Posted on 10/16/2014 4:11:04 PM PDT by Jan_Sobieski
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...”
For what, preaching mush?
Another scam artist!!!
12 No...he is a homosexual supporting false teacher. The Pharisees were political and would have no problem with Joel Osteen. Jesus would have driven him out!
17 I don’t get it. So what if Osteen’s not included in the Parker leftist persecution and witchhunt? What point are you trying to make here?
23 Joel, like Jesus, is a friend of sinners, and the modern-day-law-loving Pharisees, like the Pharisees of old, dispense him.
25 He’s also a preacher of righteousness infusing joy onto the Body of Christ. Many believers need joy so badly. After all, the joy of the Lord is our strength.
27 ... Pretty soon someone will post a gif of lots of people walking into a hole with the quote, "700,000,000 people can't be wrong". And then many others will pile on talking about the evils of a "prosperity driven gospel". I'm not sure whar it's all about but they are quite certain it's evil. So, he's condemned, they're saved and it's FR religious free for all as usual.
32 I only have seen Osteen in small doses, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of pastor who would give sermons on homosexuality, abortion, or anything controversial.
37 I like Joel. His sermons make me feel good. I listen to at least two a day on the radio.
1/04/2010 - Youtube - Joel Osteen Prays over Inauguration of Lesbian Mayor of Houston
video run length = 00:02:30 minutes Joel Scott Osteen, American preacher, televangelist, author, and the Pastor of the mega-church Lakewood Church in Houston, TX, delivered the invocation at Annise Parker’s mayoral inauguration.
1/04/2010 – CSPAN - Houston Mayoral Inauguration
video run time = 01:10:59 hours
1/08/2012 – Oprah Winfrey interviewed mega-church televangelist Joel Osteen on her new program, “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” where he delved deeply into his views on homosexuality and sin. “Will a gay person be accepted into heaven, as you see it?,” Oprah asked the famed pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. “I believe they will,” he responded. ”Sometimes we look at gay being a bigger sin than being proud or not telling the truth. I don’t think God categorizes sins.” Oprah continued, ”Does that mean that you’re saying that you believe that being gay is a sin?” “I believe that homosexuality is shown as a sin in the scripture,” he responded. “Oprah, it’s a hard thing in a sense, because I’m for everybody. I’m not against anybody. I don‘t think anybody’s 2nd class,” Osteen continued, as he explained that the bible’s message on the matter, in his view, is clear. Osteen’s main point in addressing the issue, though, was that homosexuality, should it be considered a sin, isn’t any different from other offenses. In his view, it shouldn’t be raised above the other sins that individuals commit.
On 4/29/2012, Osteen was interviewed by Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday”. Responding to Wallace's question of whether or not gay couples should have the same rights as heterosexuals, Osteen said he supported some rights, but not necessarily full equality. "I don't think there is an issue where somebody couldn't go visit a gay loved one in the hospital. I don't think that's right. They love each other," Osteen said. "So, I think there should be some." … "I'm not for gay marriage, but I'm not for discriminating against people," he said.
Thanks for that info. I would imagine that no matter what the voters thought of her prior to this boondoggle, her approval ratings will sink in the aftermath. You used the word ‘creepy’, & that sums the situation up quite adequately. Hard to imagine even many liberals enjoying creepiness. We’ll stay tuned to see how her tenure unfolds from here on out.
Truth hurt?
Yes, much too politically incorrect. Or, perhaps many of the Black churches in Houston have adopted Joel Osteen’s false Gospel.
Opinion
You are blind for not seeing this!
What you're seeing is in your mind's eye.
Great! Your post says everything that needs to be said!
Actually, the 5 pastors who were subpoenaed were not even part of the lawsuit. That is just one of the things that was so egregious about this incident.
I will try to remember this. My mistake.
Many of us wish we could dispense of him. When you are such a "friend of sinners" that you decline to call people to repent of their sins and focus instead on "self-esteem", then you aren't walking in the steps of Christ. Christ loved sinners, but always was very direct about the need to turn from sin.
You don't have a clue who will and who won't go to heaven!...you just think you do!
John 3:16
No, I read that one f the five was not party to the law suit.
Jesus has a clue. I trust Him.
For people turning their dislike of him in to some sort of phoney doctrine like they did with Jesus.
Where did he do that? He called people to REPENT AND BELIEVE. The New Testament speaks of repentance in terms of "repentance for dead works" (Heb. 6:1) not repent of your sins. Believe in God and His grace and his promise that he will "remember you sins and iniquities no more" (Heb 8:12, 10:17). New Testament repentance is repenting from the dead works of self-effort and the law and turning instead to Jesus and his finished work on the cross to fully and completely save you. THAT is the gospel of the grace of Christ (Gal. 1:6).
Christ loved sinners, but always was very direct about the need to turn from sin.
Really? You're sure about that.
The only sinners Jesus confronted directly with their sin were those who were self-righteous and "trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others" (Luke 18:9), the Pharisees.
Better take another look at how Jesus handled (and handles) sinners (John 8:3-11). He gave (and gives) the prostitute the gift of NO CONDEMNATION, unlike the modern-day Pharisees and the Pharisees of old. Jesus was able to say, "go and sin no more", only AFTER he gave her the gift of no condemnation, because he had just set her free from the greatest source of sin and a broken life: guilt and condemnation - something the Pharisees are steeped in but don't know it.
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