Federal Court: Open Bible in Public Display Violates Constitution

Thomas More Law Center Enters Legal Battle

ANN ARBOR, MI – A federal judge has ordered an open Bible contained in a four-foot tall privately donated display in Harris County, Texas, removed because it violates the United States Constitution. The nearly 50-year old display was designed and erected by the Star of Hope Mission, a Houston-based Christian charity in memory of the late William Mosher, who had been an active member and longtime supporter of the homeless Mission.

In 2004, Houston resident Kay Staley filed a federal lawsuit to have the Bible removed from the display claiming the inclusion of the Bible violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. A federal district court judge agreed with Staley and ordered the Bible removed.

Harris County has now appealed the ruling to the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and at the county’s request, the Thomas More Law Center has filed a friend of the court brief in support of the open Bible display and the county’s legal position.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center commented, “This is another example of the hostility toward Christians exhibited by many federal courts.”

Staley confirmed her own hostility toward Christian displays in an interview last August following the court’s ruling, “There are a lot of these Ten Commandments/Bibles in a lot of places and they need to be removed.” As a result of her actions, the Houston Atheist Society gave Staley the “Activist of the Year” award.

Edward L. White III, Trial Counsel with the Thomas More Law Center who authored the brief explained, “The district court totally ignored the argument that this Memorial reflects the private speech of a private organization. The memorial to William Mosher is clearly the private speech of the Star of Hope Mission. The Fifth Circuit must now reverse the lower court decision and allow this memorial to remain.”

The Star of Hope Mission erected the memorial display in 1956 to honor the service of William Mosher, a man committed to serving the homeless. The Mission included the Bible in the display to convey that Mosher was a Christian and “Godly man” who helped others.

From an email from the Thomas More Law Center