Senator Ted Cruz : GENUINE Risk of Houston Pastor's Arrest for Protesting LGBT Laws

CBN ^ | 2014-10-17 | David Brody, CBN

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


Ted Cruz Tells Brody File: "Real Risk" Of Pastors Being Jailed For Preaching Against Homosexuality

In an exclusive interview with The Brody File, Senator Ted Cruz says pastors being hauled off to jail by the government for preaching against homosexuality is a “real risk” in the future.

““I think that is a real risk,” Cruz tells me. “Some in the media ridicule that threat saying there is no danger of the government coming after pastors. That is the usual response.”

But he adds: “The specter of government trying to determine if what pastors preach from the pulpit meets with the policy views or political correctness of the governing authorities, that prospect is real and happening now.”


Watch the clip below along with a partial transcription.


The Brody File traveled to Houston Texas Thursday to interview Cruz after his press conference in defense of Houston pastors. They are under a severe religious liberty attack by city officials.

The Mayor and the City Council are trying to subpoena the sermons of these pastors because of their supposed outspokenness on homosexuality and a controversial LGBT ordinance.

The pastors are refusing to give in.

More Brody File analysis on Ted Cruz and evangelicals here.

MANDATORY COURTESY: CBN NEWS/THE BRODY FILE


David Brody: “One of the next battles in this culture war could indeed be right there in the pulpit. Are we going through a potential period or could we very well soon go through a period where pastors are hauled off to jail for a hate crime because they are speaking for traditional marriage?”

Senator Ted Cruz: “I think that is a real risk and you and I have both pointed to that risk in the past and some in the media ridicule that threat saying there is no danger of the government coming after pastors. That is the usual response.”

Senator Ted Cruz: “The specter of government trying to determine if what pastors preach from the pulpit meets with the policy views or political correctness of the governing authorities, that prospect is real and happening now.”

Senator Ted Cruz: “When you subpoena one pastor, you subpoena every pastor. If government has the power to force the pulpit to knuckle under, if government has the power to insist that pastors hand over their sermons for government approval then we’ve lost the very first freedom that begins our bill of rights. We’ve lost the freedom that this country was built on. That’s what this fight is and I very much hope that this serves as a wake-up call to Christians, to people of faith, I hope it serves as a wake-up call to pastors to speak out and make abundantly clear that we will not give up our religious liberty. We will not go quietly into the night but we will stand and fight for principles that are right and true and will speak the truth and the pastors of this country will not be muzzled.



.

[Patton@Bastogne]

.



Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham,


Jesus Christ taught in parables.

Using a parable that touches both baseball and Christian missionaries in China ...

I will explain why Houston's Lesbian Mayor is LEGALLY CORRECT ...

in wanting the IRS / Federal Government to "Shut-Down" or "Financially Destroy" ALL Houston-area Christian Churches that are "politically" fighting the Gay-Agenda.




You are a STAR athlete who's a member of the New York Rebels baseball team.

You had to APPLY for your position with the New York Rebels. You sought after them because the New York Rebels had sometime YOU wanted DESPERATELY:


MONEY, "Beyond the Dreams of Avarice" (Hans Solo, Star Wars).

Millions and millions of dollars, but ONLY if You agreed to VOLUNTARILY sign for the New York Rebels.



The New York Rebels said "yes" to your "voluntary" request to join the team.

Condition-1 : Be a useful TOOL to help the New York Rebels win the World Series.

Condition-2 : NEVER, NEVER criticize the New York Rebels, their coach, their owner, their sponsors, their players. EVER.



Violating either of these "contractual conditions" would result in Your FINANCIAL PAYMENTS being canceled.



Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham (nothing personal here) ...

YOU wanted that MONEY so BADLY (to buy bibles for Christian missionaries in China), that you ...

VOLUNTARILY signed the CONTRACT with the New York Rebels.



Years go by, and SUDDENLY you discover that the New York Rebels are doing VERY BAD THINGS.

