Mayor of Houston in Battle with Christian Pastors over First Amendment Rights
While Christian Pastors of Houston, Texas, are rallying against Mayor Annise Parker for violating their First Amendment rights, the mayor is complaining that the State Department of Public Safety is discriminating against her daughter for “having two moms.”
The mayor has lived with her same-sex partner for 23 years. They obtained their marriage license in California and have three children. Texas does not recognize same-sex marriage.
The Mayor’s complaint in an alleged Twitter message was premature. The daughter simply did not provide all of the necessary paperwork to qualify for a drivers test, a Texas Public Safety official told the Huffington Post.
The public safety spokesman explained that, “all individuals applying for their first Texas driver license must provide a variety of documents to prove their identity., Social Security number, U.S. Citizenship or lawful presence status, and Texas residency. In this case, the adult applicant did not initially provide sufficient documentation to prove residency.”
The daughter received her driver license after a short delay. It had nothing to do with her “two moms” according to public safety officials.
The dispute with the Christian community is over the mayor’s Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, called “HERO.” The City Council adopted the Ordinance that would allow male cross dressers to use lady’s rest rooms over stiff protests from local citizens. A petition drive was organized to repeal the Ordinance. The city secretary verified the signatures and a sufficient number was collected to repeal the Ordinance, however, the city attorney intervened and disqualified many of the signatures. A lawsuit was filed and will go to trial in January 2015.
In the lawsuit’s discovery process, the city subpoenaed copies of the sermons of five pastors who had spoken against the ordinance but were not part of the lawsuit. The city later changed their request terminology to “speeches.”
This was the “last straw” for Houston Christians who see a pattern of vicious Anti-Christian behavior when homosexual activists gain power. They decided to push back and seeing their willingness to take a stand for their Lord and Savior, they were joined by thousands across the nation.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, an ordained Baptist preacher, used his national television program to invite pastors to join him in Houston for a news conference in defense of the five pastors who have refused to comply with a subpena to provide copies of their sermons. The event was set for Tuesday, October 28, 2014 at 10:00 am.
After the news conference, the pastors were scheduled to seek a face to face meeting with the Lesbian Mayor. If the Mayor does not withdraw the subpenas, the pastors were planning to discuss launching a national campaign to address Houston’s troubling crushing of the First Amendment and religious freedom should Houston fail to withdraw the subpenas.
Pastor Bob Schenck, President of the National Clergy Council stated the opinion of many of his fellow Christians when he said: “Regardless of what the mayor’s and city’s intentions are or were, this is an egregious violation of the fundamental human rights and constitutionally protected freedom. History proves violations like this must be challenged early and relentlessly. Church leaders of all denominations are organizing to support our colleagues in Houston. We will not rest until justice is preserved and protected.”
Well-known civil rights attorney Alan Dershowitz said that subpoenas issued by the City of Houston demanding pastors turn over sermons dealing with gays, gender identity, or the city’s first openly lesbian mayor, flagrantly violates the U. S. Constitution.
An authority on constitutional law, Dershowitz said, “It is so inconsistent with American law and American tradition... You don’t go after the minister for preaching the Gospel.”
The Family Research Council has announced that churches nationwide are gearing up for “I Stand Sunday” - a nationwide simulcast next Sunday, November 2nd at 7 pm. Eastern time webcast live from Grace Community Church in Houston.
I Stand Sunday will bring focus to the ongoing attack on religious freedom in Houston and how this affects the rest of the country. Joining FRC President Tony Perkins will be the 5 subpoenaed Houston Pastors along with Ike Davis and Jason Benham; SBC President Ronnie Floyd; Gov. Mike Huckabee, Al and Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty, Dr. Rick Scarborough; Erik Stanley; and Todd Starnes of FOX News Radio.