DATE: Sunday, April 13, 1997                TAG: 9704130099

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

DATELINE: MONTGOMERY, ALA.                  LENGTH:   59 lines

THOUSANDS RALLY TO SUPPORT JUDGE WHO DISPLAYS 10 COMMANDMENTS CONSERVATIVES BLAST RULING ORDERING THE PLAQUE'S REMOVAL.

Thousands of people flocked to the steps of the Alabama state Capitol on Saturday to express vociferous support for a state judge whose courtroom display of the Ten Commandments has become a national cause for the Christian right.

A crowd of about 6,000 listened to fiery denunciations of the U.S. Supreme Court from Alabama's governor, Fob James Jr., a Republican who has vowed to call out the National Guard on behalf of Circuit Judge Roy Moore.

With Christian rock music blaring from huge speakers, the crowd waved American and Confederate battle flags, held up banners denouncing the American Civil Liberties Union and waited for a lineup that included Moore himself; Ralph Reed, the executive director of the Chesapeake-based Christian Coalition; and the Rev. Donald Wildmon, whose American Family Association has campaigned vigorously against pornography.

Those two groups were among dozens sponsoring Saturday's event, which organizers hoped would fortify Moore in his court fight to display a wooden plaque of the Ten Commandments.

No one has been a bigger backer than James. In February, his attorney general appealed another judge's order that the plaque be removed. The plaque now sits undisturbed in Moore's courtroom in northern Alabama, pending a final ruling from Alabama's Supreme Court.

``We are with you,'' James said to thunderous applause. ``Never doubt my resolve. There comes a time when free people will no longer tolerate their loss of liberty. That time has come.''

His remarks were echoed by people in the crowd like Ken Lester of Montgomery: ``Our country has just been taken too far from God. The ACLU types have been trying to take God out of every aspect of our lives. If we don't turn this country around, we're down the tubes.''

The governor made his remark about calling out the National Guard two months ago, after Moore was ordered to remove the plaque. That order only provoked supporters of the judge, who had already begun to attract the attention of religious conservatives all over the country.

In March, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives successfully sponsored a resolution backing the Ten Commandments. The Christian Coalition sent out tens of thousands of fliers advertising Saturday's rally.

In Alabama, more than 200,000 people signed petitions backing the judge. Christian-right sponsors flocked to his banner, including several from the extreme right. One, the Council of Conservative Citizens, withdrew after material on its World Wide Web site - including warnings about the imminency of a ``mongrel race'' was exposed. ILLUSTRATION: Photos

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Thousands gather on the Alabama Capitol steps in Montgomery on

Saturday for a ``Save the Commandments'' rally. A judge was ordered

to remove a plaque of the Commandments from his courtroom.

Roy Moore

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