"I think the presence of the Ten Commandments on government property is part of the ongoing need for mankind to acknowledge the everlasting interaction between God and the world," said Rabbi Benny Zippel of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah.

Rabbi Zippel said he fully favors the separation of church and state, but, he added, that does not mean we need to repress or eliminate God in the world around us.

"As much as we try to repress the presence of God and godliness in government under the guise of church and state," his will is still present, Zippel said.

Neelameggham said as a Hindu, she recognizes that the Christian majority has a right to express its religious values, but only while respecting the rights of those in the minority. "It is going to remind me that this is a predominantly Christian country," she said. "But that is why we have the Supreme Court that guards these fundamental rights, and that is all that is important to me."

Hossain said perhaps the debate is more important than the outcome, noting, "If America was a theocratic state, we would not be debating this."

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