Bible removed from monument outside Houston courthouse under appeals court

[Judi Lynn]

Bible removed from monument outside Houston courthouse under appeals court ruling
Monday January 10, 2005

By PAM EASTON
Associated Press Writer
HOUSTON (AP) A Bible was removed from a monument outside a downtown courthouse Monday while local officials appeal a federal judge's ruling that the display is unconstitutional.

The action came after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans lifted its block of the judge's order in August to remove the Bible.

Kay Staley, a real estate broker and lawyer, had sued Harris County on grounds the display was offensive to non-Christians.

The appeals court did not address the merits of the case, but said Monday the Bible must be removed. The court also refused to allow the homeless mission responsible for the display to intervene in the appeal.
(snip/...)

http://cbsnewyork.com/national/BibleLawsuit-aa/resources_news_html

[progressoid]

1. Oh No!

Our country will crumble and fall without this monument!!

Mark my words. Retribution is at hand. Tomorrow swarms of locusts and Wednesday...frogs. Lots of frogs. Godless sodomite frogs.

[Wilms]

2. Wow. It's true. It is written in stone. n/t

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maat]

4. Now...why can't they move that lovely sculpture where it belongs ...

ON PRIVATE PROPERTY - WITHOUT GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP.

I don't know how many times I've told my in-laws - it is not my intent to interfere with your religious expression - but it is my intent that the government does not sponsor that expression - because that is what is FAIR - a secular government.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. It's not their religious expression they're worried about...

It's their power. All the hype about their religion being "taken away" from them, and family values and saving traditional marriage is just a front for the real issue...their unChristian lust for power.

Jerry Falwell...Are you reading this?

[GOPFighter]

7. AMEN, er, or something like that...

I agree. These jerks only want to stir up anger. If the governemnt was actually anti-Christiian like many pretend, then they would also ban that sculpture from private or church-owned property.

[daleo]

6. They should replace it with a stone copy of the constitution.

This Bible monument could be sent to a church. They should keep some real Bibles in the public library, though, along with various other religious and philosophical texts. That way people can read them and make up their own minds about the world, rather than have the state tell them indirectly what to believe.

[mockingbich]

8. The glee expressed at the removal of this monument makes

me a little uneasy. A government that is powerful enough to attack the religion of the majority could just as easily attack the values of a minority. This massive government apparatus being put in place to "separate church and state" will be hijacked in the future for more sinister purposes.

If Christians can't even keep their pathetic little monuments, do you think your "civil rights" will be so safe. Systematically removing the heritage of a nation has more profound consequences than just satisfying petty little christo-phobic prejudices.

By the way...how exactly does a piece of stone "force" a religion? Government gestapo tearing down a nation's religious symbols is the only "force" I see being used...

[Moderator]

9. duplicate topic, please discuss here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1139669