City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons

[TexasGranny]

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott had a little to say on the matter.

 

http://www.wilsoncountynews.com/article.php?id=61828&n=national-news-ag-asks-houston-city-attorney-withdraw-subpoenas-seeking-sermons-pastors

 

AG Asks Houston City Attorney to Withdraw Subpoenas Seeking Sermons from Pastors

AUSTIN -- Attorney General Greg Abbott today asked that the Houston City Attorney to immediately withdraw the subpoenas sent last month to several Houston-area pastors seeking sermons, notes and other information.

In his letter to the city attorney, Abbott said, “Whether you intend it to be so or not, your action is a direct assault on the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment. The people of Houston and their religious leaders must be absolutely secure in the knowledge that their religious affairs are beyond the reach of the government.”

Attorney General Abbott's letter to Houston City Attorney David Feldman
October 15, 2014

Mr. David Feldman
City Attorney
City of Houston
900 Bagby, 4th Floor
Houston, Texas 77002

Dear Mr. Feldman:

Your office has demanded that four Houston pastors hand over to the city government many of their private papers, including their sermons. Whether you intend it to be so or not, your action is a direct assault on the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment. The people of Houston and their religious leaders must be absolutely secure in the knowledge that their religious affairs are beyond the reach of the government. Nothing short of an immediate reversal by your office will provide that security. I call on you to withdraw the subpoenas without further delay.

I recognize that the subpoenas arise from litigation related to a petition to repeal an ordinance adopted by the city council. But the litigation discovery process is not a license for government officials to inquire into religious affairs. Nor is your office’s desire to vigorously support the ordinance any excuse for these subpoenas. No matter what public policy is at stake, government officials must exercise the utmost care when our work touches on religious matters. If we err, it must be on the side of preserving the autonomy of religious institutions and the liberty of religious believers. Your aggressive and invasive subpoenas show no regard for the very serious First Amendment considerations at stake.

A statement released by the Mayor’s Office claims that the subpoenas were prepared by outside lawyers and that neither you nor Mayor Parker was aware of them before they were issued. Nevertheless, these lawyers acted in the City’s name, and you are responsible for their actions. You should immediately instruct your lawyers to withdraw the City’s subpoenas. Religious institutions and their congregants should never have to worry that a government they disagree with will attempt to interfere in their religious affairs. Instead of safeguarding that trust, you appear to have given some of the most powerful law firms in Houston free rein to harass and intimidate pastors who oppose City policy. In good faith, I hope you merely failed to anticipate how inappropriately aggressive your lawyers would be. Many, however, believe your actions reflect the city government’s hostility to religious beliefs that do not align with ci ty policies.

I urge you to demonstrate the City’s commitment to religious liberty and to true diversity of belief by unilaterally withdrawing these subpoenas immediately. Your stated intention to wait for further court proceedings falls woefully short of the urgent action needed to reassure the people of Houston that their government respects their freedom of religion and does not punish those who oppose city policies on religious grounds.

Sincerely,

Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas

 

 

 

[Jim1cor13]

Thank you TG. It is good to read someone is challenging the insanity.

Also, thank you Nelg for your thoughts.

 

I just wish more folks would take time to think before

they 'pounce' Mercy triumphs over judgment, and

we should be grateful for that, always, and understand

what that means for all of us, not just for a few.

 

Have a good night.

 

Jim

[Heavyduty053]

          This subject burns me up, this lady, wait a minute she is not a lady, is not only homosexual by choice, she is over bearing, living her sinful ways and now she is trying to push her agenda on others....she picked the most recognized, most liked ministers in and around Houston to send her fire down on thinking that if she could bully them into backing down then all the other secondary small church minsters would follow then other states.

 

          Ok, now let me say this, I have been a Lay Minister for the United Methodist church for over 20 years and my father was a Baptist minister for over 50 years. In one of our many talks he told me that when I step behind a pulpit of a church to speak to God's people what I say better be right and just because God is holding me to a higher standard and more accountable for the time I am standing on Holy ground. This means that my words and my actions will be dealt with before him worst than his other children because I accepted to speak his word.

 

          Now, this police state of governmental dominance has been coming since at least 1990. The dark powers of the government of which the Bible speaks of is wolfs in sheep clothing and they have been grooming this nations people over the years so as to not cause mass alarm at once. The population of this nation has fallen asleep and their courage has been broken to stand up for God. He has been pushed out of lives little by little thru events of evil that has been used to push Christianity out. Truth is a growing number of people the very people who live here are turning against the church, Christianity and God and each day Satan gains power to step in and its happening.

 

          Not only should the ministers rise up so should God's children to stop and defeat this evil that is spreading in our land. If you give up that right and you stand silent then you have participated in helping silence God from this nation. What is not preached on must is the fact that man will be held accountable for himself, his handling of raising his children and his nation that was entrusted to us to be good stewards over.....Washington is has set the tone for this evil and now states are going to start in.

 

          Word to the wise, I would not want to stand before almighty God and try to answer why I didn't have courage enough to shout from the mountains to others of this terrible crime.......Houston the eyes of evil is starring down on you....but so is the eyes of God. It is said in the Bible that we will be tested by fire and I think this is one fire we need to put out. God will stand will us......If he is with is then who can stand against us. The eyes of the nation is watching....Houston you can always use your RECALL rights to unseat her.