(CN) - Alabama's "Ten Commandments" chief justice wants the governors of all 50 states to pass a federal ban on gay marriage ban via constitutional convention.
Such a convention under Article V of the Constitution has never been held, but Justice Ray Moore believes the time is right. He sent letters to the governors Wednesday.
"The moral foundation of our country is under attack," Moore told the Associated Press. "Government has become oppressive and judges are warping the law."
Moore said he did not believe Congress would offer an amendment to ban gay marriage this year, so the only alternative is an Article V convention that requires the support of at least 34 states.
"I think the time is ripe for that to happen with the political atmosphere in Congress," Moore told the AP. "They can't get along or agree on anything."
This is Moore's second stint on the Alabama Supreme Court. He was removed from his post as chief justice in 2003 when he refused to comply with a federal judge's order to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery.
He was later re-elected and returned to office in January 2013.
Susan Watson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, said Thursday that Moore is "chronically imposing his beliefs on others."
"Chief Justice Roy Moore said that government has become oppressive and this is yet another perfect example of his contributions to the matter," Watson said. "This isn't the first time Justice Moore has been in this spotlight. You'd think he'd learn by now. Times are changing and he needs to get with it."
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