apalled at the state of our society now. Everything they worked soo hard to build for us to ensure our freedom and our happiness is being destroyed by the people we have put in positions to preserve those rights. Its like another thread said, its time to start perserving what we set out to be to begin with and time to quit conforming to the groups of people that come to the country by choice. It makes me physically sick to see what is suppose to make this country so great stripped from us one freedom at a time. May God Bless Us ALL, cause we could sure use it.

[WarTim 3,463]

Just for the record, THERE IS NO SUCH THING as seperation of Church and State.

There is seperation of State from Church.

BIG difference.

Study......Learn...Remember....NEVER forget.....

[quietfan 233]

Just for the record, THERE IS NO SUCH THING as seperation of Church and State.

There is seperation of State from Church.

BIG difference.

I'm confused & don't understand the difference you refer to. Care to elaborate on what you mean?

[TitanTiger 20,708]

I think what he's trying to say is that the Framers wrote the establishment clause in such a way as to primarily keep the state from infringing on the rights of religion, not to protect the government from religious values or worldviews. It was put in primarily as a response to the situation in England having an official state church (the Church of England).

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

I'm sorry but i think the whole stand against religion and faith is annoying and disgusting. First of all, if you weren't right on top of the pin you could barely make out what it was. It was the shape of the tablets and had the Roman Numerals on each one. The actual commandments were not written out. He grew up in a Christian home where his father was a minister. Just b/c he chose to continue practicing his religious beliefs, after he left his parents home, where Roy Moore attends church does not tie him to Moore in a political manner. Last time i checked this country was founded on freedom of speech and the freedom of religion. In "God we trust " is branded on every dollar bill these "clients" would be using to pay membership dues to the Chamber. I bet that doesnt offend any of their employees. I bet that getting a dollar bill with this motto on it doesnt offend the atheist of the world out there as long as they have money. Our fore fathers would be apalled at the state of our society now. Everything they worked soo hard to build for us to ensure our freedom and our happiness is being destroyed by the people we have put in positions to preserve those rights. Its like another thread said, its time to start perserving what we set out to be to begin with and time to quit conforming to the groups of people that come to the country by choice. It makes me physically sick to see what is suppose to make this country so great stripped from us one freedom at a time. May God Bless Us ALL, cause we could sure use it.

Amen!!!!

[autigger 0]

Now that the political world has seen the outcry that has supported RM they all want in it on it to get elected. Judge Jean Brown says she supported the Ten Commandments to get elected to the supreme court when she voted to have them removed. Its bad when the guy "you supposedly supported" doesnt back you in the race but someone else and is trying to get your name off the ballot....