City Subpoenas Pastors' Sermons in Equal Rights Ordinance Case

Houston Chronicle ^ | October 14,2014 | Katherine Driessen

[lbryce]

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. Opponents of the equal rights ordinance are hoping to force a repeal referendum when they get their day in court in January, claiming City Attorney David Feldman wrongly determined they had not gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. 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."

[Guenevere]

Bttt

[Lurker]

It’s way past time for rope and trees. Way past time.

[marron]

I’ll agree with others.

Refuse and go to jail. Sure, a lot of preachers now have their sermons on CDs and podcasts, and anyone can get a copy. But refuse to give a copy to any court.

I can see it coming. Its already here in Canada and in Europe, where preachers can be jailed for a sermon. And its coming soon in the US. The only way to break the chains is to confront them even at the risk of jail and bankruptcy. You say you believe in God? Get ready to put it on the line.

[JimSEA]

How can they possibly reconcile this with the First Amendment. As I read it there is no exception for the so called hate speech that progressive like to push.

[VRW Conspirator]

They want to silence the Word of God. Good luck with that.

[jazzlite]

...”I can see it coming. Its already here in Canada and in Europe, where preachers can be jailed for a sermon. And its coming soon in the US. The only way to break the chains is to confront them even at the risk of jail and bankruptcy. You say you believe in God? Get ready to put it on the line.”...

Looks like tyranny to me. The good news is that Christianity grows by leaps and bounds under persecution.

[blueyon]

Easy.....give them a bible and say that’s my notes

[Hitlerys uterus]

Ummmm.......yeah, sorry about that but it seems all of our hard drives crashed a few weeks back and well.....the sermons are lost. Shit happens huh?

[tbw2]

The Houston mayor is saying that churches talking about homosexuality or LBGTA or gender identity in any capacity while the signature gathering was under way was electioneering, a violation of the tax rules that say churches are exempt as long as you don’t politic.

[Trentamj]

Based upon my experience and research, electioneering is a limited suppression of one's First Amendment right to free expression with regard to time and space. By time, I mean that electioneering laws apply only to voting day(s), and by space, I mean that electioneering laws limit one's right to advocate for a candidate of an issue to within 100-300 feet (depending on the State) from a polling/voting location or station.

So, the Houston mayor's charge that pastors were "electioneering" during a petition-drive -which is non-election process- is a blatantly inappropriate interpretation of electioneering laws, and the Houston pastors would be very wise to hire a lawyer to beat her illegal demands back.

[JimSEA]

That sounds suspiciously like using questionable limitations on religious subject matters to deny First Amendment rights.