The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that a statue of the Ten Commandments set on the grounds of the state capitol building must be removed, however, a petition for a rehearing has been filed.
Reuters reported that on Tuesday, the court ruled 7-2 that the statue violated the state’s constitution and therefore would be removed.
"As concerns the historical purpose justification, the Ten Commandments are obviously religious in nature and are an integral part of the Jewish and Christian faiths," the court said.
The decision was applauded by some organizations including the ACLU, but met challenges from lawmakers.
The Los Angeles Times noted that state Attorney General Scott Pruitt argued that the statue was not religious but rather a historical monument and filed a petition for a rehearing.
"Quite simply, the Oklahoma Supreme Court got it wrong," Pruitt said in a statement. "The court completely ignored the profound historical impact of the Ten Commandments on the foundation of Western law."
Oklahoma State Representative Mike Ritze sponsored a bill and his family supplied $10,000 to have the monument installed at the Capitol. The original statue was vandalized and destroyed in 2014.
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