UPDATE: Houston Mayor Withdraws Subpoena Request for Pastors Sermons (VIDEO)
Posted on November 4, 2014 in Religious Freedom, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
Just days after the City of Coeur d’Alene reversed course and declared that a pastor would not have to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies; Houston Mayor Anise Parker has dropped her unconstitutional subpoena of pastor’s sermons.
An article at the Christian Post notes that Mayor Parker intends to defend the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), but has decided to drop her request for the sermons, speeches, and other communications of local pastors.
“After much contemplation and discussion, I am directing the city legal department to withdraw the subpoenas issued to the five Houston pastors who delivered the petitions, the anti-HERO petitions, to the city of Houston and who indicated that they were responsible for the overall petition effort. It is extremely important to me to protect our equal rights ordinance from repeal, and it is extremely important to me to make sure that every Houstonian knows that their lives are valid and protected and acknowledged.”
Mayor Parker and the city council have come under heavy scrutiny in light of their decision to seek the private communications of local pastors. Religious Freedom advocates have decried the move as nothing short of an unconstitutional power play by a tyrannical local government. The pastors have said there is no reason to subpoena their sermons because they are all online and available to anyone in the public that wishes to access them. This fact makes it appear that the city was seeking private communications from the pastors in order to determine whether they were critical of the HERO law. Continue reading…
Roundup: Houston Pastors Facing Unconstitutional Government Power Grab Over Sermons
Posted on November 3, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
As the battle in Houston continues over the city subpoenaing the sermons of at least five pastors for their involvement in opposing a local “bathroom bill,” the commentary continues to flow. Below you will find some notable voices and their thoughts on the subject to help you stay on top of the issue. Every American should be angry over the fact that any government entity would dare subpoena the speech of anyone, let alone pastors. All speech, and religious speech such as sermons is certainly included, is protected by the First Amendment and the government has no business seeking it. Prayerfully the city will back down. If not, I hope the Texas State Supreme Court squashes the subpoena request and ends the city is sued inquisition. Mayor Parker needs a strong wake-up call and reminder that she has no business intimidating people by violating their civil rights.
CBN: ADF Unimpressed by Houston’s Revised Subpoena’s
The Alliance Defending Freedom released a statement on the changes. “The city of Houston still doesn’t get it. It thinks that by changing nothing in its subpoenas other than to remove the word ‘sermons’ that it has solved the problem. That solves nothing,” ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley said in the statement. “Even though the pastors are not parties in this lawsuit, the subpoenas still demand from them 17 different categories of information – information that encompasses speeches made by the pastors and private communications with their church members,” he continued. “As we have stated many times, the problem is the subpoenas themselves; they must be rescinded entirely.”
Canon and Culture: Three Reasons That Houston’s Subpoenas Are a Big Deal Continue reading…
UPDATE: Idaho City Reverses Decision to Force Pastor to Perform Gay Wedding Ceremonies
Posted on October 31, 2014 in Marriage, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
The city of Coeur d’ Alene in Idaho became the center of a major religious freedom battle after the city said it would force the pastor of a small wedding chapel to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.
The Hitching Post is a for-profit wedding chapel that is owned and operated by devout Christians, the Knapps. After a non-discrimination ordinance was passed in the city the local city council told the Knapps they would have to perform same-sex ceremonies in order to comply with the ordinance.
The Knapps, in adhering to their religious convictions, said they would refuse to perform such ceremonies as they would violate their religious convictions. The city told them they could face massive fines and jail time for refusal. The Knapps didn’t back down.
After igniting national outrage the city has reversed their decision and said the Knapps will NOT have to perform same-sex ceremonies. A recent article at Christian Today says: Continue reading…
Idaho Roundup: City in Idaho Demands Pastor Perform Same-Sex Weddings or Face Fines and Jail
Posted on October 30, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
This story has been all over the news and for good reason. The warnings against marriage redefinition have been numerous and strong and yet no one ever thought we would get to this point. Here we are. A pastor has been told that he must perform same-sex weddings at his chapel of face hefty fines and even prison for violating the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Below is a roundup of notable voices regarding this story. Two videos are posted at the end of this post.
