Posted on 10/15/2014 8:02:07 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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 subpoenas were issued to several high-profile pastors and religious leaders who have been vocal in opposing the ordinance. The Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a motion on behalf of the pastors seeking to quash the subpoenas.
Plaintiff Jared Woodfill said the subpoena impinges on protected religious freedoms.
"This is the city trampling on the First Amendment rights of pastors in their churches," Woodfill said.
Why would they want copies of sermons that mention the mayor? This is intimidation pure and simple, and a fishing expedition. What do they expect to find that has to do with the referendum?
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
For those who don’t know what the ordinance contains:
The ordinance would, among other things, make it illegal for a business to deny entry to a restroom of a transgender person.
Refuse! Let her put them in jail! If anything, it will blow up in her face.
The idea is a “slap suit”
Houston does not care about winning or losing. It is about silencing opposition before the election.
(see Christians vs lions etc.)
There should be PERSONAL sanctions against the city lawyers.
Liberals are trying to find the crime.
Pure intimidation - but the threat of jail helps.
disbar the lawyers and send a better message. Make such suits too dangerous for bureaucrats.
Interesting - but not surprising - that Black ministers are not among those who have to produce sermon notes. Wonder how many of them would attest to the fact that their very own CONGRESSWOMAN Sheila Jackson Lee is often in their presence and offers her own “words of wisdom” from the pulpit.
If you want to hear the sermons, GO TO CHURCH.
And the hippies thought they were under oppression during the 60’s.....”Living in Amerikaaaaaa....”
It is important to note what the “Rights Law” that caused this controversy allows. This “Rights Law” allows people entry into public restrooms based on the gender they want to be rather than the gender they actually are.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
As usual, the rats neglect to consider the repercussions of their actions in this matter.
For a long time, the rats have depended on Black Pastors in major cities to “get out the vote” for them, coordinating every election season and providing them plenty of walking-around money. This activity has gone unchallenged, mainly due to squeamishness on the part of the gutless Republicans to confront fraud, and also on the basis of not wishing to breach the walls of Free Expression in such a way. Bringing the power of Government to breach the walls of Church freedoms is a pretty strong move, not to be taken lightly.
Now that it is done, and done by the “tolerant” left, the wall is breached. Precedent is a bitch...
The pastors should ban together and offer to publish their sermons if the local press will print them in their entirety.
And the homo end game begins...
Someone should write a sermon on the first amendment and send it to the witch.
Racism!!!!! Oh wait, only gays are a protected class in Houston now. Sorry, blacks, get in the back of the bus with the white guys.
I haven’t read everything but are you saying the black ministers are not being asked to produce their sermons and emails? I saw a hispanic minister on tv last night who has been given the order.
Is the city of houston going to require Ministers to submit copies of all their sermons? Is the city going to require the sermons be submitted for approval before they can be delivered? Who will be on the committee to approve sermons? CAIR, LGBT, atheist, satanist, the DNC?
RE: Is the city of houston going to require Ministers to submit copies of all their sermons?
Well if they do, they’re just emulating what the ChiComs have been doing for years with their — THREE SELF-CHURCHES.
In China however, the fastest growing churches are the underground churches. Pretty soon, Houston might have lots of them if this travesty is not overturned.
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