Your Christian conscience COMPELLS you to speak out.

However, your attorney warns you that IF you speak-out about these evils, you are violating Condition-2 of your VOLUNTARY "employment contract" with the New York Rebels baseball team.



Sadly, you decide NOT to criticize the New York Rebels ...

because you DESPERATELY NEED that MONEY to buy bibles for the Christian Missionaries in China.



Now ... in the midst of your conflicted decision, Jesus Christ shows up for a chat.

Jesus Christ advises "Just Do the Right Thing, don't worry about the Money."

Jesus Christ promises to handle everything (financially), and you'll be "right as rain".



But like all of us ...

you SECRETLY DOUBT that Jesus Christ can make the deal work.

So ... in the end ... you KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT about the evil New York Rebels ...

and continue spending your ten-million salary on buying bibles for the Christian missionaries in China.


============================================


Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... that's EXACTLY where America's tax-exempt Christian churches are today in 2014.


Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... church tax-exempt status is a "Federal Contract" ... all VOLUNTARY

Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... church tax-exempt status puts your church on the FEDERAL PAYROLL ... vis-a-via "income tax deductions (gifts) for your congregation"

Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... the "contract" DEMANDS that your church NOT ENDORSE CANDIDATES for public office (i.e. criticize Uncle Sam)

Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... the "contract" DEMANDS that your church NOT ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATION (i.e. change Uncle Sam's evil ways)



Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... if your church VIOLATES EITHER of THESE TWO RULES ...

then the "Federal Contract" you FREELY WANTED says that Uncle Sam can "properly" sue you in Court ... and Win.




Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... IRS 501-C3 is a "Covenant" just as binding and legal as the "Covenant" THE LORD made with Abraham.



So ... what does Christ's American Christian Church do in 2014 ?

KEEP Uncle Sam's MONEY ... and Shut-The-Heck-Up about Uncle Sam's evil ways ...

or "SPEAK GOD'S TRUTH without RESERVATION" ...

and TRUST Jesus Christ for the money needed to buy all those bibles for the Christian missionaries to China ?







Muster up the courage to do the free IRS download of "Pamplet P1828" which specifies the legal details of your tax-exempt church's servitude 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)









.




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)

.

[Patton@Bastogne]

.

The pictures below say it all.

Ted Cruz has something special and Thursday in his hometown of Houston Texas it was clearly on display.

The Brody File saw it up close. He came to his home church here (Houston’s First Baptist Church) to hold court about the Houston pastors who have come under a vicious religious liberty attack by city officials, led by the mayor.

As Cruz was speaking, he was in his element because what he has is not a political skill. Nor is it an intellectual one. When it comes to his relationship with evangelicals, he has a spiritual connection. He is one of them. He gets them and they get him. And one thing’s for certain: He’s not ashamed of the Gospel. Far from it. Cruz wears his faith on his sleeve and is proud of it. This press conference was heartfelt. This was no political stunt. Look folks, his father has been a traveling preacher for years.

Cruz is well versed in the Bible. It’s at the core of who he is. In my many interviews with him over the years, he loves to talk about Jesus but hey, I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday. I know when politicians bring up faith for political reasons. Cruz doesn’t do that.

This Houston Pastors story will fan the flames of the religious liberty issue in America. Ted Cruz is well positioned to lead on this issue because he lives it and breathes it.

It’s at the core of his being. Other possible presidential candidates believe just as much in the religious liberty issue and in 2016, they’ll discuss it with fervor. But Cruz comes from a different place. Not only has he defended religious liberty cases in court, he defends it in public with the word of God.

He has the “street cred” to make this a signature issue in his bid to strongly woo the evangelical vote. Watching him in action Thursday, in front of a passionate overflow room gave me pause.

It made me realize that this is the issue that could set him apart from others with the evangelical audience. If Mike Huckabee runs, he’ll be right in the mix too but at this point, Cruz seems to be leading the way on this. It looks to be his evangelical calling card and a heartfelt one at that.

