BURKARD'S BLOG

I searched on the Internet months ago, and found no one keeping a blog about events in Columbus, Georgia. (Well, other than a 15-year-old high school student, and who knows how much he pays attention to the news?) So being the hip web-savvy guy that I am, I decided to start a blog of my own - chronicling happenings in the town I've called home for six years, as well as my experiences in it.

But be warned.... I used to have a humor service called LaughLine.Com, so my views may be a bit amusing. And the views are my own; no one has paid me to present theirs. Pressured, yes - but paid, no.

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28 AUG 03: THE PILLAR MOVED

Didya hear about the new favorite song of atheists in Alabama? It's "Hello, Dolly...."

A moving crew with a dolly rolled the Ten Commandments monument to a different part of the Alabama Judicial Building Wednesday. The crew reportedly came to Montgomery from Stone Mountain, Georgia - so if you protesters aren't careful, that carving into the mountain showing Robert E. Lee could be next.

The Ten Commandments monument still is inside the Alabama Judicial Building. But it's now in seclusion, away from the building's rotunda. Supporters of the monument were outraged by this move - somehow forgetting that when Israel wandered in the wilderness, the Commandments moved all the time with God's approval.

(So if you're in mourning about the Ten Commandments no longer being on public display, consider this. In the days of ancient Israel, they were kept in an ark hidden behind a curtain almost all the time.)

Supporters of the Ten Commandments monument had to be disappointed, as the moving crew rolled the display away. After all, God could have stopped this in an instant - by making all the atheists and federal judges break out in boils. Or by making the monument catch fire, with an earthquake. Or something....

The curious thing is, monument supporters have propped up their own signs with the Ten Commandments. They're on pillars outside the Alabama Judicial Building -- and so far, not one atheist has felt courageous enough to take them down or add a comment of their own.

The Alabama Judicial Building's manager took a picture of the Ten Commandments monument in a back room -- and showed it to leaders of the Christian Defense Coalition. So if pieces of the monument don't wind up on eBay, copies of that photo will.

ABC News noted Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore technically owns the Ten Commandments monument. If he loses his U.S. Supreme Court appeal, what will he do? Take it on a Christian rock music concert tour?

(Hey, I've got an idea! Make clapboard signs with the Ten Commandments on them - then walk around outside churches, holding copies of my upcoming album....)

A lawsuit was heard in Mobile federal court Wednesday, arguing the removal of the Ten Commandments monument violates freedom of religion. The plaintiffs claim the God of Judeo-Christian tradition is being replaced by some sort of "non-god." They have yet to explain why the Alabama Judicial Building has no displays for Buddhism or Islam.

Overlooked in the Ten Commandments debate is a display Chief Justice Roy Moore did NOT allow some months ago. An Alabama state lawmaker wanted a tribute to Martin Luther King, Junior installed next to the monument -- but Roy Moore said no. Now no display is there, but only one still has a national holiday named after him.

My Pastor suggested the other day if "they" are kicking the Ten Commandments out of courthouses, it's only a matter of time before "they" go after swearing on a Bible inside courtroom. The Pastor somehow did NOT mention our denomination has a long tradition of "affirming" in court -- and advises against swearing on Bibles at all.

BLOGGER'S NOTE: Because of the breaking news from Montgomery, our promised trip to the bank will be postponed to another day....

COMING FRIDAY: The code number is six.... or so this man says....