HOUSTON — A woman has sued Harris County in federal court demanding a Bible contained within a monument near an entrance to the civil courthouse be removed.

The Bible has been part of the lighted display since 1995 when the monument that contains it was refurbished. It was originally erected in 1956 to honor industrialist William Mosher for his contributions to homeless programs.

"It's unconstitutional and I expect our elected officials to follow the law," said Kay Staley, who is a member of the Houston chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

After months of negotiations with county officials, Staley said she decided to sue after seeing the controversy surrounding Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's refusal to remove a monument bearing the Ten Commandments from the state's judicial building.

Harris County Judge Robert Eckels has defended the Texas monument. He says the Bible contained within the monument is a tribute to Mosher, who was a devoutly religious man.

"I've talked to the county attorney and he's ready to defend us," Eckels told the Houston Chronicle in yesterday's editions. "We believe the monument is appropriate. If someone disagrees, well, that's what courts are for."

The monument was filled with trash before it was refurbished.

A Baptist church raised money to repair it and place a new Bible inside the monument.

Judge John Devine, who served as a civil court judge from 1995 to 2001, said refurbishing the monument became his "personal cause."

"We have this insane rush to eliminate every Christian tradition and symbol from our culture," Devine said. "As much as the Bible is a religious text, it is a book of law. It's always had a position in the courtroom since the early 1800s. Witnesses and jurors were sworn in on the Bible."