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I have just one question as I begin this news report. Are we still living in America? I ask because the rule of law in our nation is being turned on its head.
Hello America. Hello world.
From the headquarters of reachmorenow.com in Fort Worth, Texas, this is Ray Mossholder and this is a very important Christian Report: Censorship For Christian Pastors Has Begun.
I have just one question as I begin this news report. Are we still living in America? I ask because the rule of law in our nation is being turned on its head. The United States Constitution, like the Ten Commandments, is now at the bottom of many American birdcages. Three judges in any state, and sometimes only one, has the ability to trash a statewide vote by American citizens. As an example, it only took a three judges to overturn Proposition 8, which, in ultra–liberal California, had a majority vote of its citizens, statewide, telling the authorities to stop gay marriage there.
As I write this report, I want to make it clear that I am not a homophobe. Not long ago, I sat very comfortably at a dinner table with a teenager who still couldn’t figure out whether they were male or female. That confusion is being forced on the children and teenagers of our entire nation because, like the three judges, polls are supposed to be telling us that America really wants gay rights. If that is true, though polls can be limited by knowing the ideologies in advance of the people who are polled or by other dishonest manipulation of results, I will simply tell you that this isn’t the nation I grew up in. Many believe that is a good thing. And who am I to rain on their parade? I wish gays no harm, though AIDS today is a far greater plague than I believe Ebola will ever be in our country and it continues to spread wildly.
Bill Keith in his excellent Bill Keith Report and Commentary shares the stunning fact that more than 1 in 3 Americans today have a venereal disease. If I could stop that for them, I would. I can only imagine how terrible it must be for most of them once they are carrying a hideous disease. And if you ask me where God is in all this, I will remind you that He was ordered out of America’s school system many years ago and He is being ordered out of most everything else that has to do with the American public.
The rule of thumb that the people of our nation used to be taught to live by was that your freedom only stops at my nose. In other words, if you want to punch the lights out of me, you have no right to do it – at least no legal right.
The question of course is: Do the words “legal” or “illegal” mean anything at all today in America? “Illegal” aliens, for example, are being given the red carpet treatment by our president, by the governor of California, and by millions of Americans throughout our nation. In fact, they can get a multitude of benefits and a constant flow of free money that I can’t get because I’m not “illegal!”
This report is not about gays or about illegal aliens. It has to do with the thought police – in this case, the mayor and city Council of Houston, Texas. I excuse the news media for by and large not mentioning this because this is a huge news day that is keeping them busier than ants at a picnic. And for those who aren’t Christians, this story may not seem as important to them as ISIL or Ebola are. But if you are a Christian listening to or reading this newscast, I ask you to concentrate and think hard about what this happening may soon mean to your church and the churches of America wherever you or they are. What does bother me is that out of eleven sources I use to find any news pertaining to Christians, only one ran this story. Breakthrough Christian News, in fact, made it their headline. I congratulate them for that.
In June of this year, the mayor and city Council of Houston, Texas, passed a totally controversial ordinance that is being called “the bathroom bill.” It declares that public bathrooms in restaurants, hotels, or any other public place are free for either males or females to use. This is not a transgender ordinance, but a public rights issue affecting everyone.
Here’s what’s happening: The citizens of Houston submitted more than three times the legally required amount of petitions that asked that either the ordinance be overturned or that it be placed on a voter’s ballot so that the entire city could decide on it. The city secretary whose job it is to examine and certify petitions agreed with the petitioners that they had met all necessary qualifications to be counted. But the lesbian mayor of Houston who is married to a woman and ran on a gender equality platform, and the city attorney, said the law be damned and threw out the certification.
And now the mayor and the attorney have gone further. They have subpoenaed all pastors in the city of Houston to give them any sermons they have preached on any issues related to homosexuality, lesbianism, gays or transgender’s. They also are ordering the pastors to tell the Council about any communications with their church members that included reference to these issues.
Attorneys for Alliance Defending Freedom have now filed a motion in a Texas court to stop the subpoenas. They argue that the a pastor or visiting speaker are constitutionally protected and so is all conversation with members or nonmembers of the church. Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley said “City Council members are supposed to be public servants, not ‘Big Brother’ overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge. In this case, they have embarked upon a witchhunt, and we are asking the court to put a stop to it. The city’s subpoena of sermons is both needless and unprecedented. The city council and its attorneys are engaging in an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of its actions. Political and social commentary is not a crime; it is protected by the First Amendment.”
The ADF brief accompanying their motion which was filed in the District Court of Harris County says that the city council’s request of the pastors is “overbroad, unduly burdensome, harassing and vexatious” and if the council is allowed to pursue it it will have a profoundly negative effect on free speech and the entire electoral process.
The ADF brief continues “The message is clear: Oppose the decisions of city government and drown in unwarranted, burdensome discovery requests. These requests if allowed, will have a chilling effect on future citizens who might consider circulating referendum petitions because they are dissatisfied with ordinances passed by the City Council. Not only will the nonparty Pastors be harmed if these discovery requests are allowed, but the People will suffer as well. The referendum process will become toxic, and the People will be deprived of an important check on city government provided them by the Charter.”
My point in making this report is to urge all Christians and especially their pastors to realize that if this subpoena is allowed by the courts to continue then city councils will have the power to censor all Christian pastors and Christians themselves in America very soon. Christian rights, the Constitution, and the Ten Commandments will stay at the bottom of the birdcages and our Christian freedoms will be lost.
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A Christian should learn two things about their tongue – how to hold it and how to use it.
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So until the next newscast this is Ray Mossholder, praying for you my friend. Have a miraculous day!
Censorship of America"s Pastors Has Begun! A Report from Ray