And here are some Brody File pictures showing Cruz in rare form.

[catfish1957]

Maybe the closest thing to the perfect conservative.

He has my unwavering support in 2016.

[Pollster1]

“In an exclusive interview with The Brody File, Senator Ted Cruz says pastors being hauled off to jail by the government for preaching against homosexuality is a “real risk” in the future”

We all know that’s not a real risk; the Bill of Rights is an unambiguous legal guarantee of our God-given rights. Pastors facing the courts over the content of their sermons would be no more likely than:

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/12/12/Christian-Baker-Willing-to-Go-to-Jail-for-Declining-Gay-Wedding-Cake Jack Phillips is a baker who declined to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because his Christian belief is that marriage exists only between a man and woman. Now a Colorado judge has ordered him to bake cakes for same-sex marriages, and if Phillips refuses, he could go to jail.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/22/elane-photography-v-vanessa-willock_n_3798948.html New Mexico’s state Supreme Court came to a unanimous decision, ruling that Elane Photography’s decision to refuse photographing a 2006 commitment ceremony violated the state’s Human Rights Act.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/3/christian-farmers-fined-13k-refusing-gay-wedding-g/ Christian farmers fined $13K for refusing gay wedding

What could go wrong?

[samtheman]

He has my vote

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


Ted Cruz appears to be a synthesis of Gen. George Patton and Bily Graham ...

I can't wait to work for Ted Cruz's Florida GOP Presidential Primary team in 2016 ...


.

[Paulie]

Yes, all churches and organizations of (true) faith should voluntary give up their tax-exempt status. That is the way it always should have been I recon.

But the question is: Even if they do this, how long before the pink mafia comes up with another bogus reason to shut them down?

Point being the war is coming to the Christian community regardless; best to recognize it and prepare now.

[P-Marlowe]

Senator Ted Cruz and Pastor Franklin Graham ... church tax-exempt status is a "Federal Contract" ... all VOLUNTARY

No, a Tax Exempt status for a Church is a natural right under the Constitution. As the Constitution guarantees the free exercise of Religion, and the power to tax is the power to destroy, Religious institutions are naturally exempt from taxes as a condition of their guarantees under the Constitution.

A contract or agreement with regard to incorporation of a religious institution that interferes with a religious institution's right to free exercise of religion is void as being an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment.

I for one will not surrender to the argument that simply because a Church is granted tax exempt status that it gives up the right to express doctrines that are either against the political winds or the politically correct winds.

Churches have an inherent right to advocate not only for political positions consistent with their doctrinal beliefs, but also to advocate for candidates who share those beliefs and to advocate against candidates who don't.

Labor Unions do not lose their status for such advocacy, but Churches seem to have surrendered on this issue. They need to fight to restore it.

[trubolotta]

I understand this position and its relation to Romans 13 but there is a severe flaw to the reasoning.

Unalienable rights, such as freedom of religion, conscience and speech, are not government’s to give or rescind. It is tantamount to government saying “I will not punish or tax you if you agree to be silent about government. I will reward you for your silence by not taxing you.”

Government is not constitutionally authorized to barter for rights, so either it taxes all equally or it taxes none.

[P-Marlowe]

Yes, all churches and organizations of (true) faith should voluntary give up their tax-exempt status.

See post 8.

[Mark17]

Ping

[freedumb2003]

>>MONEY, “Beyond the Dreams of Avarice” (Hans Solo, Star Wars).<<

I am pretty sure it was Dr. Leonard McCoy in Star Trek IV, not Han Solo. He used the term when Scotty introduced transparent aluminum to a 20th Century Earth manufacturer.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Well, I guess that is what it all comes down to. It all comes down to whether churches can continue to have their tax exempt status.

This could cause lots of soul searching among clergy and all people of faith. Is having tax exempt status more important than preaching the tenets of your faith????

We are at a collision point with religious faith and secular law. Now that homosexual marriage is spreading, and all manner of “LGBT” rights laws are being passed, faiths which consider homosexuality sinful are at odds with the secular laws.

