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City of Houston subpoenas pastors' sermons to see if they're criticizing lesbian mayor
Cain TV.com ^ | October 14, 2014 | Dan Calabrese

Posted on 10/15/2014 3:55:41 AM PDT by Kaslin

Unreal.

We already told you earlier today that folks are willing to use the gay rights movement as a pretext to go after those who live by the Word of God. Then we were talking about some lunkhead at a Canadian tourism company. I bet you didn't think the attorneys for a major American city would ever try to subpoena pastors' sermons to see if they had dared to speak any criticisms of the city's lesbian mayor.

Well. They did. Houston, we have . . . yeah, OK, it's an overused cliche. But if it ever applied, it would be here:

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.

The back story is that in June the Houston City Council passed, and Mayor Parker signed, a "human rights ordinance" that panders in numerous ways to activists pushing for gay and "gender identity" rights, including a requirement that men be allowed to use women's bathrooms and vice versa. Not surprisingly, many local pastors opposed the ordinance, and more than 17,000 residents filed referendum petitions to get it repealed - which the city blatantly threw out alleging "irregularities".

But lest you thought Houston politicians were done playing hardball with their critics, not a chance. The subpoenas are supposedly to see if pastors had in any way violated the law by using the pulpit to preach about the law. Aside from the obvious First Amendment problems here, the pastors weren't even involved with the petition drive, so the city had no basis for issuing them subpoenas.

Not that this would stop them. The secular cultural left smells blood when it comes to gay rights, and they think they are now free to take any action - no matter how unconstitutional or illegal - against those who oppose the gay agenda because the cultural winds are blowing in their direction.

Big picture: If a city can subpoena a pastor's sermons just because the pastor preaches from the book that includes 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and other passages that call homosexuality sin, then we no longer have freedom of religion. At all. Period. Any pastor at any time could find himself in legal jeopardy if he preaches something not in agreement with the political, social or cultural orthodoxy of the moment.

It's a mistake to think the left has no god. They do. Their god is government, and specifically their own attainment of government power to use in shaping America's economic, social, cultural and political institutions to their liking. Those who preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ threaten the left's god, so no method of taking them down is off the table.

It's not just Houston that has a problem.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; US: Texas
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To: Rusty0604
.


Rusty,


First, I'm a pro-life anti-sodomite marriage evangelical Christian.


Second, Houston's Mayor HAS EVERY LEGAL RIGHT to PROSECUTE Pastors speaking-out (and attempting to repeal) the LGBT legislation.



Just read the below text, DOWNLOAD your copy of IRS Pamplet-1828 ... READ IT ...

and then watch ANY of the YouTube Videos.



.


Yes that would be the next objective. It would seem it is timely for churches to start budgeting as if they did not have tax-exempt status, so they are not caught out when it happens. I’m quite sure it will a hot issue in 10-12 years time.


Yep ... and some day coming to all IRS 501-C3 tax-exempt churches in America.

Don't blame me ... I'm just the messenger.

Questions ?

 photo IRS-950_zpsa5223654.jpg

Muster up the courage to do the free IRS download of "Pamplet P1828" which specifies the legal details of your tax-exempt church's sertitude to it's U.S. Government Masters.

Heck, I'll even do you the favor of providing the internet link:

IRS Legal Obligations of Tax-Exempt Christian Churches and Pastors" - (click)



 photo IRS--211H_zps9a42d760.jpg

 photo IRS--211D_zps76d54b3c.jpg

 photo IRS-940_zps073562f1.jpg

 photo IRS-830_zpsec27dc18.jpg .




IRS & Church Marriage vs. "Render Unto Caesar" ...

IRS & Church Marriage vs. "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)



America's Spiritual Revival and Healing - The Obstacle ...

.America's Spiritual Revival and Healing - The Obstacle ... - (click)




Pro-Life Victory vs. "Render Unto Caesar" ...

Pro-Life Victory vs. "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)




Tea Party Christians and "Render Unto Caesar" ...

Tea Party Christians and "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)



 photo IRS--211Y_zps47974838.jpg

 photo IRS--211J_zpsa0fe62e2.jpg .

21 posted on 10/15/2014 4:44:43 AM PDT by Patton@Bastogne
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To: Kaslin
sorry, we had a hard drive crash... now GSY
22 posted on 10/15/2014 4:48:43 AM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -vvv- NO Pity for the LAZY - 86-44)
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To: Kaslin

Sounds to me like the ‘gays’ are really after our ‘constitution’ thingy.


23 posted on 10/15/2014 4:48:46 AM PDT by Flintlock
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To: Kaslin

Simple, the church leaders should tell the City of Houston, that they won’t comply and that the city can shove the subpoenas where the sun don’t shine. We still have a first amendment and the overwhelming majority of Americans still believe in the constitution.


24 posted on 10/15/2014 4:49:57 AM PDT by kenmcg (b)
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To: Kaslin; GeronL; Army Air Corps

25 posted on 10/15/2014 4:51:29 AM PDT by KC_Lion (Build the America you want to live in at your address, and keep looking up.- Sarah Palin)
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To: Kaslin
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

When in the Course of human events* it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

* such as when a lesbian mayor of Houston TX directs her minions to blatantly attack our Constitutionally protected religious freedoms ...

26 posted on 10/15/2014 4:58:15 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: icwhatudo

There’s pizza on the other side...

Should get tossed in a lawsuit, with an injunction.


27 posted on 10/15/2014 4:59:34 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Kaslin

Send your silly subpenas....refuse to comply. Call her out in public.


28 posted on 10/15/2014 5:01:42 AM PDT by Ouderkirk (To the left, everything must evidence that this or that strand of leftist theory is true)
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To: Servant of the Cross

Very well said


29 posted on 10/15/2014 5:02:01 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Vendome

Colorado and now et tu Houston?


30 posted on 10/15/2014 5:03:05 AM PDT by urbanpovertylawcenter (the law and poverty collide in an urban setting and sparks fly)
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To: Kaslin

Houston,YOU have a problem,over


31 posted on 10/15/2014 5:03:17 AM PDT by CGASMIA68
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To: Kaslin

Why are lesbians so fat? We need a government funded study.

Why are lesbians so stupid?

Could we all be controlled by our parasites and we have no free will?

Walking Stupid?

Why are liberals so full of carp?

Who knew it was the carp?


32 posted on 10/15/2014 5:06:26 AM PDT by urbanpovertylawcenter (the law and poverty collide in an urban setting and sparks fly)
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To: icwhatudo

Stand up? Your kidding. Most “Christians: are only too happy to take other people’s stuff looted by the government In exchange for votes.


33 posted on 10/15/2014 5:14:09 AM PDT by all the best
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To: icwhatudo

Should be “you’re” rather than “your”.


34 posted on 10/15/2014 5:14:55 AM PDT by all the best
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To: Kaslin
UN-EFFING-BELIEVABLE!!!!
35 posted on 10/15/2014 5:15:29 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: Kaslin


36 posted on 10/15/2014 5:33:54 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: Zakeet

That must be an old pic. John Candy died years ago! lol


37 posted on 10/15/2014 5:36:40 AM PDT by jimmyo57
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To: Hegemony Cricket

Are you serious?


38 posted on 10/15/2014 5:42:04 AM PDT by sport
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To: Hegemony Cricket

Excellent question!


39 posted on 10/15/2014 5:44:32 AM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: elcid1970

The pastors should make it known that they will not comply with the subpoena and any attempt to sieze the sermons will be met with deadly force.


40 posted on 10/15/2014 5:44:50 AM PDT by nonliberal (Sent from a payphone in a whorehouse in Mexico.)
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