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Huston Mayor Annise Parker has announced she is withdrawing the subpoenas served on 5 local pastors which demanded copies of sermons and communications with their congregations.
In doing so, the mayor explains and defends her action and is assuring her homosexual activist supporters, "I didn't do this to satisfy them..."
"Them" is the 5 local pastors subpoenaed and millions of people across the country who have reacted to this attack on religious freedom.
If the mayor didn't back peddle and change her course "because of them," then why?
She told the Houston press, "I did it because it was not serving Houston."
I would add, it was not serving her very well either.
Miscalculation.
The mayor had clearly misjudged the response to her actions in both pushing through a so-called "equality ordinance" that among other things opened bathrooms to either sex all the time, of particular interest to transgender people, and the discarding of thousands of petition signatures calling for the "Bathroom Bill" to be referred to a vote of the people.
Only the most strident homosexual activist saw her actions as anything other than unconstitutional and an attempt to bully the faith community and force an ordinance of perversion on the people.
She is going to great lengths to underscore that her actions were "not in any way illegal or intended to intrude on religious liberties."
People don't believe her.
While her actions may not have been "to please them," it came after a meeting with both local Christian clergy and a seven member delegation representing clergy of different denominations, including the Assemblies of God, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Presbyterian and Russian Orthodox traditions.
The names of those who met with her are listed in the link above.
The planned nationwide simulcast from Houston scheduled for Sunday, November 2 will continue as planned.
The event hosted by Tony Perkins will feature Gov. Mike Huckabee, Duck Dynasty's Phil and Al Robertson, the 5 Houston area pastors targeted by the mayor, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and a list of others included in the link.
Perkins says, "While we are encouraged by this evidence that the mayor is responding to pressure and withdrawing her unconstitutional subpoenas, this is about far more than subpoenas...it is not about sermons, it is not even about biblical teaching on sexual immorality, it is about political intimidation and the bullying by Mayor Parker that continues."
Pastor Martin Niemueller was in Hitler's Germany, seen as a hero---a patriot. He was a highly decorated U Boat commander during WW I. After the war he became an evangelical pastor.
His congregation was in a wealthy suburb of Berlin and was in one of the wealthiest and most influential churches in Germany. Its membership was made up of high government officials and generals.
When he was arrested, it was controversial to say the least. People were asking why would a man of his stature openly criticize Hitler?
The judge told the pastor he could return to his pulpit if he would just restrain his attacks on the Nazi regime and concede that at this time in this culture Hitler was the "Fuhrer" (absolute leader).
Niemueller told the court, "I cannot and I will not be silent....God is my Fuhrer."
Pastor Niemueller was arrested. The next morning the Lutheran chaplain was making his rounds when he came to the pastor's cell. He was shocked...astounded.
"My brother," he said, "why are you here, what did you do," he asked?"
Niemueller looked at him and said, "My brother, given what is happening in our country today, why aren't you here?"
The sin of silence.
America stood up and spoke to the issue in Houston. It will not go away, nor will it be the last attempt of its kind, but have we awakened enough take a stand even when there is a cost?
When pastor's sermons and communications with their congregations are subpoenaed by activist homosexual elected officials, can the next phase be far away?
If we do not stand now, when?
And if this isn't important enough, what is?
Be Vigilant. Be Faithful. Be Discerning. Be Courageous. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.