LEXINGTON, S.C. - Suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore gave a sermon-like speech at a local church, saying people should recognize that the U.S. Constitution does not forbid references to God in public places.

"To uphold the law, you've got to understand the words on the (Ten Commandments) statue," Moore told reporters before his speech at the Christian Leaders Rally in Lexington.

Moore was in South Carolina on Monday defending his refusal to remove the Ten Commandments monument from the judicial building.

He is accused of violating standards of conduct by refusing a federal judge's order. He has been suspended with pay while the charges are decided. The monument was removed.

"In the last 50 years, the morality of this country has gone to pot," Moore said. "As we remove God from our public life, we divorce ourselves from our religious obligation."

Moore said U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson of Montgomery said in his order that the court does not have the expertise to define the word "religion" and that it is dangerous to do so. In the 79-page opinion, Moore said, Thompson used the word more than 150 times.

"A judge that does that cannot interpret law. He makes law according to his own feelings and therefore he is not upholding the Constitution," he said.

So, Moore reasoned, he was not bound to follow Thompson's ruling.

At the rally, fliers asked people to donate money for Moore's legal defense fund. Before his speech, the church showed a video telling viewers that Moore's fight is about who's boss - the government state or God.

The audience of 200 - almost half of them ministers - agreed with Moore's arguments.

"The nation was set up on the God of the universe's principles, and as a nation, we are forsaking those moral principles," said the Rev. Dave Phillips, pastor of Chapel of Redemption in Lexington. "We need to turn back to those principles if we are going to stand as a nation."

When asked if a Muslim chief justice could display the Quran in the same setting, Moore said he would be offended because that does not represent the foundation of this country. But he said it would probably be constitutional.

John Rosier of West Columbia said he thinks Thompson overstepped his authority and Moore should be reinstated because the Constitution is built on the Ten Commandments. "Once God is removed from public life, he is going to remove his blessings from this country," Rosier said.

Moore said he is not on a campaign for the Ten Commandments, he is just speaking where he is invited. He also has spoken at a national meeting of church leaders in Colorado as well as in Georgia and Texas.