[JimSEA]

Houston’s mayor and ruling cabal have shown complete distain for the First Amendment as all of their actions taken together violate every aspect of the Amendmennt either explicitly or implicitly.

[marron]

Your argument assumes that your money belongs to the government, and they let you keep some of it. And we don’t have the right to push back when our government is in the wrong, such as when our government violates that “other” agreement, the constitution.

In any case, this is a fight that is coming. It has already happened to pastors in Canada, and Germany, and Sweden. It will happen here. Pastors and Christians had better be expecting it. Most pastors will find ways to finesse it as long as they can because normal people don’t want to be sued or face jail time. And when your pastor faces it many Christians will try to blame them for their troubles instead of backing them. Its human nature.

[ifinnegan]

Why are you spamming this?

[marron]

Is having tax exempt status more important than preaching the tenets of your faith????

True, but its notable that it hasn't been an issue until now. The problem isn't really the tax exempt status, it is the fact that we have elected totalitarians into high office. If they can use the tax code to come after you, they will. If not, they'll find another weapon.

Either way, they are coming for you if they perceive you as an enemy. They'll use whatever weapon is available or they'll invent one.

[boycott]

” ......... pastors being hauled off to jail by the government for preaching against homosexuality is a “real risk”.

---

If they start doing it in Alabama, my pastor wouldn’t last a week before going to jail. He just speaks the truth.

The left needs to continue to push this. They will find out it’s a war they’re going to LOSE. I say bring it.

Republicans need to start calling it liberals “WAR ON RELIGION.” They need to repeat it over and over. But in this case, it is true.

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


Ok ... I'm not trying to be argumentative ... but ...

show me the text in the U.S. Constitution that "religious charitable corporations" (THE KEY, by the way) ...

cannot be taxed.



Maybe that's the confusion that some Free Republic Christians have about this issue.

The word "Corporation" is the KEY.



P-Marlow and Saved-by-Grace ... if we three decide to start a church (christian fellowship) and meet in our homes ...

and we never ask the IRS to use our gifts/tithes/offerings as deductions on our annual U.S. Federal Income Tax returns ...

THEN ... our "church" has complete political freedom ... and we can say, write, preach about ANYTHING we want.

Just like Jesus Christ did.



Unfortunately, 99-percent of American churches are legally classified as "charitable religious corporations".

That "corporate tatoo" is necessary if a church wants fire insurance for it's "church building" ... etc ...

However, if that "charitable religious corpration" wants to ALLOW its members to use their gifts/tithes/offerings as DEDUCTIONS on their annual U.S. Federal Tax Returns ...

then that "church" comes under the AUTHORITY of IRS 501-C3.

It's that's simple.



Remember the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees (in the time of Christ) that were TERRIFIED of offending Ceasar (Rome) ?

Why were they TERRIFIED of Rome ?

Money - Money - Money.

After all, ROME paid for the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem.

Do you think that Ceasar re-built the Jewish Temple just because he was "nice guy" ?

Hardly.

It was a "quid pro quo" arrangement (just like IRS 501-C3).

The Jewish people (Scribes and Pharisees) got a FREE Temple ...

Ceasar got (demanded) "obdeience".



Just like Uncle Sam demands "obedience" from all those tax-exempt Christian "religious charitable corporations" (churches).



Oh ... by the way ... when the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees finally demanded a free voice ... freedom ...

Ceasar burned Jerusalem, and the magnificent Temple (that Ceasar had paid for), and entire city ... to the ground in 70 AD.



Freedom comes as a "price", including, when you're a "Christian Church" ...

of paying your FULL TAXES demanded by Rome or Uncle Sam.



Jesus Christ CLEARLY understood this.

That why Jesus Christ COMMANDED Christians to "Render Unto Caesar !

Watch the YouTube video(s) .... and then pray hard.




.

[Paulie]

Roger that.