Wednesday, October 15, 2014
City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons
By Todd Starnes
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.
“The city’s subpoena of sermons and other pastoral communications is both needless and unprecedented,” Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Christina Holcomb said in a statement. “The city council and its attorneys are engaging in an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of its actions.”
ADF, a nationally-known law firm specializing in religious liberty cases, is representing five Houston pastors. They filed a motion in Harris County court to stop the subpoenas arguing they are “overbroad, unduly burdensome, harassing, and vexatious.”
“Political and social commentary is not a crime,” Holcomb said. “It is protected by the First Amendment.”
The subpoenas are just the latest twist in an ongoing saga over the Houston’s new non-discrimination ordinance. The law, among other things, would allow men to use the ladies room and vice versa. The city council approved the law in June.
The Houston Chronicle reported opponents of the ordinance launched a petition drive that generated more than 50,000 signatures – far more than the 17,269 needed to put a referendum on the ballot.
However, the city threw out the petition in August over alleged irregularities.
After opponents of the bathroom bill filed a lawsuit the city’s attorneys responded by issuing the subpoenas against the pastors.
The pastors were not part of the lawsuit. However, they were part of a coalition of some 400 Houston-area churches that opposed the ordinance. The churches represent a number of faith groups – from Southern Baptist to non-denominational.
“City council members are supposed to be public servants, not ‘Big Brother’ overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge,” said ADF attorney Erik Stanley. “This is designed to intimidate pastors.”
Mayor Parker will not explain why she wants to inspect the sermons. I contacted City Hall for a comment and received a terse reply from the mayor’s director of communications.
“We don’t comment on litigation,” said Janice Evans.
However, ADF attorney Stanley suspects the mayor wants to publicly shame the ministers. He said he anticipates they will hold up their sermons for public scrutiny. In other words – the city is rummaging for evidence to “out” the pastors as anti-gay bigots.
Among those slapped with a subpoena is Steve Riggle, the senior pastor of Grace Community Church. He was ordered to produce all speeches and sermons related to Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality and gender identity.
The mega-church pastor was also ordered to hand over “all communications with members of your congregation” regarding the non-discrimination law.
“This is an attempt to chill pastors from speaking to the cultural issues of the day,” Riggle told me. “The mayor would like to silence our voice. She’s a bully.”
Rev. Dave Welch, executive director of the Texas Pastor Council, also received a subpoena. He said he will not be intimidated by the mayor.
“We’re not afraid of this bully,” he said. “We’re not intimidated at all.”
He accused the city of violating the law with the subpoenas and vowed to stand firm in the faith.
“We are not going to yield our First Amendment rights,” Welch told me. ‘This is absolutely a complete abuse of authority.”
Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, said pastors around the nation should rally around the Houston ministers.
“The state is breaching the wall of separation between church and state,” Perkins told me. ‘Pastors need to step forward and challenge this across the country. I’d like to see literally thousands of pastors after they read this story begin to challenge government authorities – to dare them to come into their churches and demand their sermons.”
Perkins called the actions by Houston’s mayor “obscene” and said they “should not be tolerated.”
“This is a shot across the bow of the church,” he said.
This is the moment I wrote about in my book, “God Less America.” I predicted that the government would one day try to silence American pastors. I warned that under the guise of “tolerance and diversity” elected officials would attempt to deconstruct religious liberty.
Sadly, that day arrived sooner than even I expected.
Tony Perkins is absolutely right. Now is the time for pastors and people of faith to take a stand. We must rise up and reject this despicable strong-arm attack on religious liberty. We cannot allow ministers to be intimidated by government thugs.
The pastors I spoke to tell me they will not comply with the subpoena – putting them at risk for a “fine or confinement, or both.”
Heaven forbid that should happen. But if it does, Christians across America should be willing to descend en masse upon Houston and join these brave men of God behind bars.
Pastor Welch compared the culture war skirmish to the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, fought in present-day Harris County, Texas. It was a decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.
“This is the San Jacinto moment for traditional family,” Welch told me. “This is the place where we stop the LGBT assault on the freedom to practice our faith.”
We can no longer remain silent. We must stand together - because one day – the government might come for your pastor.
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.
“The city’s subpoena of sermons and other pastoral communications is both needless and unprecedented,” Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Christina Holcomb said in a statement. “The city council and its attorneys are engaging in an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of its actions.”
