The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ducked a decision that, at least for Alabama, needs to be addressed.

Justices have refused to hear an appeal from the Indiana governor, who seeks permission to place a 7-foot monument to the Ten Commandments in his state Capitol.

And, even though the case specifically addressed the Indiana issue, any Supreme Court ruling on the issue likely would have set a broad precedence for other states with similar issues, including Alabama.

And we need that precedent.

The passionate debate over the display of the Ten Commandments continues to stir controversy in Alabama.

And even though an appeals court has said that plaques bearing the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in courthouses, we have a 5,280-pound depiction of the Ten Commandments in the state Supreme Court rotunda. And our state’s Chief Justice Roy Moore is feeling the political heat from his decision.

But we’re not alone in that debate.

At the heart of the the display of the laws Christians believe were handed down from God than a decision on just how far our country will go in acknowledging the role of religion in our nation’s history.

In a country established on the separation of church and state, the Ten Commandment’s debate lands squarely in the highly charged, emotional battle zone.

Logic and faith often conflict, and emotions run high.

The answer is not an easy one, and even those who believe strongly in the Ten Commandments are conflicted over the public display of those laws.

Ultimately, this is an issue the Supreme Court needs to address. As the ultimate court of law in this land, justices eventually will be forced to resolve this debate. We’re just disappointed that they’re choosing to delay that decision, instead of defusing the debate.  

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