It is the religious who are intolerant  I see that several
contributors to this forum have gotten their knickers in a twist
because the Oakland Zoo recently removed a large Ten
Commandments monument from city property.  They accuse atheists
and other First Amendment advocates of intolerance toward
religion. They are wrong.  To their credit, Oakland city
officials wisely chose to follow the advice of their own legal
counsel -- namely, that the presence of a religious monument on
government property was unconstitutional, and legally
indefensible if challenged in court.  No one would object if
religious monuments such as crosses, crèches and Decalogues were
erected on church property, or on private property.  But some
misguided zealots feel compelled to intrude their religious
symbols onto public property, implying government endorsement of
their beliefs.  Truly, they are the intolerant ones.  I salute
Oakland city officials for taking the morally and legally
correct stand, and refusing to kowtow to religious pr