Houston Mayor Targets Conservative Pastors

An ordeal between church and state has erupted in the City of Houston and some local religious leaders are not very happy. Mayor Annise Parker the first open lesbian Mayor in Houston. Sending out court ordered subpoenas, Parker demanded pastors hand over copies of any sermon that discusses Mayor Parker, homosexuality, and gender identity. Church leaders and congregation members are outraged by her demands.
The Alliance Defending Freedom Group is a nationally known law firm for working with religious liberty rights. They filed a motion to stop the subpoenas, calling them “overbroad, unduly burdensome, and harassing,”
The argument started the motion for the sermons and writings based on if they are in violation of their tax exempt status. The problem is that tax exemptions are given to Houston Religious groups through federal and state law not through the City of Houston. The first amendment alone states that religious groups are protected in their speech and practice.
This all started when a political campaign was initiated to repeal Houston’s new equal rights ordinance. The Pastors that have been issued a subpoena are allegedly part of a group against the new ordinance. According to the Mayor several Pastors encouraged congregation members to fight against the new ordinance by signing petitions and speaking out on politics.After some of the backlash Parker began to retrace her steps. Now she admits the subpoenas were too broad to begin with. She plans to narrow down the demands, but not throw them out altogether. This fight is still brewing and both sides don’t seem to be giving in anytime soon. As the two sides build their case, we NOW know at least one other state official who’s taking sides. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott stepped in, reprimanding Parker for abusing her power as Mayor, and demanded her to withdraw her subpoenas immediately.