Gubernatorial candidate and famed Ten Commandments activist Roy Moore is coming to Demopolis.

Sunday, Feb. 5, Moore will deliver the 11 a.m. sermon at First Christian Church on U.S. Highway 43. While most candidates are making their rounds to rally support, Moore’s spokesmen said this visit was anything but a rally for votes.

“This isn’t going to be a political speech at all,” Moore’s Communications Director J. Holland said. “He will probably just be talking about religious liberty. He knows all the aspects of it and he can quote George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin form memory and make comparisons about the loss of religious liberty we are facing.”

First Christian Pastor Marshall Murphy said a chance meeting some time ago was the catalyst for Moore’s appearance.

“I volunteered to help with the campaign and after talking to his people I found out that he speaks at churches,” Murphy said. “They asked if we would be interested in having him speak in Demopolis and I said we would love to.”

The visit, Murphy said should be interesting because of the different views people have of Moore.

“A lot of people e have mixed feeling about him,” Murphy said. “On one hand, many people look at him on the religious conservative right. Other people look at him as a man who broke Alabama laws so there are a lot of different views of him.”

Having Moore appear at their church, Murphy said, was a great opportunity to have a high profile and well-respected person share some of the things going on in the world outside of Demopolis. He also said Moore’s willingness to stick to his guns make him an admirable man.

“I you look at our nation going further and further away from God, I admire a man who will uphold the Bible instead of law,” Marshall said. “If you look at the Bible, it says wicked rulers make wicked laws and I believe the Judge Moore wants to bring God’s laws to all the people.”

As for politics, Holland said, they are not something Moore likes to talk about. He said Moore prefers to focus on real issues, which is the reason he makes a good candidate.

“He is very humble, especially when it comes to politics,” Holland said. “He really isn’t a politician at all, he is a judge. I think he would make a very good public servant.”

Win or lose, Murphy said, a small battle will be won just by Moore’s having run.

“I feel the Republican Party has two fantastic candidates,” Moore said. “I think that if Judge Moore does not win we will still have a good candidate in Gov. Bob Riley. I think either way, because of Judge Moore being in the campaign, the fact that God’s role in government has been voiced is a positive.”