Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Houston Lesbian Mayor Subpoenas Pastors' Sermons

In May, Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, Texas heralded her personal victory as the city council passed a Gay Agenda ordinance against the will of the citizens, resulting in a popular petition drive to repeal the law.  In response, the city has embarked on a strong-arm intimidation strategy to muzzle the first amendment rights of Christians who advocated the petition and moral values.
“This is an attempt to chill pastors from speaking to the cultural issues of the day. The mayor would like to silence our voice. She’s a bully.”
-- Pastor Steve Riggle, Grace Community Church

“We’re not afraid of this bully. We’re not intimidated at all.”
-- Rev. Dave Welch, executive director of the Texas Pastor Council
UPDATE 11/4/15: Lesbian Mayor's Gay Agenda Defeated by Houston Voters

For background, read Houston Lesbian Mayor Agenda vs. Religious Liberty

UPDATE 11/3/14: Houston is Ground Zero in President Obama's War on Christianity

UPDATE 10/19/14: Idaho Pastors Face Fines, Jail for Refusing 'Gay Wedding'

UPDATE 7/25/15: Kentucky Forbids Pastors Calling Homosexuality 'Sinful'

UPDATE 8/2/15: Christian Prayer Outrages California City Council

Also click headlines below to read how government is limiting religious liberty in order to advance the Gay Agenda:

Pastor Arrested in California for Reading Bible in Public

Jesus Talk Outlawed in New Orleans, Arrests Made

American Preacher Arrested for Talking of Sexual Sin in Scotland

Canada: Pastor Found Guilty of Hate Crime

Supreme Court Rules Bible as 'Hate Speech' in Canada

European Union High Court Rules Gay Agenda Trumps Christianity

Also read Pentagon Says Christians Who Oppose Gay Agenda are 'Hate Groups'

In addition, read about the recent Pew Research poll showing that Americans don't support the Gay Agenda and want churches to lead in politics, and that's just what thousands of pastors are doing by challenging the IRS government muzzle.

http://abc13.com/news/pastors-sermons-subpoenaed-amid-hero-fight/350929/
Click for local TV news report with pastor interview

-- From "City subpoenas pastors' sermons in equal rights ordinance case" by Katherine Driessen, Houston Chronicle 10/14/14

Houston's embattled equal rights ordinance took another legal turn this week when it surfaced that city attorneys, in an unusual step, subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the law and are tied to the conservative Christian activists that have sued the city.

Opponents of the equal rights ordinance are hoping to force a repeal referendum when they get their day in court in January, claiming City Attorney David Feldman wrongly determined they had not gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. City attorneys issued subpoenas last month during the case's discovery phase, seeking, among other communications, "all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession."

The city attorney's office has not responded to requests for comment.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Houston subpoenas pastors’ sermons in fight over 'bathroom bill'" by Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times 10/14/14

Attorneys for several Houston pastors are challenging the city’s attempts to subpoena their sermons as part of a lawsuit against the recently passed transgender-rights law, also known as the “bathroom bill.”

Opponents of the ordinance, which forbids businesses open to the public from stopping individuals from using opposite-sex bathrooms if their gender identity doesn’t match their biological sex, filed a lawsuit in August challenging the city attorney’s ruling.

Alliance Defending Freedom [ADF] senior legal counsel Erik Stanley said the pastors subject to the city’s subpoenas are not party to the lawsuit.

“City council members are supposed to be public servants, not ‘Big Brother’ overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge,” said Mr. Stanley in a statement. “In this case, they have embarked upon a witch-hunt, and we are asking the court to put a stop to it.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons" by Todd Starnes, FoxNews.com 10/14/14

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.”

The pastors . . . 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.

Mayor Parker will not explain why she wants to inspect the sermons. . . . 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.

We can no longer remain silent. We must stand together - because one day – the government might come for your pastor.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Gay Agenda Attacks America One Town at a Time as well as American Decline: President Obama's Gay Agenda vs. Christians

And read Gay Agenda will be Complete when Christians are Muzzled, Say Homosexualists as well as Senator Ted Cruz Says the Gay Agenda Ends Christian Liberty