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Sure. You stated repeatedly that the Houston mayor tried to force pastors to submit their sermons for approval. When in fact, the sermons have been included in subpoenas as part of the discovery process for a lawsuit. No one will be reviewing the sermons for approval.
It doesn't matter if the focus for the subpoena was a lawsuit. The request for sermons was made and that is a breach into separation of church and state. Several news articles reported the same thing I said:
Quote:
The blowback to the subpoenas was so intense that last Friday, the city backpedaled and dropped the word “sermon” from the subpoena, as well as “...requests for pastors’ teachings on sexuality and gender identity.” The city still wants to see all the speeches, presentations, documents, text messages and emails that relate to the pastors’ work to get HERO repealed, though.
It doesn't matter if the focus for the subpoena was a lawsuit. The request for sermons was made and that is a breach into separation of church and state. Several news articles reported the same thing I said:
It issued subpoenas for pastors to turn over “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,” so that it could, according to Time.com, “determine how the
preachers instructed their congregants in their push to get the law repealed.”
Can you please point out where it states that the mayor tried to force pastors to submit their sermons for approval? I sure don't see where your link supports what you have said.
It doesn't matter if the focus for the subpoena was a lawsuit. The request for sermons was made and that is a breach into separation of church and state.
Where does the first Amendment say that it's a breach of Separation of Church and State to subpoena potentially relevant evidence found in a sermon for purposes of defending a lawsuit?
Can you please point out where it states that the mayor tried to force pastors to submit their sermons for approval? I sure don't see where your link supports what you have said.
It said a subpoena was issued for pastors to turn over their sermons. I don't know how much more plain the article has to be. The term SERMON was originally used. Why are you trying to distort the facts? The request was made.
So what is not factual? Are you claiming that the request for sermons was NEVER made? Prove it.
It said a subpoena was issued for pastors to turn over their sermons. I don't know how much more plain the article has to be. The term SERMON was originally used. Why are you trying to distort the facts? The request was made.
So what is not factual? Are you claiming that the request for sermons was NEVER made? Prove it.
And you conveniently leave out the part where it was requesting documents related to the the law suit. When you sue the city, they will grab all of the information they can to make their case... that's kinda their job.
That's not a news article, it's an opinion piece. You use opinion pieces as your source for news? By their very definition opinion pieces are biased.
Though it explains your inability to understand the facts of the issue.
Typical attack the news source, not the content tactic. Ok, let's try Time magazine. You gonna discredit them too without any proof?
Quote:
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott also issued a letter saying the city impinged on the pastors’ First Amendment rights and called for the subpoenas’ immediate reversal. “Whether you intend it to be so or not, your action is a direct assault on the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment,” Abbott wrote to Feldman. “The people of Houston and their religious leaders must be absolutely secure in their knowledge that their religious affairs are beyond the reach of the government.”
University of Houston law professor Peter Linzer says the city reached too far in issuing the subpoenas. One subpoena sent to Pastor Steve Riggle, for example, asks for “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to [the equal rights ordinance], the petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity.”
It doesn't matter if the focus for the subpoena was a lawsuit. The request for sermons was made and that is a breach into separation of church and state. Several news articles reported the same thing I said:
So was the apparent fact that pastors were instructing people from the pulpit on methods to canvas for signatures. Did they pass out petitions statements and ask for members of the congregation to get signatures? If they did, their tax free status should be revoked.
Separation of church and state is like everything else---a TWO WAY STREET. No the one way of bigotry.
I would agree with one portion of Jeff's diatribe:
One subpoena sent to Pastor Steve Riggle, for example, asks for “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to [the equal rights ordinance], the petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity.”
The portion after "petition" is no business of the city. Whatever the church said with regard to an individual would have to fall under civil law if slander occurred. It would not be a government interest. How a church preaches about homosexuality or gender identity is of no interest to the government, and frankly, should be of no interest to anyone else either. A church should be allowed to preach itself right through the gates of hell.
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