Fox News: City threatens to arrest ministers who refuse to perform same-sex weddings
“Alliance Defending Freedom is representing Donald and Evelyn Knapp, ordained ministers who own the Hitching Post Wedding Chapel in Coeur d’Alene…According to the lawsuit, the wedding chapel is registered with the state as a ‘religious corporation’ limited to performing ‘one-man-one-woman marriages as defined by the Holy Bible.’ But the chapel is also registered as a for-profit business – not as a church or place of worship – and city officials said that means the owners must comply with a local nondiscrimination ordinance.”
Life Site News: Idaho ministers face fines, jail time for refusing to perform same-sex ‘marriages’ Continue reading…
OP-Ed: One Young Woman Makes the Case for Virginity Both Convincing And Appealing
Posted on October 29, 2014 in Marriage, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
Considering we live in a sex-obsessed world it is not often that a major media outlet celebrates the decision of a person to remain a virgin until marriage.
Considering many major media outlets appear to be anti-Christian it is even rarer for said outlet to celebrate the decision of a Christian person to remain a virgin until marriage.
And yet it was recently that Salon published an op-ed by 26-year-old Ellen Burkhardt explaining why she is and plans to remain a virgin until she is married. I’m not a regular reader of Salon (big surprise) so a h/t goes to LifeNews.com for sharing Burkhardt’s post; a well-written, very worthwhile post.
Burkhardt writes:
“I should be better at sharing this bit of information by now. I’m a 26-year-old woman with a college degree, a good job, an adorable duplex and no debt. I have a solid group of friends, a supportive family and a clear awareness of who I am and who I want to be. By most accounts, I am a successful human being. Yet the moment I have to tell the guy I’m dating that sex is not an option, I become a squirmy, awkward, fidgety girl who can’t make eye contact or put together a complete sentence.”
More than one commentator will mention that it’s sad that our society has devolved to the place where sex is such a god that anyone not engaging in it is considered strange. When a mid-20’s young woman – or any female above the age of 14 – declares that she’s a proud virgin it elicits instantaneous assumptions about her mental state, emotional strength, physical condition, and whether or not she’s a “religious wacko.” Continue reading…
Which Church Is Yours-The Macklemore, Wrecking Ball, M.C. Hammer, or Ring of Fire
Posted on October 28, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
Dean Inserra recently wrote an article for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission that was also published on the Speak Up movement blog. In the post Inserra says that four kinds of churches exist when it comes to dealing with homosexuality: the Macklemore Church, the Wrecking Ball Church, the M.C. Hammer Church, and the Ring of Fire Church.
Take a peek at Inserra’s description of each church and ask yourself, Which do I belong to?” But don’t forget to ask yourself which is the most biblical, Gospel-centric church. If you’re not at that one it might be time to make a change.
- The Macklemore Church
The Macklemore Church just simply thinks the Bible is outdated, or just plain wrong on homosexuality. This church has been on the fringe left end of the spectrum, but recently exists in some traditional mainline circles. The Macklemore Church believes as long as one truly loves, then his or her sexual preference is a personal decision, and God is okay with that. Anything spoken against that is judgmental, and unlike Jesus who would think it is all the “same love.” Those who oppose this approach are also outdated and need to evolve with the times. The issue, however, with the Macklemore Church is not sexuality. The issue is the Bible. There is zero confidence in the authority of the Bible, as inerrancy is mocked. As Macklemore raps in “Same Love” about those who have confidence in the authority of the Bible, “…we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago.” The beliefs about sexuality held by the Macklemore Church are the least of their problems. Continue reading…
UPDATE: US Civil Rights Commission Tells Houston Mayor to Leave Pastors Alone
Posted on October 27, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Houston City Mayor Annise Parker
The news that Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, Texas subpoenaed the sermons and other communications from several pastors after the passage and attempted repeal of a controversial “bathroom bill” in the city has become a national matter.
Bathroom bills are dangerous, to say the least. Typically a bathroom bill will allow a man to use the women’s bathroom, locker room, or other facilities (and vice versa) based on little more than a perceived gender identity. In other words a man can simply say that he is a woman and be allowed to use the women’s facilities. The dangers of such bills seem obvious to everyone but the activists pushing for their passage.