ADF, a nationally-known law firm specializing in religious liberty cases, is representing five Houston pastors. They filed a motion in Harris County court to stop the subpoenas arguing they are “overbroad, unduly burdensome, harassing, and vexatious.”
“Political and social commentary is not a crime,” Holcomb said. “It is protected by the First Amendment.”
The subpoenas are just the latest twist in an ongoing saga over the Houston’s new non-discrimination ordinance. The law, among other things, would allow men to use the ladies room and vice versa. The city council approved the law in June.
The Houston Chronicle reported opponents of the ordinance launched a petition drive that generated more than 50,000 signatures – far more than the 17,269 needed to put a referendum on the ballot.
However, the city threw out the petition in August over alleged irregularities.
After opponents of the bathroom bill filed a lawsuit the city’s attorneys responded by issuing the subpoenas against the pastors.
The pastors were not part of the lawsuit. However, they were part of a coalition of some 400 Houston-area churches that opposed the ordinance. The churches represent a number of faith groups – from Southern Baptist to non-denominational.
“City council members are supposed to be public servants, not ‘Big Brother’ overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge,” said ADF attorney Erik Stanley. “This is designed to intimidate pastors.”
Mayor Parker will not explain why she wants to inspect the sermons. I contacted City Hall for a comment and received a terse reply from the mayor’s director of communications.
“We don’t comment on litigation,” said Janice Evans.
However, ADF attorney Stanley suspects the mayor wants to publicly shame the ministers. He said he anticipates they will hold up their sermons for public scrutiny. In other words – the city is rummaging for evidence to “out” the pastors as anti-gay bigots.
Among those slapped with a subpoena is Steve Riggle, the senior pastor of Grace Community Church. He was ordered to produce all speeches and sermons related to Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality and gender identity.
The mega-church pastor was also ordered to hand over “all communications with members of your congregation” regarding the non-discrimination law.
“This is an attempt to chill pastors from speaking to the cultural issues of the day,” Riggle told me. “The mayor would like to silence our voice. She’s a bully.”
Rev. Dave Welch, executive director of the Texas Pastor Council, also received a subpoena. He said he will not be intimidated by the mayor.
“We’re not afraid of this bully,” he said. “We’re not intimidated at all.”
He accused the city of violating the law with the subpoenas and vowed to stand firm in the faith.
“We are not going to yield our First Amendment rights,” Welch told me. ‘This is absolutely a complete abuse of authority.”
Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, said pastors around the nation should rally around the Houston ministers.
“The state is breaching the wall of separation between church and state,” Perkins told me. ‘Pastors need to step forward and challenge this across the country. I’d like to see literally thousands of pastors after they read this story begin to challenge government authorities – to dare them to come into their churches and demand their sermons.”
Perkins called the actions by Houston’s mayor “obscene” and said they “should not be tolerated.”
“This is a shot across the bow of the church,” he said.
This is the moment I wrote about in my book, “God Less America.” I predicted that the government would one day try to silence American pastors. I warned that under the guise of “tolerance and diversity” elected officials would attempt to deconstruct religious liberty.
Sadly, that day arrived sooner than even I expected.
Tony Perkins is absolutely right. Now is the time for pastors and people of faith to take a stand. We must rise up and reject this despicable strong-arm attack on religious liberty. We cannot allow ministers to be intimidated by government thugs.
The pastors I spoke to tell me they will not comply with the subpoena – putting them at risk for a “fine or confinement, or both.”
Heaven forbid that should happen. But if it does, Christians across America should be willing to descend en masse upon Houston and join these brave men of God behind bars.
Pastor Welch compared the culture war skirmish to the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, fought in present-day Harris County, Texas. It was a decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.
“This is the San Jacinto moment for traditional family,” Welch told me. “This is the place where we stop the LGBT assault on the freedom to practice our faith.”
We can no longer remain silent. We must stand together - because one day – the government might come for your pastor.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Christian Veterans of the Bitterroot, 13 Oct, 2014
Prayer Breakfast
0700 at BJ’s Restaurant
Hamilton, Montana
O Father, grant that those who worship you this day may
present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to you. By the
power of the Holy Spirit make us strong to fulfill our ministry this day. In
Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
1. Opening - Round the Table
Individual Prayers
2. Breakfast is served
3. Morning Psalm: 71
4. Breakfast Reading: Matthew 10:1-42
5. Breakfast Discussion Topics:
News around the valley
Community Aid
through Christian Churches; we must to teach our community to fish and to
provide mutual aid to local governments.
