The American Civil Liberties Union is asking that a Bible be removed from a granite memorial that sits in front of a Texas courthouse because it might offend non-Christians, reports the Houston Chronicle.
County Judge Robert Eckels told the Houston Chronicle he would review the request but doesn’t think the memorial is a “violation of the separation of church and state or sponsorship of a religious activity.”
The memorial has been in front of the Harris County Civil Courts Building for 47 years, according to the Chronicle, and was built in 1956 to honor a business owner who helped the poor. It is maintained by a local mission group.
Randall Kallinen, an attorney with the ACLU, says he thinks the presence of the Bible sends a message that those practicing other faiths aren’t welcome in the courthouse.
What about all the other religions who see that Bible? Does that mean they’re not welcome or their religion is not respected?” he asked, according to the Houston paper. “Civil courts are supposed to be fair and nonprejudicial. Putting one religion ahead of the other doesn’t seem to be fair or nonprejudicial.”
Activists from American Gay Atheists vandalized the memorial in the late 1980s, according to the Chronicle, breaking the glass case housing the Bible and replacing it with a pornographic magazine.
The ACLU has been involved in many attempts to remove any hint of religious symbols from public property and buildings, including several displays of the Ten Commandments.
In January, the group lost a battle to have a display of the Ten Commandments removed from a Kentucky courthouse.
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WND Staff