Religious tolerance for everyone, as long as they're Christians

You never know what you're going to hear when a U.S. appeals court tackles the case of a once-obscure monument once located in Courthouse Square:

"If everyone in Harris County ... accepted Christ as their savior, we would be better than if they were all Hindus."

That gem came from previous testimony of former Star of Hope President Carloss Morris, who supports retaining the monument to local businessman and Star of Hope supporter William S. Mosher. The memorial, a block of stone with a glass-encased Bible on top, was placed in front of the Civil Courthouse in 1956; in 2003, it came under fire as an alleged symbol of government endorsement of religion, a local court ordered the Bible removed and the county appealed.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals began hearing the case this week, and both sides went at it with the fervor of a preacher in a tent revival. Those who oppose the monument say its design and placement send the message that Harris County promotes Christianity; those who support it say it commemorates the life and beliefs of a philanthropist, not the official government line.

When Houstonist went looking for the monument, we had a bit of a hard time finding it — it looks a lot like a trash can, and its placement beside a busy sidewalk doesn't really help. Let's just say it's not gonna make any travel guides.

A decision on the monument is expected from the 5th Circuit in the spring.