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By Mary Orndorff [Edited]

A federal judge in 2002 ruled that a granite monument of The Ten Commandments in the judicial building in Montgomery, Alabama, was an affront to separation of church and state and ordered it removed from display.

Moore, then Alabama's chief justice, who had ordered the monument's installation, refused and was removed from office.

The monument has been stored in a closet since August.

Moore and Jim Cabaniss of Houston, president of the veterans group, American Veterans In Domestic Defense (AVIDD), signed an agreement this week to put the monument on tour of the United States.

The removal of the monument at 6 p.m. was in contrast to its installation, which was secret and in the middle of the night.

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"We're going to take it out of the dark closet of the Alabama state Supreme Court building and bring it out and move it across America and expose it to as many American people as possible," Cabaniss said.

AVIDD's veterans have supported Moore's Ten Commandments causes over the years.

The monument has become a national cause for Moore. He has been traveling the country warning people about a judicial system he says is hostile to

expressions of Christian faith in the public sector. While the removal may signal an end to a controversy that has played out in high drama on the steps of the court building in Montgomery, the agreement ensures Moore's issue carries on.

"At a time when our sacred institution of marriage is being assaulted by those who would deny the law of God, Americans need to be reminded of our

moral foundation," Moore said Thursday through a spokeswoman.

The tentative touring schedule begins in Tennessee, followed by visits to several states, from Colorado in the west, through the Plains, the South and up the Atlantic Coast.

First stop on the tour of Tennessee, is Rhea County High School in Dayton, on Saturday, July 31, at 11 am. (EST)

The second rally will be held in Dunlap at 3 pm (CST) to be followed by other rallies across the State of Tennessee.

Wiley Drake, a Buena Park, Calif., pastor and member of the veterans group, announced the plans on his Internet-based talk show and prayer conference. He said the tour could wind up at a Christian rally on the National Mall in October. He said the ultimate goal is to drop the monument off at the U.S. Capitol. Moore's supporters have said they want it to be displayed somewhere prominently on Capitol Hill, which would require an act of Congress.

The agreement between Cabaniss and Moore does not transfer ownership, and no money changed hands. Moore, a Vietnam veteran and graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, is allowing the group to use it for an indefinite period.

"It might be six months, a year or even longer," Cabaniss said about the tour.

The monument will be covered by canvas during its travels and uncovered at rallies. Cabaniss and Drake said the costs will be paid by private donations.

Each rally will feature a veteran, a civic leader and a spiritual leader.

Cabaniss said the group approached Moore with the idea and asked for his permission.

There may be times Moore's schedule coincides with one of the rallies, but it was not definite.

Tour schedules can be viewed on the AVIDD website:

www.StandingforGod.org

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