Harris County (Houston, TX) must remove Bible displayed at courthouse

Houston Chronicle ^ | 8/10/04 | RAD SALLEE

[truthandlife]

.S. District Judge Sim Lake ruled today that a Bible displayed in a monument outside the Harris County Civil Courts Building must be removed within 10 days and that the county must pay $41,000 in court costs and attorney fees.

Real estate broker and attorney Kay Staley sued the county in federal court to have the monument removed, contending the display violates the First Amendment ban on an establishment of religion.

The King James Bible rests under glass inside a 4-foot stone monument on the west side of the Civil Courthouse, 301 Fannin.

The monument was constructed with private funds in the 1950s as a memorial to philanthropist William S. Mosher.

During a two-day hearing last week, the county contended that the display primarily honors Mosher, while the plaintiffs said it unconstitutionally promoted a specific religion at a government facility.

[truthandlife]

Another very sad day for this country.

Related story: Bible display foe says she got hate mail

THIS WHERE THIS NATION IS GOING IS WAS PREDICTED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO!!!

God's Wrath Against Mankind (Romans 1:18-32)

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

[hershey]

Just wait 'til Muslims demand that the Koran be displayed prominently in every public building. The weasels will whine and say, well, maybe, it's only fair, blah, blah, blah.

[Peach]

To Freepers who are displeased with President Bush: This is what you can expect more of if you don't vote for the man.

[Askel5]

Woe to the City of Blood ...

[kittymyrib]

This woman should be shunned by the Houston community. And some group or church needs to take this monument and display it prominently on their private property.

[Askel5]

=== To Freepers who are displeased with President Bush: This is what you can expect more of if you don't vote for the man.


What a completely asinine statement.

If Bush doesn't take a hit for his "primetime" mentions of Scripture, it's probably because he uses the Word of God to rationalize the use of "excess, already been killed" embryos to pursue ESCR and justify aberrations like "pre-emptive Just War."

[RoseofTexas]

BOY ooo BOY! That Judge better high tail it outta here. You don't do things like this here in Texas without paying the consequences! Prepare to see how TEXAS deals with IDIOT judges! Hold on to your boot straps!

[Askel5]

=== This woman should be shunned by the Houston community.

The "Houston community" is one of the premiere models on which the "Futile Care Protocols" of other healthcare networks are based.

Houston gets what it deserves.

[Askel5]

=== You don't do things like this here in Texas without paying the consequences! Prepare to see how TEXAS deals with IDIOT judges! Hold on to your boot straps!


Give me a break ...

We're talking about the same idiots that tossed their hats in the air and screeched "don't mess with Texas!" when they got snookered by the TITLE ("Parental Consent") of a piece of legislation that ONLY got them to a properly-defined Square One whilst increasing confidentiality for abortionists, capping damages for offending abortionists, fasttracking the movement of minor abortion pleas through teh courts and -- ultimately -- established the precedent by which the Supreme Court of Texas now orders abortions for minors without parental consent OR notice.

Get real.

I'm born a Texas and reared a Tex-Okie. Once you rolled over at Waco, you might as well have stuck a fork in Texas.

[Camel Joe]

I would suggest that local folks hire some God fearing lawyers of their own and sue her, and sue her, and sue her until she is broke and destitute. Frivolous lawsuits should be considered fair game. If you don't start fighting fire with fire your seat is gonna get awfully warm.

[Askel5]

=== Frivolous lawsuits should be considered fair game. If you don't start fighting fire with fire your seat is gonna get awfully warm.


Stooping to conquer ... how very Christian.

We'll show her what Christianity's all about, eh?

[Camel Joe]

Besides once Kerry is elected the UN will be running things and everything will be just hunky-dory.

[deport]

Judge: Courthouse Bible display must go

03:20 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 10, 2004

From 11 News Staff Reports

HOUSTON -- A judge ruled Tuesday that a Bible on display at the Harris County Civil Courthouse must be removed.

The tattered Bible has been displayed inside a stone monument in front of the courthouse since 1956.

KHOU-TV

The old bible is part of a memorial to a Houston philanthropist.

Houstonian Kay Staley filed a lawsuit asking that it be removed. She said it goes against the Constitution's separation of church and state.

"I don't like to see my government promoting one religion over another," said Staley. "God does not need Harris County's help."

The monument was erected to honor William S. Mosher, a local philanthropist who dedicated much of his life to the Star of Hope Mission.

The director of the Star of Hope Mission testified during the trial that he hopes the message Mosher believed in does not get lost in the legal wrangling.

Harris County Judge Robert Eckels also fought to keep the display, claiming the Bible is merely part of a secular tribute to Mosher to honor him for his work with the poor.

"This is a monument to Mr. Mosher. It incorporates his religious beliefs," said Eckels during the trial. "It was his faith that drove him to his service in the community."

"We have a very diverse society here. We have a very diverse Houston where there are many religions," argued Staley. "And that does not express the religious beliefs, the bible display, of many Houstonians."

The judge ordered county officials to remove the Bible within 10 days. The County is expected to appeal the decision.

---

Kay Staley filed the lawsuit last year. And now the county has ten days to remove the Bible.

[Askel5]

Huh?

Let's not forget which political dynasty it was that sold us out utterly to the UN by staying Maggie Thatcher's hand in Kuwait until asking the UN first: "Mother, may I?"

Or who approved the UN's POP treaty in 2001 with the words -- and I quote -- "And now a Republican administration will finish the work of a Democrat administration. this is how environmental {read: Leninist} policy should work."

[claudiustg]

We've got the Ten Commandments on four foot high stone tablets in front of our courthouse. If a judge wants them removed he'd better eat his Wheaties because I don't think he'd get much help around here.

[Camel Joe]

What are you prattling on about? Could you be a TROLL lurking in the midst of us? Does anyone else smell TROLL?

[Askel5]

The monument was erected to honor William S. Mosher, a local philanthropist who dedicated much of his life to the Star of Hope Mission.

$41,000 in private cash would have paid for myriad monuments to the various atheist philanthropists whose dedication to human life has made Houston a better place, I'm sure.

[RoseofTexas]

We'll see!

[SheLion]

Just wait 'til Muslims demand that the Koran be displayed prominently in every public building. The weasels will whine and say, well, maybe, it's only fair, blah, blah, blah.

Oh sure! Display the book of the karan and give all of us prayer rugs. /sarcasm

I, for one, am really sick of America being taken away from us!

[Askel5]

Hey ... better late than never.

Ever hopeful, just not terribly optimistic.