Posted on 10/18/2014 12:15:39 PM PDT by John Semmens
Though the City of Houston has backed off its demand for local area ministers to submit copies of their Sunday sermons to the Citys attorneys, it is now demanding copies of any non-sermon speeches they may have made.
Mayor Annise Parker, Houstons first openly lesbian mayor, defended this blatant invasion of freedom of speech, arguing that Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) is the law of this land. No one is entitled to speak out against the law, especially not church leaders.
Churches have special exemptions from government taxes, Parker pointed out. As a quid-pro-quo for this benefit they ought to respect and teach respect for the duly enacted laws of the communityyou know render unto Caesar and all that. The City has a right to ferret out those who have violated this quid-pro-quo so that targeted corrective action to revoke these special exemptions may be undertaken where warranted. The requested copies of speeches will help the City distinguish which churches have violated their obligations under these exemptions.
if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...
http://azconservative.org/2014/10/18/troops-being-deployed-to-ebola-zone-get-skimpy-training/
Where is the satire?
Elected officials have a special exemption for being stupid and destructive.
Semmens arguments are more convincing than the mayor’s and the attornies’.
It is unfortunate that the headline must include a satire notification. I so enjoy the responses of people who don’t know that it is (barely) fiction.
I so agree with you! I love when John takes me in - it’s like a reality bath. Fans of John need to make sure he keeps in FR but I must admit I hate the new headlines that announce it’s a satire. This was done, I believe, through humorless folks embarrassed that they were taken in.
Don’t give them any ideas.....
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