Action
Plan
1)
Work on Mission Statement and Newspaper Announcement
2)
Contact “March for Jesus Christ” churches
3)
Change weekly bulletin in the newspaper
4)
Pick first venue
a)
Darby Foursquare Church
5)
Pick topics and speakers
a)
Communications
b)
Medical
c)
Psychological
d)
Buying in bulk
e)
Local Law Enforcement
f)
Food Preservation
g)
Security
h)
Important Papers
i)
Emergency Planning
j)
Pandemic Planning
6)
Always finish with “Breaking Bread”
52 Weeks to Preparedness by Tess Pennington
1)
Week 39 of 52: Alternative Power Sources
6. Closing - Round the Table
Individual Prayers
Upcoming Events:
20 Oct 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
27 Oct 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
3 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
10 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
11 Nov 2014 –
1100 – Veterans Day Parade in Corvallis
11 Nov 2014 –
1700 – Bitterroot Valley Dining Out
17 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
24 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
27 Nov 2014 –
Thanksgiving
4 Apr 2015 –
0645 – March for Jesus Christ
Tasks:
Mission
Statement for Community Aid
Who:
Christian Veterans of the Bitterroot
What:
Organize Preparedness and Disaster Relief Volunteers through the churches of Ravalli
County
When:
Starting in 2015
Where:
Ravalli County
Why: To work alongside our local
emergency responders???
New “This Week’s Events” for the
newspaper
Christian Veterans of the Bitterroot
(Headline)
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. Therefore, every Monday morning at 0700, veterans in the
Bitterroot Valley “push back” with a prayer breakfast at BJ’s Family
Restaurant, to pray, talk about religion, and current events. All are welcome
to attend.
Fellowship
of Christian Veterans:
Our 3Circles:
1) Outside (Feeder) Circle: Churches
& Church Organizations, Veterans Organizations, Special Events, and Word of
Mouth
2) Middle (Prayer Groups)
Circle: Prayer Breakfast every Monday at 7am, Prayer Lunch (still needed), Intercessory Prayer, and Veteran Outreach
3) Inside (Serve the community with
Care) Circle: Christian Veterans of the Bitterroot
On
the Web: http://cvbitterroot.blogspot.com/
On Twitter: @Walk_April_4_15
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/military.bitterroot
Week
39 of 52: Alternative Power Sources
By
Tess Pennington
Those
who are moving to retreat properties make it a point to look for land with its
own source of fuel in order to accommodate future needs. Whether those sources
are an ample wood supply, a natural gas well, or a surface coal seam, these
resources will ensure that you can continue to power your home and your
equipment.
Those
of us who do not have these resources readily available to us on our own land
may eventually run out of stored fuel sources. A way to avoid this future issue
is to consider investing in devices that collect renewable energy to supply our
homes and retreats with a continual supply of power. Therefore, consider the
following, and keep in mind that all of these items would be ideal for barter
situations:
Batteries
- Most of our emergency devices require batteries, and having an abundance of
them with the capability of being recharged is a good investment in your
long-term livelihood. The best batteries on the market right now are NiMH (Nickel-Metal
Hydride) that have a low self-discharge (LSD). To prolong the charge of your
batteries, store them in a sealed bag in the back of your refrigerator. This
prevents condensation and extends the life of the battery.
Also,
consider purchasing lead-acid deep-cycle (DC) batteries (also called solar batteries).
Solar batteries provide energy storage for solar, wind and other renewable
energy systems. Different from a car battery, a deep cycle battery is capable
of surviving prolonged, repeated and deep discharges which are typical in
renewable energy systems that are “off grid”. Having multiple DC batteries
hooked up and working together creates a battery bank and allows you to run
more of your household appliances using solar energy. Deep cycle batteries can
be a large expense for a sizeable off grid system, but with proper care and
maintenance, they should last 5-10 years.
Solar
Energy - Harnessing the sun’s magnificent power has become quite the craze
lately. And why wouldn’t it be? In some states, having photovoltaic panels can
make you eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit!
A
solar power system has three components: Solar panel(s) + Charge controller +
Batteries. As the sun’s rays hit the solar cells on a photovoltaic (PV) panel,
the power is transferred to a silicon semiconductor. The power is then changed
into (DC) direct current electricity and passed through connecting wires to
enter a storage battery.
