Houston, TX demands pastors' sermons

[OldSchool2]

"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 ...'"

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/10/14/city-houston-demands-pastors-turn-over-sermons/

[JustinM]

This is a blatant assault against the 1st, 4th, and 5th Amendments.  Ms. Parker must be impeached for this.

[JustinM]

Here is the letter I wrote to the Mayor Annise Parker and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

 

Greetings, Office of the Mayor of Houston,

 

I am writing today to express my concerns over this office's egregious abuse

of its authority regarding the subpoena of some 400 churches in the Houston

area.  This office is violating the 1st, 4th and 5th Amendments of the US

Constitution.  I have also attached TX Form 2204, because the Mayor was

supposed to state this oath and sign this form upon taking office, and the

Mayor needs to be reminded that these aren't just words, they are a binding

contract for everyone that holds office in the State of Texas.

 

The conduct of this office will not be tolerated in Houston, or the great

state of Texas, or by its constituents.  I fully expect Texas AG Greg Abbott

to step in and address this egregious violation of constitutional authority

by this office.  The Mayor's office is not above the law and should be

impeached for attempting to elevate itself above it.

 

 

 

 

1st Amendment:  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of

religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom

of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to

assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.[71]

 

4th Amendment:  The right of the people to be secure in their persons,

houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,

shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,

supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to

be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.[71]

 

5th Amendment:  No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or

otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand

Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the

Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall

any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of

life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness

against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due

process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without

just compensation.[71]

 

The Mayor is also violating Sections 6, 8, 9, 19, and 27 of the Texas

Constitution.

 

Sec. 6.  FREEDOM OF WORSHIP.  All men have a natural and indefeasible right

to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences.

No man shall be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship,

or to maintain any ministry against his consent.  No human authority ought,

in any case whatever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience

in matters of religion, and no preference shall ever be given by law to any

religious society or mode of worship.  But it shall be the duty of the

Legislature to pass such laws as may be necessary to protect equally every

religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public

worship.

 

Sec. 8.  FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS; LIBEL.  Every person shall be at

liberty to speak, write or publish his opinions on any subject, being

responsible for the abuse of that privilege; and no law shall ever be passed

curtailing the liberty of speech or of the press.  In prosecutions for the

publication of papers, investigating the conduct of officers, or men in

public capacity, or when the matter published is proper for public

information, the truth thereof may be given in evidence.  And in all

indictments for libels, the jury shall have the right to determine the law

and the facts, under the direction of the court, as in other cases. Sec. 9.

SEARCHES AND SEIZURES.  The people shall be secure in their persons, houses,

papers and possessions, from all unreasonable seizures or searches, and no

warrant to search any place, or to seize any person or thing, shall issue

without describing them as near as may be, nor without probable cause,

supported by oath or affirmation.

 

Sec. 9.  SEARCHES AND SEIZURES.  The people shall be secure in their

persons, houses, papers and possessions, from all unreasonable seizures or

searches, and no warrant to search any place, or to seize any person or

thing, shall issue without describing them as near as may be, nor without

probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation.

 

Sec. 19.  DEPRIVATION OF LIFE, LIBERTY, ETC.; DUE COURSE OF LAW.  No citizen

of this State shall be deprived of life, liberty, property, privileges or

immunities, or in any manner disfranchised, except by the due course of the

law of the land.

 

Sec. 27.  RIGHT OF ASSEMBLY; PETITION FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.  The

citizens shall have the right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together

for their common good; and apply to those invested with the powers of

government for redress of grievances or other purposes, by petition, address

or remonstrance.

 

 

A concerned citizen, V/R,

[coheir]

I suspect the mayor and others involved new everything in the letter before they made this move. And I suspect if the letter is mailed outside Tx it may not be read.

I agree with everything in the letter.

[ayin jade]

Here is the letter I wrote to the Mayor Annise Parker and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

 

Greetings, Office of the Mayor of Houston,

 

I am writing today to express my concerns over this office's egregious abuse

of its authority regarding the subpoena of some 400 churches in the Houston

area.  This office is violating the 1st, 4th and 5th Amendments of the US

Constitution.  I have also attached TX Form 2204, because the Mayor was

supposed to state this oath and sign this form upon taking office, and the

Mayor needs to be reminded that these aren't just words, they are a binding

contract for everyone that holds office in the State of Texas.

 

The conduct of this office will not be tolerated in Houston, or the great

state of Texas, or by its constituents.  I fully expect Texas AG Greg Abbott

to step in and address this egregious violation of constitutional authority

by this office.  The Mayor's office is not above the law and should be

impeached for attempting to elevate itself above it.

