ICC Note: The legal battle continues in New Mexico over a Ten Commandments monument located on city hall grounds which was previously declared unconstitutional. Earlier this week, the city council voted for a review from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals over the matter. While some view the monument as an unconstitutional government endorsement of Christianity, many locals have strongly shown their support of the monument by placing Ten Commandments signs in their own yards

By Heather Clark

12/07/2016 United States (Christian News Network) – Officials with a city in New Mexico are continuing their fight to defend a Ten Commandments monument displayed on the grounds of city hall, which has thus far been declared unconstitutional by both a federal district court and an appeals court.

On Monday, the Bloomfield City Council voted in favor of city attorney Ryan Lane’s recommendation that Bloomfield seek a review from the full 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, known as an en banc session. The vote was unanimous, minus the presence of one council member.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, many residents in the small 7,000-member city have supported the monument, placing Ten Commandments yard signs in their lawns. A prayer gathering was also held last month around the Decalogue.

“We need to stand up for God, and then he will bless us,” Anne Frost of Farmington, just outside of Bloomfield, said at a recent city hall meeting. “We need to eliminate this silliness of Church versus State.”

As previously reported, the monument at issue had been erected in 2011 following a resolution allowing private citizens to place historical displays at Bloomfield City Hall. A former city council member had proposed the monument four years prior, which was then approved by city council but paid for with private money.

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