'China-level' Christian persecution coming: court's ruling in Houston Bible case 'breath-taking'

WorldNetDaily ^ | 17 Aug 06 | WND

[xzins]

'China-level' Christian persecution coming: Pastors say court's ruling in Houston Bible case 'breath-taking'

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: August 17, 2006 5:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Houston's Bible monument

A few more court decisions like this week's over a display of a Bible in Houston and the United States will be approaching the "China-level" for Christian persecution, according to a leader in the midst of that battle.

The ruling from the Fifth Court of Appeals said the display of a Bible on public ground in Houston to honor the founder of a mission has to go, not because it was unconstitutional itself, but because it became unconstitutional when a Christian group rallied around it.

The pastor's group said that means any monument, building, or even feature of nature is an illegal "establishment of religion" if a church ceremony is held there.

"Connecting the dots between the eminent domain case, which says all of your churches are up for grabs if a town wants a mall, secondly you now have been told you do not have constitutional rights in the public square," Dave Welch, executive director of the Houston Area Pastors Conference, told WorldNetDaily.

"Any kind of an event is okay, as long as you didn't express any religious faith. What is that telling you?

"We're not persecuted yet, we know that. But we're on our way there. Add that to the surprising acceptance of militant Islam, the fear of speaking against that from a Christian standpoint and then we're dangerously approaching the point where we have literally given away and yielded our freedoms that were earned," Welch said.

"We have history, law and the founding fathers who adopted the Constitution collectively affirming the truth expressed by revered Justice Joseph Story in 1840 that, 'We are not to attribute this prohibition of a national religious establishment to an indifference to religion in general, and especially to Christianity,'" said a statement issued by the pastor's group.

Welch told WND that the court's conclusion was "ludicrous" and if followed logically, could mean that a religious rally at any public building would therefore make the building unconstitutional so it would have to be removed.

The Bible was installed on county property about five decades ago in honor of William Mosher, the founder of Star of Hope Mission, and was replaced in 1996 with donated funds. However, an atheist challenged the monument, and on an appeal from the District Court decision that the Bible was unconstitutional, the appeals court carried the argument further.

Its ruling said that the monument became an unconstitutional "establishment" after a 2003 rally was held by Christians to defend the display. That rally involved prayers and clergy, the court noted.

"The ramifications of this tortured decision are breath-taking and without any historic or legitimate Constitutional rationale," said the pastors' organization. "For the court to state that if a private citizen exercises his or her First Amendment rights of religious expression and assembly on public property, that any monument, building or fixed item of any kind that contains religious references becomes 'establishment of religion' is simply irrational."

The conclusion, if applied nationwide, would result in the sandblasting of hundreds of monuments and buildings "including the capstone on the Washington Monument, which reads, 'Laus Deo,' or 'Praise be to God,'" the pastors group continued.

"For this panel majority of two justices to claim that words and actions by private citizens or elected officials with religious content, expressed about a building or monument, convert it from 'secular' and constitutional to 'sacred' and unconstitutional amounts to an act of blatant judicial activism against the freedoms and Constitution," the HAPC said.

The group Battle For The Bible also is working on the case, and Welch said there are experts on constitutional law who have been and plan to continue assisting the county in its fight over the representation of the Bible.

"They are of the opinion this needs to be appealed directly to the Supreme Court, and we're working on that right now," Welch told WND.

He called the logic "twisted" that could conclude the monument once was constitutional, but since "some action by a private citizen" it now becomes unconstitutional.

Because the atheist's lawsuit was against the county over the monument on county land, the pastors and their advisors have been assisting County Attorney Michael Stafford in the fight.

[farlander]

Amen. Or DNC and/or ACLU HQ.

[musicman]

"Amen. Or DNC and/or ACLU HQ."

Can we add the UN to your list??

[taxesareforever]

Awesome point!!!

[farlander]

Ooooo... oooo... now we're gettin' there.

[stands2reason]

If this ruling is as it's described here, it's absolutely outrageous.


It sounds like Christians have some sort of disease that even public monuments can catch.

Well, the only silver lining I can see is if you happen to know of a hideous piece of "art" in a public place, you can get rid of it by simply holding a prayer meeting around it...

[Rytwyng]

We have NO idea of China like persecution

Yet.

shame on the comparison!

The comparison isn't true as yet, but it sure seems we are on the slippery slope toward it becoming accurate. I think that was his point.

[Rytwyng]

Well, the only silver lining I can see is if you happen to know of a hideous piece of "art" in a public place, you can get rid of it by simply holding a prayer meeting around it...

Hey, now THERE'S an idea!

[Lexinom]

But Alex, we ARE living in the last days, and have been ever since the Ascension.

[Lexinom]

Someone from my state actually wrote and had published something good and right?

[XR7]

Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door,
And heart the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

How many anvils have you had," said I,
"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he, and then, with twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed - the hammers gone.

[xzins]

read paragraphs 1 and 6.

Paving the way for something in the future is not the same as saying it has already arrived.

[xzins]

I, too, wish I could see some kind of synopsis of the entire case. Nonetheless, I expect that this report is close to the truth. In any case, the bottom line is that the judges found this bible to be unconstitutional even though it was placed there for a secular reason, the honoring of a founder of a mission. "The Bible was installed on county property about five decades ago in honor of William Mosher, the founder of Star of Hope Mission, and was replaced in 1996 with donated funds."

I suppose it would be wrong to place a monument honoring William Penn, famous Quaker, in the middle of Philadelphia.

William, if memory serves correctly, was a pretty religious guy. (We also know that Philadelphia was chosen as the name of the city for religious reasons....hmmmmm....maybe change the name of that city, too.)

[kittymyrib]

Using the logic of this court ruling, Yankee Stadium should be removed because there was a Service of Prayer held there after 9/11. The judges, who don't understand the First Amendment's freedom of religion and speech rights any better than this, should be removed from the bench. The only religion that can be allowed under rulings such as this is atheism, something the Founders never intended.

[arthurus]

The power of impeachment of judges has probably fallen into abeyance to the extent that it will not be used again.

[imskylark]

He did not compare this to China persecution. He warned that we could be headed in that direction if this trend continues.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

Don't expect Alex to respond. :o/

freepmail in a minute...

[XR7]

The power of impeachment of judges has probably fallen into abeyance to the extent that it will not be used again.

Ugh.

[TexasPatriot8]

Knowing how many libs are in Houston, I'm not surprised by this. I lived there for 21 years and it's a filthy sess pool filled with liberals inside the beltway for the most party. Let's just see what happens when this is appealed and taken to Judges with rational. Every one of these cases more and more infuriates Conservative Americans, which are in the majority, and giving them just one more reason to go vote Republican and replace Judges like this. Most Americans are sick and tired of this anti-Christian crap. And liberals can only push so hard without being knocked down themselves.

[the invisib1e hand]

oh, I love pious "we don't know anything about persecution here and I resent the comparison" snips.

You have no idea what sort of noose is being placed around your neck.

[ntnychik]

Ginsburg deserves a tail. Here I thought it was her left hand swinging a bit behind her, LOL