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Title: City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons
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URL Source: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014 ... nds-pastors-turn-over-sermons/
Published: Oct 14, 2014
Author: Todd Starnes
Post Date: 2014-10-14 18:11:52 by A K A Stone
Keywords: None
Views: 15685
Comments: 32
The city of Houston has issued subpoenas demanding a group of pastors turn over any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or Annise Parker, the city’s first openly lesbian mayor. And those ministers who fail to comply could be held in contempt of court. “The city’s subpoena of sermons and other pastoral communications is both needless and unprecedented,” Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Christina Holcomb said in a statement. “The city council and its attorneys are engaging in an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of its actions.” ADF, a nationally-known law firm specializing in religious liberty cases, is representing five Houston pastors. They filed a motion in Harris County court to stop the subpoenas arguing they are “overbroad, unduly burdensome, harassing, and vexatious.” “Political and social commentary is not a crime,” Holcomb said. “It is protected by the First Amendment.” The subpoenas are just the latest twist in an ongoing saga over the Houston’s new non-discrimination ordinance. The law, among other things, would allow men to use the ladies room and vice versa. The city council approved the law in June. The Houston Chronicle reported opponents of the ordinance launched a petition drive that generated more than 50,000 signatures – far more than the 17,269 needed to put a referendum on the ballot. However, the city threw out the petition in August over alleged irregularities. After opponents of the bathroom bill filed a lawsuit the city’s attorneys responded by issuing the subpoenas against the pastors. The pastors were not part of the lawsuit. However, they were part of a coalition of some 400 Houston-area churches that opposed the ordinance. The churches represent a number of faith groups – from Southern Baptist to non-denominational. “City council members are supposed to be public servants, not ‘Big Brother’ overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge,” said ADF attorney Erik Stanley. “This is designed to intimidate pastors.” Mayor Parker will not explain why she wants to inspect the sermons. I contacted City Hall for a comment and received a terse reply from the mayor’s director of communications. “We don’t comment on litigation,” said Janice Evans. However, ADF attorney Stanley suspects the mayor wants to publicly shame the ministers. He said he anticipates they will hold up their sermons for public scrutiny. In other words – the city is rummaging for evidence to “out” the pastors as anti-gay bigots. Among those slapped with a subpoena is Steve Riggle, the senior pastor of Grace Community Church. He was ordered to produce all speeches and sermons related to Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality and gender identity. The mega-church pastor was also ordered to hand over “all communications with members of your congregation” regarding the non-discrimination law. “This is an attempt to chill pastors from speaking to the cultural issues of the day,” Riggle told me. “The mayor would like to silence our voice. She’s a bully.” David Welch, pastor of Bear Creek Church and director of the Houston Area Pastor Council, also received a subpoena. He said he will not be intimidated by the mayor. “We’re not afraid of this bully,” he said. “We’re not intimidated at all.” He accused the city of violating the law with the subpoenas and vowed to stand firm in the faith. “We are not going to yield our First Amendment rights,” Welch told me. ‘This is absolutely a complete abuse of authority.” Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, said pastors around the nation should rally around the Houston ministers. “The state is breaching the wall of separation between church and state,” Perkins told me. ‘Pastors need to step forward and challenge this across the country. I’d like to see literally thousands of pastors after they read this story begin to challenge government authorities – to dare them to come into their churches and demand their sermons.” Perkins called the actions by Houston’s mayor “obscene” and said they “should not be tolerated.” “This is a shot across the bow of the church,” he said. This is the moment I wrote about in my book, “God Less America.” I predicted that the government would one day try to silence American pastors. I warned that under the guise of “tolerance and diversity” elected officials would attempt to deconstruct religious liberty. Sadly, that day arrived sooner than even I expected. Tony Perkins is absolutely right. Now is the time for pastors and people of faith to take a stand. We must rise up and reject this despicable strong-arm attack on religious liberty. We cannot allow ministers to be intimidated by government thugs. The pastors I spoke to tell me they will not comply with the subpoena – putting them at risk for a “fine or confinement, or both.” Heaven forbid that should happen. But if it does, Christians across America should be willing to descend en masse upon Houston and join these brave men of God behind bars. Pastor Welch compared the culture war skirmish to the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, fought in present-day Harris County, Texas. It was a decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. “This is the San Jacinto moment for traditional family,” Welch told me. “This is the place where we stop the LGBT assault on the freedom to practice our faith.” We can no longer remain silent. We must stand together - because one day – the government might come for your pastor.
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#13. To: A K A Stone (#0)
How totally cool that voters in Houston elected a practicing lesbian as their mayor. Liberals worship the almighty anus and handouts.... don't mess with their religion. People of Houston, you need to recall the mayor and council, take your city back. Refuse to make Satan and Obama happy!
Christians across the nation are mobilizing to defend a group of Houston pastors who were ordered by the city to turn over any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity issues or Houston mayor. Their message is simple – Don’t Mess with Texas Preachers. www.foxnews.com/opinion/2...-mess-with-texas-pulpits/ Dave Welch, the executive director of the Texas Pastor Council, is one of the five ministers who received a subpoena. He said he will not be intimidated by Annise Parker, who is the city's first openly lesbian mayor, nor will he comply with the city’s demands. “My answer to that is – bring it on,” he said. Houston’s city attorney issued the subpoenas in a response to a lawsuit filed related to the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (H.E.R.O.), the city's new non-discrimination ordinance, also known as the “Bathroom Bill.” About the City Attorney David M. Feldman was born August 19, 1949, in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from LSU (1970) and a J.D., summa cum laude, from South Texas College of Law (1976). Feldman served as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer from 1970 to 1972, and was employed at the NASA-Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center from 1972 to 1976. Feldman was appointed as City Attorney by Mayor Parker in April 2010. Over the course of his 33 years in private practice he served as a partner with the firm of Vinson & Elkins and as managing partner of his own firm, Feldman, Rogers, Morris and Grover, L.L.P., specializing in the representation of both private and public employers in all forms of labor and employment disputes, civil rights litigation and general litigation. He is licensed to practice before all Texas Courts, the U. S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, Western and Northern Districts of Texas, the Fifth and Eleventh U. S. Circuit Courts of Appeals and the U. S. Supreme Court. He is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell and has been named to Texas Super Lawyer (2004-2009), Texas Top Notch Lawyer (2004, 2009) and Best Lawyers in America, (1987, 2009). He has also served as an adjunct professor at South Texas College of Law. Feldman’s family includes his children Cris, Seth and Lera, and his grandchildren, Max and Asher. When not practicing law, he enjoys playing tennis, studying political history and traveling (as time permits).
Indeed. People need to wake the heck up! You need to take to the streets in support of these Pastors! I don't understand how people sit at home and tsk- tsk, yet do nothing of significance. Get out there, people.
I called them a couple of times today. The lady on the phone said it was unbelievable herself. She asked if I was for or against it. I said it isn't that I am for or against it. It is that the mayor should resign. Recently I've put several Senators, congressman and other assholes on my contacts on my cellphone. When I'm driving around and thinking about this stuff I like to call them and give them a piece of my mind. :)
Excellent.
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#19. To: IbJensen (#13)
(Edited)
#20. To: A K A Stone (#19)
“My answer to that is – bring it on,” he said.
#21. To: out damned spot (#20)
#23. To: A K A Stone (#21)
Replies to Comment # 23.
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