(Photo: KFOR-TV-DT)
OKLAHOMA CITY - Controversy continues to build over an effort to construct a monument of the ten commandments at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
State representative Mike Ritze, the author of House Bill 1330, wants to use $10,000 of his own money to showcase the monument.
He says the ten commandments go back 3,500 years and are an important part of our legal history.
"That's basically where we get a large percentage of our laws", Ritze says. "Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not kill."
State representative Wallace Collins says he will vote 'no' on the bill for several reasons.
Collins, who is catholic, says the language and order of the commandments in the jewish version is different from the catholic and other versions.
He also believes the monument could violate oklahoma's constitution, which protects religious liberty.
"If we allow him to do this, then what if a group of wiccans wants to put a monument out there for devil worship?" Collins says. "Then how could we say no."
Ritze says he would showcase the King James version of the commandments because that version passed a Supreme Court challenge in Texas back in 2005.
He expects the house to vote on the bill within the next week.
Copyright 2009 KFOR-TV-DT. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
State representative Mike Ritze, the author of House Bill 1330, wants to use $10,000 of his own money to showcase the monument.
He says the ten commandments go back 3,500 years and are an important part of our legal history.
"That's basically where we get a large percentage of our laws", Ritze says. "Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not kill."
State representative Wallace Collins says he will vote 'no' on the bill for several reasons.
Collins, who is catholic, says the language and order of the commandments in the jewish version is different from the catholic and other versions.
He also believes the monument could violate oklahoma's constitution, which protects religious liberty.
"If we allow him to do this, then what if a group of wiccans wants to put a monument out there for devil worship?" Collins says. "Then how could we say no."
Ritze says he would showcase the King James version of the commandments because that version passed a Supreme Court challenge in Texas back in 2005.
He expects the house to vote on the bill within the next week.
Copyright 2009 KFOR-TV-DT. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
