City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons

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qui_est_ce said:
Correct me if I’m wrong, but in order to keep their 501c status, they can speak about political issues, they just may not support a political candidate.
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Agreed, but what good does that do a church bankrupted by legal costs getting to a court affirmation of what we all should already know?
 
Jon_S said:
All speech is protected. Political speech from the pulpit is legal. The church could lose its tax exemption, but they are free to be as political as they want.
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My unqualified understanding is that pastors can not endorse “candidates,” from the pulpit, but ballot questions or other issues concerning current events, they can.

Jim
 
SuperLuigi said:
Where was this when Jeremiah Wright was speaking? How about clergy who talk about voting for politicians who allegedly help the poor or preach about how they agree with so-called gay “marriage”?

Or this just another American left-wing double standard?
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Oh, not problem there! that’s just fine and dandy! sarcasm
yes I consider this quite frightening.
Funny how these churches never seem to be in danger of losing their tax exempt status

The Left is all about tolerance, unless of course you disagree with them.
And beware if you hold to Biblical standards or preach them.

Calling evil good, and good evil, indeed.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
My unqualified understanding is that pastors can not endorse “candidates,” from the pulpit, but ballot questions or other issues concerning current events, they can.

Jim
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estesbob is in the accounting business and has verified what you say.
 
Does anyone know if the city is asking all non-profits or all citizens affiliated with non-profits for all transcripts, minutes, or documents they may have of meetings, gatherings, etc.?
 
JimG said:
When government starts asking all Catholic priests for copies of there sermons, I would hope that there will be a public uprising.
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It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities that the Church would probably simply just comply.
 
MarcoPolo said:
Does anyone know if the city is asking all non-profits or all citizens affiliated with non-profits for all transcripts, minutes, or documents they may have of meetings, gatherings, etc.?
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This would be interesting to look into, I doubt it however.
 
From the Alliance Defending Freedom:

**t appears they were designed to punish the Nonparty Pastors for being part of the coalition that invoked the City Charter’s referendum provision, and discourage them and other citizens from ever doing so again. The message is clear: oppose the decisions of city government, and drown in unwarranted, burdensome discovery requests. *

Please not that the Pastors receiving subpoenas are NOT Party to the suit.*
 
This is all very timely considering the Synod Fathers current discussion of welcoming homosexuals.
 
Jon_S said:
In what fairy land is it a crime to submit a petition…**valid signatures or not. **
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You do realize that is the point of a petition? How else should it be measured if the topic being petitioned is something wanted by the majority. Usually in petitioning, validity is based on if the signer is a living person who has residence/ voting rights in that jurisdiction.
 
Reading about this and the “Effort by Homosexual-Rights Activists Target Eight U.S. Bishops” is causing me so much anger, on border line sinful rage. :mad:

It’s getting to the point if the someone wanted to start an orthodox Catholic colony in Antarctica, I might seriously consider moving there… 😦
 
Lost_Sheep said:
Here is the Gospel According to Snopes:

snopes.com/politics/religion/houston.asp
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That’s odd. Snopes calls the claim that the subpoenas targeted sermons about homosexuality, transgender issues, and Mayor Parker false, yet the pdf of the subpoena that they include in their article confirms that those things are indeed targeted.

From the subpoena:
“12. 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.”

It is important to remember that, as others have pointed out, these pastors are not the plaintiffs in this case.

Peace

Tim
 
Orogeny said:
That’s odd. Snopes calls the claim that the subpoenas targeted sermons about homosexuality, transgender issues, and Mayor Parker false, yet the pdf of the subpoena that they include in their article confirms that those things are indeed targeted.

From the subpoena:
“12. 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.”

It is important to remember that, as others have pointed out, these pastors are not the plaintiffs in this case.

Peace

Tim
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Snopes can not be trusted with anything that has even the slightest political overtones.
 
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