When it comes to illegal surveillance, it looks like the NSA has some competition. In a story that's making Texans' heads spin, the Houston P.C. police -- the same Council that passed an LGBT ordinance this year -- is subpoenaing sermons, emails, and even text messages from local pastors to see if they're promoting a voter referendum to overturn the measure.
The jaw-dropping move -- one in a long line of Houston's "gotcha" government -- is only fanning the flames of outrage over the city's totalitarian tactics. Even for Houston's radical leadership, this is an affront to the plain language of the First Amendment, which not only gives churches the right to speak freely but the individuals leading them as well! "City council members are supposed to be public servants, not 'Big Brother' overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge,"said Alliance Defending Freedom's Erik Stanley. "In this case, they have embarked upon a witch-hunt, and we are asking the court to put a stop to it."
Yesterday, ADF filed a motion in court to stop the senseless monitoring of churches. "The message is clear," they explain, "oppose the decision of city government, and drown in unwarranted burdensome discovery requests... Not only will the 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."
It's a sad commentary on our times that a nation founded by church leaders is trying to muscle those same religious voices out of the political process. Obviously, there's no limit to how low the Left will stoop, and how many laws it will break, to impose its agenda on unwilling Americans.
The Faith Family Freedom Fund is hitting the road to support key candidates in a special PAC-sponsored Iowa bus tour! After yesterday's kick-off, theStanding for the American FamilyTourwill make several stopsthroughout the week for with Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), Bob Vander Plaats, FFFF's Connie Mackey, Brian Brown, Rick Santorum and others. For more details or to find a stop near you,click here.