 

 

 

 

1st Amendment:  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of

religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom

of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to

assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.[71]

 

4th Amendment:  The right of the people to be secure in their persons,

houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,

shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,

supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to

be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.[71]

 

5th Amendment:  No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or

otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand

Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the

Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall

any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of

life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness

against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due

process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without

just compensation.[71]

 

The Mayor is also violating Sections 6, 8, 9, 19, and 27 of the Texas

Constitution.

 

Sec. 6.  FREEDOM OF WORSHIP.  All men have a natural and indefeasible right

to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences.

No man shall be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship,

or to maintain any ministry against his consent.  No human authority ought,

in any case whatever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience

in matters of religion, and no preference shall ever be given by law to any

religious society or mode of worship.  But it shall be the duty of the

Legislature to pass such laws as may be necessary to protect equally every

religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public

worship.

 

Sec. 8.  FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS; LIBEL.  Every person shall be at

liberty to speak, write or publish his opinions on any subject, being

responsible for the abuse of that privilege; and no law shall ever be passed

curtailing the liberty of speech or of the press.  In prosecutions for the

publication of papers, investigating the conduct of officers, or men in

public capacity, or when the matter published is proper for public

information, the truth thereof may be given in evidence.  And in all

indictments for libels, the jury shall have the right to determine the law

and the facts, under the direction of the court, as in other cases. Sec. 9.

SEARCHES AND SEIZURES.  The people shall be secure in their persons, houses,

papers and possessions, from all unreasonable seizures or searches, and no

warrant to search any place, or to seize any person or thing, shall issue

without describing them as near as may be, nor without probable cause,

supported by oath or affirmation.

 

Sec. 9.  SEARCHES AND SEIZURES.  The people shall be secure in their

persons, houses, papers and possessions, from all unreasonable seizures or

searches, and no warrant to search any place, or to seize any person or

thing, shall issue without describing them as near as may be, nor without

probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation.

 

Sec. 19.  DEPRIVATION OF LIFE, LIBERTY, ETC.; DUE COURSE OF LAW.  No citizen

of this State shall be deprived of life, liberty, property, privileges or

immunities, or in any manner disfranchised, except by the due course of the

law of the land.

 

Sec. 27.  RIGHT OF ASSEMBLY; PETITION FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.  The

citizens shall have the right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together

for their common good; and apply to those invested with the powers of

government for redress of grievances or other purposes, by petition, address

or remonstrance.

 

 

A concerned citizen, V/R,

 

Good for you. 

 

May I also suggest you send this to many others such as your state legislature, your governor, your national representatives (senators and congressman of that district). Make lots of noise with this.

[Guest Teditis]

But it wasn't the Mayors office that issued the subpoenas was it?

The County Court did... they must have thought the case had merit.

 

It's the judges that are on a quest to make new laws while breaking 

old ones that we should direct our attention to... er, so I think.

[other one]

Hopefully this may be that "step too far" that will end up starting an uprising against those coming against the church and Christianity in general.   Sooner or later surely we will get fed up with all this and stand up for our rights.

[OldSchool2]

But it wasn't the Mayors office that issued the subpoenas was it?

The County Court did... they must have thought the case had merit.

 

It's the judges that are on a quest to make new laws while breaking 

old ones that we should direct our attention to... er, so I think.

Is it just a coincidence that these judges are looking for sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or Annise Parker, the city’s first openly lesbian mayor?

And where does the Houston City Council stand on all this?

[JustinM]

I suspect the mayor and others involved new everything in the letter before they made this move. And I suspect if the letter is mailed outside Tx it may not be read.

I agree with everything in the letter.

I e-mailed it to them.

[other one]

 

But it wasn't the Mayors office that issued the subpoenas was it?

The County Court did... they must have thought the case had merit.

 

It's the judges that are on a quest to make new laws while breaking 

old ones that we should direct our attention to... er, so I think.

Is it just a coincidence that these judges are looking for sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or Annise Parker, the city’s first openly lesbian mayor?

And where does the Houston City Council stand on all this?

 

It has something to do with local laws the city has passed that the preachers of these churches had fought....   someone filed a suit against them but I don't know where they filed.   The mayor as I understand asked the city attorneys to get copies of the things the preachers have been speaking to people for that suit.

 

The Texas Attorney General has informed the city that what they are doing is violating several constitutional laws and amendments and they should stop...     My understanding is that they have.