Houston Mayor Receives 500+ Bibles, Backs Off Churches

Religious Freedom,

After two weeks of controversy, the Mayor of Houston has withdrawn subpoenas of church sermons from local pastors.

The mayor’s office initially subpoenaed all pastoral communications, sermons, and similar documents related to homosexuality, the city’s mayor, and the city’s controversial “nondiscrimination” ordinance. After receiving push-back, the city said it no longer wanted pastors’ sermons; instead it would settle for their “speeches.” Needless to say, that did very little to end the controversy.

Yesterday, Mayor Parker released a statement announcing she is directing her legal team to withdraw its subpoenas against the pastors.

When the subpoenas first came to light, leaders and ministers from across the country had different ideas on ways pastors in Houston could peacefully protest the city’s actions. John Piper suggested pastors invite the mayor to church for a sermon on biblical sexuality. Mike Huckabee, Glenn Beck, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Eric Metaxas all gained attention, however, for suggesting Christians politely send the mayor’s office a copy of the Bible and pastors send a copy of a sermon. Local news outlets are reporting the mayor’s office received between 500 and 1,000 Bibles from Americans concerned by the city’s actions.

We are glad the City of Houston is withdrawing its subpoenas of the sermons and pastoral communications, but it’s troubling the withdrawal took so long and came only after members of the public rallied and the city’s rather meaningless attempts to change the wording of the subpoenas failed.

We will continue to monitor the situation in Houston for any similar developments in the future.

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Some Las Vegas Chapels Declining to Perform Same-Sex Weddings

Religious Freedom, , ,

According to the LA Times, some wedding chapels in Las Vegas are declining to perform same-sex weddings.

Same-sex marriage became legal by default in Nevada earlier this month, when the U.S. Supreme Court opted not to review a lower court’s ruling that struck the state’s marriage laws. Now some wedding chapel owners are declining to marry same-sex couples due to the owners’ religious convictions about marriage.

This is significant, because Nevada has a “public accommodation” law mandating “full and equal enjoyment” of public services regardless of sexual-orientation. Similar laws have been used against florists, bakers, and photographers who have declined to participate in same-sex weddings in other states. Because of this law, some are alleging that it is actually illegal for a wedding chapel owner in Nevada to turn away a same-sex couple.

We have written before about how these types of “nondiscrimination” laws carry unintended consequences. Proponents say the laws are necessary to prevent someone from being fired or denied service at a restaurant due to sexual-orientation. In reality, however, these so-called “nondiscrimination” statutes are used to force people of faith to participate in same-sex weddings, receptions, and similar ceremonies they find objectionable.

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Idaho, Houston Show Consequences of “Nondiscrimination” Ordinances

Religious Freedom, , , ,

For several days we have followed two stories related to religious liberty in America.

The first is from Houston, where city officials are leaning hard on local pastors in order to get the ministers to cough up communications related to homosexuality and the city’s “nondiscrimination” ordinance.

The second is in Idaho, where–again, because of a “nondiscrimination” ordinance–two ministers face fines and jail time for declining to perform a same-sex wedding at their wedding chapel.

Both situations underscore the unintended consequences of these city ordinances. When cities start writing special protections for homosexuals and transgender people into the city code, they open people of faith to the threat of litigation and criminal prosecution.

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