Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Remember, she was the one that issued subpoenas for pastors’ sermons in case they had preached against homosexuality as sin because she saw them as the opposition to her updating of Houston’s anti-discrimination reg that would make it gays a protected class.
The city of Houston has issued subpoenas demanding a group of pastors turn over any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or Annise Parker, the city’s first openly lesbian mayor. And those ministers who fail to comply could be held in contempt of court.
(here, here, and here) Having lost in court for her ham-fistedness of ramming that regulation through AND forced to withdraw the subpoenas as she learned that Christians will stand up for their Rights, she (like Obama) is attacking them another way – she’s at it again through her city agencies and the power of eminent domain (emphasis mine, reformatted):
City of Houston Wants to Bulldoze One Black Church, Condemn Another
In a repulsive demonstration of hostility towards Christians, the City of Houston wants to bulldoze one church and condemn the property of another so they can build affordable housing and a public library.
Attorneys representing the Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church and the Latter Day Deliverance Revival Center were in court Tuesday asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order preventing the city from taking their property. The Houston Housing Authority has already implemented eminent domain proceedings to take control of an entire city block in what was once called the Lone Star State’s “toughest, proudest, baddest ghetto.”
“The government cannot take a church’s property and give it to some other business in violation of the law,” said Hiram Sasser, the deputy chief counsel for Liberty Institute. “These churches, their congregations, and this neighborhood are not for sale.” Tory Gunsolley, the president of the Houston Housing Authority told me he could not comment specifically on the merits of the case. “I respect their right to their day in court,” he said. Gunsolley said the church buildings basically stand in the way of their plans for developing the community.
Just like the pastors were “in the way” of Hizzoner’s developing and re-engineering the City’s social makeup. For her, if she couldn’t get the pastors to “go along to get along”, she’s just going to “get” them. It’s now the preferred way of defeating your enemies – use the Law instead of guns. Keep throwing tactic after tactic into the fray and MAKE them bow down to your ideology. Even at only 2% of the population – Tyranny of the Minority. It’s the age old equation – plead for equality, reach for power, and once reached, it’s 1984’s definition of “equality”.
Naw, only kidding – it’s nothing more than crass power.
“The Latter Day Deliverance Revival Church that is essentially the alley of the block we are trying to redevelop,” he said. “Without that strip of land we will not be able to build the units or library.” Since last March the city has been negotiating with church leaders hoping to buy them out.
And I BET that, unlike the feminist cry of “No means NO!”, this feminist Mayor is not taking NO for an answer – and also not offering fair market value (even if the piece doesn’t mention it). Regardless of price, it seems these churches like their ministries where they are – even if it is a rough part of town. Actually, beCAUSE it is the rough side of town:
“It’s tragic that the city of Houston wants to take the churches’ property away and give it to someone else, just so they can make money,” Sasser said. Both congregations are located in Houston’s Fifth Ward – which has a notorious history of violence and crime.
And I also BET that silencing her opponents is no small part of the prize. And have they been a positive influence on said violence and crime?
Liberty Institute said the ministries of both churches have been credited with turning the neighborhood around – reducing crime and drug use. However, if the city has its way the food pantries, young centers and programs to combat drug use and gang violence will be evicted to make way for affordable housing.
Once again, we see Government crowding out what is left of Civil Society – but hey, we can just spend even MORE tax money, right? It’s always about the money – who to take from and who to give it to. Or, to the latter, WHO is being seen as being the one given. A church whose members voluntarily giving of themselves – or Government that wishes to have the appearance of doing something BUT with other peoples’ money? And remember, the church’s money comes from the heart; Government money comes with strings attached.
“When we moved into this area, it was considered the highest crime-rate area in the city of Houston,” said Bishop Roy Lee Kossie, the pastor of Latter Day. “People shot first and asked questions later.”
Bishop Kossie said his congregation has no intention of moving – period. “We love this community,” he said. The pastor said ultimately they serve a much higher power than Houston City Hall. “This is where the Lord called us and this is where we want to stay,” he said. “We aren’t giving up without a fight.”
And that is what is probably driving Parker nuts – being an atheist lesbian ensconced in govt power, I BET she believes that she / Government is that only higher power that counts. Power is what Government is, and it seems like Houston Mayor Annise Parker has no idea of what a limiting power would be – certainly no respecter of higher principles.
Liberty Institute attorney Jeremy Dys told me it’s absolutely repulsive that City Hall would try to evict two historic churches from the Fifth Ward. “The city is trying to steal the property,” he told me. “It’s remarkable that City Hall would ever tell a church where they can and cannot do ministry.”
Well, it was clear that Houston Mayor Annise Parker believed that she had the power to tell pastors what they could or could not preach on when she first issued her subpoenas concerning the content of their sermons. Which doesn’t allow for much Free Expression, does it? Stalin used to control what was preached in the Russian Orthodox Church, we see China cracking down on Christian churches, the Falun Gong, and other religions…
… and now we see our governments doing the same thing as what she (and Obama and other “leaders” in government) as they are. Land of the Free, still?
It’s unclear when the judge will rule on the temporary restraining order. Folks, I know it seems hard to believe something like this could happen deep in the heart of Texas. But just remember – this is the same crowd that tried to subpoena the sermons of five local pastors.
It’s a good thing the Garden of Gethsemane isn’t located inside Houston city limits. They’d probably bulldoze that, too.