Solar
Panels come in all sizes ranging from enormous to small enough to fit on the
hood of your car for charging small devices.
If you are considering purchasing some supplies for a solar power,
consider starting out with a basic set and then add additional items to the
existing set up. To learn more about the equipment required to create a solar
paneling system, click here.
Solar
Generators have many advantages. A few being, they don’t produce dangerous
fumes, they run quietly, they are energy efficient and no fuel is required to
run them. The best part is these generators can last 25 years or longer!
Although the initial expense can be high, there is no additional cost to run
the generator, so it’s a great investment. And for that matter, who says that a
solar generator can only be used during disasters? Running your solar generator
regularly will keep your electricity bills down.
Mobile
Solar Power Systems would be ideal for bug out bags. Keep in mind that these
systems can easily be stolen, hence the word portable solar power systems. They
should be placed in a secure, well guarded area.
Solar
Battery Chargers use trickle charging, and can be somewhat time consuming. To
expedite the process, many preppers buy two or three chargers to use
simultaneously. However, there are solar chargers that can be connected to a
photovoltaic panel and can make a huge difference in recharging batteries and
providing power to small scale appliances. Those that live in humid or rainy
environments may want to consider a charger that is weather resistant. Lastly,
ensure your solar battery charger can charge a variety of battery sizes and has
smart capability.
To
learn more about the equipment required to create a solar paneling system,
click here.
Inverters
- An inverter is an electronic device that converts DC power into AC power.
Ensure that you find a inverter that can handle your initial needs and anticipated
needs. You can get the wattage by looking at the manufactures label on the
appliance or if only the amps are there use the formula (amps x 115 volts=
wattage) to convert to watts. To learn more about inverters, click here.
To
see a video on how all of these items working in conjunction with one another,
click here.
Natural
Power Sources - The power from wind and water has been used for centuries and
can easily be adopted to fit most self reliant lifestyles.
Wind
energy can be harnessed by mounting wind turbines in high locations such as a
rooftop. (Having a professional mount the turbine would be beneficial.) Many
preppers do not recommend wind turbines because of their high maintenance and
the risks associated with tower climbing. However, if you happen to live in an
area that is very windy with lots of cloud coverage it could be a suitable
option. To learn more about recommended wind turbines, click here.
Water
energy has a lot of power - anyone who has seen Niagara Falls knows what I’m
talking about! Steep parcels of land with large creeks running through them can
be ideal spots for water turbines. A water turbine or hydro generator has the
capacity to produce 10 amperes around the clock and matches the usable power
generated by over 40 amps of solar modules. The power system itself is the same
as solar, except that only diversion type charge controls can be used with
hydro. Click here for more information.
There
are many reasons to invest in alternate power sources. If the subject of peak
oil isn’t enough, consider the fragility of the grid. As it stands, our country
cannot exist without the electrical grid, and sometime in the not-so-distant
future our lives could change drastically by a single event or disaster. While
there is no way to predict when or if this will happen, we would be wise to
prepare for the possibility.
Portions
of this article were adapted from How to Survive the End of the World As We Know
It by James W. Rawles
Preps
to Buy:
Rechargeable
batteries in assorted sizes – in quantity
DC
Batteries – in quantity
Solar
Battery Chargers
Solar
Photovoltaic Panel (5 watts or more)
Generator
(Solar powered, diesel ran generators are preferable. Also, keep in mind that a
typical size for a home backup generator is 4,500 watts continuous and 5,500
watts peak.)
Inverter
Seasoned
Firewood
Extra
parts for any alternative energy equipment and generators
Extra
fuel sources you regularly use (propane, gasoline, diesel, etc.)
Fuel
stabilizers if using gasoline (such as Sta-bil), or diesel fuel supplements to
prevent gelling and a diesel antibacterial additive to prevent both growth and
gelling.
Action
Items:
Make
a spreadsheet of the total wattage the household uses.
Purchase
your alternative power supply devices and keep in mind if they are compatible
to your needs.
Purchase
spare parts for your equipment.
Ensure
that your equipment is kept in a secure location and is unable to be stolen if
in use. Hardened bolt-cutter-resistant security chains and a padlock can do
wonders!
When
using any alternative power supply, monitor your supply to ensure that the
power is not about to run out.
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