When the Houston bathroom bill was being proposed by the city many pastors spoke out against it and even encouraged their congregations to oppose the bill. Such speech is not merely appropriate for a pastor inside his church it is constitutionally protected speech. But that didn’t stop the city of Houston and Mayor Annise Parker from subpoenaing the sermons, emails, and other communication of these pastors.
That’s when people across the country got mad.
The result has been an enormous backlash against the city, Mayor Parker, and the city attorney. Alliance Defending Freedom is now representing the pastors being subpoenaed and is asking the city to drop their request for private communication because it is an unconstitutional abuse of power. Continue reading…
Marriage Will Now Be Redefined in West Virginia
Posted on October 24, 2014 in Marriage by Nathan Cherry
The Supreme Court has rejected appeals form five states, Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin, regarding the issue of marriage. This, effectively, legalizes same-sex “marriage” in those states. Some believe the issue of marriage is destined for a ruling from the Supreme Court and this appeals rejection could signal how the court will rule. Up to this point the court has stopped short of legalizing same-sex “marriage” for all 50 states, but this appeals rejection opens up speculation on what the court will do in the future.
Besides legalizing same-sex “marriage” in the five states seeking appeal to the Supreme Court, this decision will effectively legalize same-sex “marriage” in at least 6 other states in those appeals court jurisdictions, including West Virginia.
Concerning this decision by the Supreme Court ChristianNews.com recently wrote:
“The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for an immediate expansion of same-sex “marriage” by unexpectedly and tersely turning away appeals from five states seeking to prohibit homosexual unions. The court’s order effectively makes same-sex “marriage” legal now in 30 states. Without comment, the justices brought to an end delays in in five states— Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Chief Justice John Roberts did not say a word about the matter as he began the court’s new term. Homosexuals in six other states—Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming—will now likely move forward with obtaining licenses. Those states would be bound by the same appellate rulings that were put on hold pending the Supreme Court’s review.” Continue reading…
Are You Pro-Life? It’s Because You’ve Been Brainwashed!
Posted on October 23, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Do you believe that life begins at conception?
Do you believe that every child, from conception to birth should be vigorously defended?
Do you believe that abortion on demand is cruel, evil, sinful, or wrong?
Did you know that you only believe those things because you are a simplistic minion incapable of intelligent, independent thought that has been brainwashed by “evil pro-lifers”?
That is the conclusion of a new book proudly advocating abortion on demand and the book review given by a staunch abortion supporter.
The book is “Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights” by Katha Pollitt. The book has received glowing reviews from the usual sources in mainstream media. But one in particular, Slate’s Hanna Rosin, is particularly excited about the book.
It is Rosin (agreeing with Pollitt) who believes that abortion is still mildly taboo because of the “brainwashing” pro-life activists. She sees pro-lifers as the direct cause for people mindlessly accepting the pro-life position. Apparently only those who are proudly pro-abortion have given any serious thought to this subject. An article at LifeNews.com shares some of Rosin’s thoughts: Continue reading…
The Johnson Amendment: Freeing America’s Pastors from IRS Intimidation Means Repealing It
Posted on October 22, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Most people have never heard of the Johnson Amendment. For that matter as soon as you say IRS code you will lose most of your audience. Nevertheless, this one amendment has had a significant impact on churches and, as a result, on society as a whole.
The Johnson Amendment was inserted into the IRS code in 1954 as a way to limit the speech of pastors and churches regarding elections, political campaigns, and social and political issues. Taking a cue from the fictitious “separation of church and state,” the Johnson Amendment seeks to control the speech of America’s pastors because of the influence they wield.
No doubt the effects of the Johnson Amendment are clear today. At one time America’s pastors took a leading role in education their congregations regarding political issues and candidates, now, most pulpits are silent.
Groups like Alliance Defending Freedom are leading the way in restoring freedom to America’s churches and pulpits. The “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” campaign has been a major tool in encouraging pastors to speak up and speak out on critical issues facing our society. And I am grateful for their efforts.
What is sad is the fact that since the Johnson Amendment was inserted into the IRS code not one church has ever lost its tax-exempt status as a result of “political speech.” Even with hundreds of pastors sending recorded sermons to the IRS each year as part of the “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” campaign to the IRS, there hasn’t even been a lawsuit or investigation. Continue reading…