[Alex Murphy]

The city of Houston has issued subpoenas demanding a group of pastors turn over any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or Annise Parker, the city’s first openly lesbian mayor. And those ministers who fail to comply could be held in contempt of court. “The city’s subpoena of sermons and other pastoral communications is both needless and unprecedented,” Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Christina Holcomb said in a statement. “The city council and its attorneys are engaging in an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of its actions.”

How can you have a subpoena without suspicion of a crime? What judge issued this subpoena?

"Colonel Von Luger, it is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape. If they can't, it is their duty to cause the enemy to use an inordinate number of troops to guard them and their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their ability."
-- Group Captain Ramsey, The Great Escape

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,
saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.”
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
-- Acts 5:27-32

[YouGoTexasGirl]

I guess just reading the relevant Bible verses could get churches in BIG trouble!

Try Romans 1:28-32 and pay really good attention to the last few words. Also, Leviticus 18:22-25.

[Conscience of a Conservative]

How can you have a subpoena without suspicion of a crime? What judge issued this subpoena?

In litigation, parties subpoena materials from third-parties all the time. All you need to show (in many jurisdictions, not sure a it Texas) is that the materials sought bear some relevance to the subject matter of the litigation. No suspicion of a crime needed, and the subpoena is usually issued by the private litigant, not a judge.

[daniel1212]

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:20)

May we all act in that Spirit.