Pastor coalition final statement on ERO to Houston City Council
Baptist Ministers Association of Houston * Houston Area Pastor Council Houston Ministers Against Crime * AME Ministers Alliance of Houston/Gulf Coast * Northeast Ministers Alliance * South Texas Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship * South Texas District Council of the Assemblies of God* National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
To Honorable Houston City Council Members:
We have prepared and presented to you on multiple occasions the many reasons we have been compelled to oppose the “Equal Rights Ordinance” proposed by Mayor Parker. As we have shown and provided via testimony and the legal briefs from our counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom, the serious flaws in both process and content were and are irreconcilable.
We have shown that the ordinance is unnecessary and based on vague, anecdotal incidents that cannot withstand scrutiny of basic evidentiary process. Mayor Parker has acknowledged that this is primarily about the LGBT community and the city attorney in his public comments at the committee meeting acknowledged there was not a legitimate local need.
We have raised our concerns as to the privacy and protection of women and children through the Public Accommodations section that is not better, but worse, with the removal of 17-51 (b). When the city attorney said he couldn’t find any incidents where there was a problem, we provided many. We have revealed the direct threat to the freedoms of religion and speech against business owners who simply practice business according to their faith by following principles we once applauded.
We reject the comparison of sexual behavior and the definition of gender identity with race, religion, sex and physical disability that are immutable, unchangeable classes. Our Black pastors and congregations in particular, also our Hispanic and Asian pastors and churches, find it patently offensive to equate the color of their skin, which they did not choose, with a person’s lifestyle choice. Additionally, the Civil Rights movement has been about making sure everyone has the same rights.
We believe that this ordinance gives special rights to a people group who already has the same rights as everyone else. Finally, the attached polling confirms that lop-sided outpouring of calls and emails to your offices. Over eighty percent of “We the People” do NOT want this ordinance.
We consider a vote for this ordinance as a vote against “We the People.” We cannot nor will not overlook such a vote in all future opportunities to hold those council members accountable for such an action who cast that vote.
“Finally, the attached polling confirms that lop-sided outpouring of calls and emails to your offices. Over eighty percent of “We the People” do NOT want this ordinance.”
The city council went against these people even though the majority of them did not want this gay rights law and they even called their council members.
It just goes to,show that when conservatives call elected officials, it does no good.
What about equal rights for conservatives?
This is a craze, a rage.
I’m glad they get this.
Now I wish they’d start talking about the gospel. That’s the only thing that is going to fix this sin problem.