City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons

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.
www.foxnews.com...

I'm not really sure how I feel about this but I kind of think that the gov't might be overstepping their limits here?
On the one hand the churches shouldn't be stepping into the political arena without losing their tax exemption status and these sermons and other communications might just prove that the churches have done this.

On the other hand I don't want the gov't being able to tell the churches what messages can be said and what can't.

Mainly I am kind of getting tired of the word "ebola" and trying to find something more interesting to chat about.

a reply to: dawnstar

What is happening is what many said wouldn't happen.

Say bye-bye to freedom of speech.

S+F because tired of Ebola. I decided to calm monger and see if that does anything positive for my mental health so here goes:

The mayor just wants to make sure that the children are safe. Church's will in no way take this the wrong way. The promotion of LGBT should be welcomed because frankly, they are snappy dressers.

The tyranny of political correctness rolls on.
Orwellian States of America.

Well I think it s ridiculous, and it isn't politics, it is the churches opinion on moral issues and that is nothing new.

Is it just what Christians have to say about the issue or are they wanting transcripts from all religions in Huston?

For me homosexuality is not an issue, and i have never heard preaching against it in any church I attended.

Should a pastor or preacher be allowed to use the church for protection while they are preaching hate? How is this any different from the people that are placed under arrest at rallies when they give speeches promoting hate. Remember several preachers from Texas have been calling for gays to be killed just because they are a pastor in no way means they should be given a free pass.

There was a time when I would have looked at this story and said... "Oh, this is from 'The Onion'."

But now I read things like this and say, uh oh.

Uh oh, as in we are past the point of any hope remaining to right our ship here in the US. I am not speaking of homosexuality (before anyone goes off half-cocked). I am speaking of our right to free speech and freedom of religion. They used to be Constitutional.

Remember this is FOX News. When they hear the word gay they start babbling gibberish and foaming at the mouth.

Facts? psshhh

originally posted by: buster2010
Should a pastor or preacher be allowed to use the church for protection while they are preaching hate? How is this any different from the people that are placed under arrest at rallies when they give speeches promoting hate. Remember several preachers from Texas have been calling for gays to be killed just because they are a pastor in no way means they should be given a free pass.

Let them make the speech or sermon, then... IF they are inciting a crime by their speech, arrest them and take them to trial.
What is going on here is stifling free speech.

a reply to: butcherguy

and on the same news day people have to fight to have the right to fly our own countries flag in Florida, and fight college administrators to pass out pocket constitutions.

originally posted by: Chamberf=6
Remember this is FOX News. When they hear the word gay they start babbling gibberish and foaming at the mouth.

Facts? psshhh

So you are stating that this is not true?

While I'm no fan of religion; preachers, pastors, etc should not be forced to turn over their sermons to a government official in any way shape or form. In my opinion, so long as they're not preaching that their followers should be actively harming certain persons or groups of people, they can talk about whatever they like.

The Political Correctness of this country is getting ridiculous. What they're doing here is stepping on two of our guaranteed freedoms (Religion and Speech) in order make sure nobody is getting their feelers hurt. What a world we live in.

a reply to: Chamberf=6

They do?

You know they may be trying to silence churches now, but it us only a matter of time that what goes around comes around

a reply to: buster2010

I'm sorry, (no I'm not), but a religion being anti homosexuality is not HATE. Or are religions no longer allowed to have moral beliefs that differ from yours?

I can imagine a conversation 30 years from now. . . .

"Remember when we used to have freedom of speech?"

"Yeah, me neither."

I think it might just go beyond political correctness if given half a chance.
There are many things in the christian religion that is preached that I don't really agree with and I think are wrong.
That being said I don't think it's the gov't 's job to correct them!! Heck that's is probably why there is wrong doctrine in the churches to begin with- many many years of church and state walking hand in hand holding the reigns of power!
The religion is kind evolving just like everything else on earth does. There are many differences between the church today and what was during the pilgrams time. I just think it's best to allow the church to find it's own way instead of having a way forced onto it by the state.
And well the freedom of speech is nice but the freedom to believe as I wish is even more important to me along with the freedom to experiment with those beliefs with like minded people.
If it wasn't for that experimentation in the past we wouldn't even have an english translation of the bible.

I always wonder.

How many of those churches using the bible to preach hate against gays. Have members that are divorced?

God hates divorce even more than he hates gays.

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.

1st Amendment.

Seems pretty simple to me.

Well, let's get some actual facts on this, shall we?

It appears as though Houston has passed a city ordinance which is called HERO (Houston Equal Rights Ordinance), which basically bans discrimination in public places, by private employers, etc., including sexual orientation as a protected group. Religious institutions are exempt from this ordinance, but that hasn't stopped this conservative Christian Activist group from suing the city, trying to get the ordinance repealed. These ministers/preachers are members of the activiist group that has filed the law suit.

As part of the "discovery and research" phase, the city's attorneys have subpoenaed any of the speeches, presentations or sermons by these ministers/preachers. They don't appear to be stopping the sermons or threatening anyone. They are gathering information for the law suit that the ministers/preachers filed against them (the city).

After nearly nine hours of chanting and tears from seas of opponents and supporters in color-coded T-shirts, Houston City Council passed an ordinance on Wednesday extending equal rights protections to gay and transgender residents.

The ordinance applies to businesses that serve the public, private employers, housing, city employment and city contracting. Religious institutions would be exempt. Violators could be fined up to $5,000.

www.chron.com...

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.

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."

www.chron.com...

a reply to: grey580

I have heard them preach against divorce, never homosexuality, only moral values that I imagine would include, lies, murder , yada yada

But in todays church not even much of that.