tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post1133478609240084151..comments2023-10-07T04:07:56.527-04:00Comments on The End Time: Lesbian mayor of Houston demands Houston pastors' sermonsElizabeth Pratahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04341086233512507156noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-88528772139930964012014-10-23T23:01:41.515-04:002014-10-23T23:01:41.515-04:00It seems beyond reasonable to prevent clergy from ...It seems beyond reasonable to prevent clergy from speaking about issues which have always been part of said religion's doctrine, if those issues also become publicly and politically debated. If Americans can be lulled into swallowing such control from government, any horrible outcome becomes possible. The guardrails will have been removed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-13571054633707514812014-10-19T14:14:50.016-04:002014-10-19T14:14:50.016-04:00The irony: homosexuals claim to have been bullied ...The irony: homosexuals claim to have been bullied by Christians, but the first homosexual mayor in Houston wastes no time in bullying Christians. <br /><br />Sinners like to see themselves as victims, even though God is THEIR victim (not to imply weakness in victimhood in the latter case)Hakam Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10114741274619345717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-57108679012668287362014-10-19T06:48:43.073-04:002014-10-19T06:48:43.073-04:00Thanks Grace To You.
I agree it wouldn't be a...Thanks Grace To You.<br /><br />I agree it wouldn't be a great use of time, though it wouldn't take much time. You fill out a form and send it in. But if there was a private citizen who is in the same predicament, I just wanted to let people know that there is a mechanism available to them that is purposely put in place in advocacy FOR the citizen.<br /><br />Yes the Mayor's initial subpoena was too broad, but that she asked is troublesome. She likely wanted to make it as broad as possible and then ratchet back. Shooting for the stars and reaching the moon so to speak. That she asked at all is still perplexing. No elected official in their right mind would go that far. Oops, she isn't in her right mind, no one is, unless they are in Jesus.Elizabeth Pratahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04341086233512507156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-41181985568802041602014-10-18T23:13:34.182-04:002014-10-18T23:13:34.182-04:00"I am perplexed by the demand for personal co..."I am perplexed by the demand for personal correspondence between pastor and congregants."<br /><br />The mayor has apparently agreed that the initial subpoenas were overly broad.<br /><br />"Are you saying the pastors are initiating some kind of litigation, when you say they're involved?"<br /><br />I misspoke when I said that. The lawsuit is based on the petitions submitted to the city asking to get the ordinance on the ballot next month, which were rejected by the city. The pastors were not involved in filing the lawsuit, but they were instrumental in organizing the petitions, so they are relevant to the lawsuit.<br /><br />I just read something that quoted the mayor as saying that she believes the pastors did something wrong when instructing people about the petitions, although I can't figure out if it has to do with their tax exempt status or something else. <br /><br />"In a turnabout, the churches could file a FOIA request for anything the Mayor has ever written or emailed regarding this topic"<br /><br />That would be interesting. :) Although it probably wouldn't be the best use of a pastor's/church's time. Grace to Youhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02762614330823622639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-35550320811825923642014-10-17T15:38:53.223-04:002014-10-17T15:38:53.223-04:00Thanks so much for this perspective. I tend to agr...Thanks so much for this perspective. I tend to agree with you. A wide net for subpoenas is usually the first salvo. The judge limits it if he or she wants. So the key is 'relevant' information, not just "all sermons". However, I am perplexed by the demand for personal correspondence between pastor and congregants. I believe a pastor could reasonably argue not only is it private correspondence between two private citizens, but that the pastor is in a position of counselor as one of his job duties. Counselees have a reasonable expectation of privacy<br /><br />I agree about the tax exempt status. I tend to think though, that in order to prove a violation of status, the aggrieved party should have some kind of evidence to support such a wide net - instead of asking for anything the pastor has ever said in a sermon.<br /><br />Alternately, sermons are usually recorded and are online or available to the public, any public, via request of DVD and CD so I don't know why the litigation.<br /><br />Are you saying the pastors are initiating some kind of litigation, when you say they're involved? I thought they had initiated a petition of some sort. Still, I am unsure of the bounds of tax exempt status and how far a pastor should or should not go in engaging in political activity which would violate that status..<br /><br />In a turnabout, the churches could file a FOIA request for anything the Mayor has ever written or emailed regarding this topic, and it doesn't even have to be part of litigation, ALL correspondence (personnel matters excepted, and ongoing contract negotiations) in government bodies are open for inspection. It should be free too, if the requesting party wants to sit inside town hall and read it in situ, or if he or she wants it to make copies the copies should be at cost or a reasonable price. It has to be produced in reasonable time, too. Those are generally the usual FOIA standards.Elizabeth Pratahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04341086233512507156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-24003434976117647942014-10-17T15:25:42.333-04:002014-10-17T15:25:42.333-04:00Good question, Anonymous!!Good question, Anonymous!!Elizabeth Pratahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04341086233512507156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-64888641563140326332014-10-16T23:34:50.172-04:002014-10-16T23:34:50.172-04:00Okay, so I did some more reading about this situat...Okay, so I did some more reading about this situation and learned a couple of things. <br /><br />First, when someone files a lawsuit it is customary for the attorneys on both sides to subpoena all relevant information. That's why this is being done; perhaps there is an ulterior motive (bullying), but the procedure is standard.<br /><br />Second, it is likely the city is looking for evidence that the pastors have violated the terms of their tax-exempt status. If so, it seems a bit disingenuous for these churches to take advantage of tax exemptions - which they know come at the cost of limiting what they speak about - and then cry foul when the government investigates to see if they broke the rules.<br /><br />I can't help but wonder if these pastors should have been involved in the lawsuit to begin with. It is heartbreaking to see filth and wickedness being legislated more and more in this country, but preaching the gospel is the way to change hearts and lives, not litigation.<br /><br />What do you think?Grace to Youhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02762614330823622639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-31165529295312339752014-10-16T16:38:52.972-04:002014-10-16T16:38:52.972-04:00Hey, does this demand from Mayor Annise Parker ext...Hey, does this demand from Mayor Annise Parker extend to the Muslim faith leaders? Does it extend to all the Roman Catholic church leaders? Or is she just discriminating against a chosen few?<br /><br />Just asking...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-52829577477177871702014-10-16T10:32:12.869-04:002014-10-16T10:32:12.869-04:00Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord ...Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”<br /><br />The ONLY good thing about this horrific yet predictable development is that maybe those claiming to be Christians will get off the fence when deciding whether teachers like Beth Moore are false. While she isn’t the only false teacher in Texas, she and others like her don't provide any solid ground teaching to stand against Satan and his cohorts. The litmus test is the fruit of their teachings will prove to be a wet paper bag compared to the fruit of the faithful and strong teachers who preach the Word; those who know the real enemy is far more formidable than the flesh and blood pawns like this lesbian mayor. <br />colettenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2736720231951988221.post-61221067599114688772014-10-16T08:49:53.214-04:002014-10-16T08:49:53.214-04:00I thought the same thing when I read a few days ag...I thought the same thing when I read a few days ago the article you quoted - this is it. Here it begins. <br />Grace to Youhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02762614330823622639noreply@blogger.com