“A Shot Across The Bow”: City Of Houston Demands Christian Pastors Turn Over Their Sermons

To make sure all those Christians aren’t saying anything against the lifestyle of the city’s first openly lesbian mayor. But Islamic “homosexuals-should-all-be-killed” preachers need not worry. Their “sermons” are protected by the First Amendment …

Hadith, al-Tirmidhi, Sunan 1:152, “[Muhammad said] ‘Whoever is found conducting himself in the manner of the [homosexual] people of Lot, kill the doer and the receiver.'”  

By Todd Starnes, FOX News – “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.'” Read more.

Flashback: The Heart [Attack] Of Texas

• Texas: Non-Muslim Students Made To Wear Muslim Burqas
• Texas: Quiz Given Fifth-Graders Blames U.S. For 9/11 Attacks
• Texas: Muslims Rally For Islam, Boast Of Being ‘Above The Law Of The Land’
• Texas: Curriculum Under Fire For Teaching ‘Allah Is The Almighty God’, Calls Boston Tea Party ‘A Terrorist Organization’

Texas: Second Health Care Worker Tests Positive For Ebola

And, like the first nurse who tested positive, would have also been wearing protective gear …

USA Today – “A second hospital worker who helped care for Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan has tested positive for the disease, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement early Wednesday.

The health-care worker, who was not identified, reported a fever Tuesday and was immediately isolated at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

The statement said a preliminary Ebola test was conducted late Tuesday at a state public health lab in Austin.

A test to confirm the result will be conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Dallas authorities moved quickly to try to contain any spread of the disease from the latest case. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings went to the health worker’s apartment that was being decontaminated early Wednesday, according to Dallas Police Department spokesman Maj. Max Geron.

‘Health officials have interviewed the latest patient to quickly identify any contacts or potential exposures, and those people will be monitored,’ said state health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams in a written statement. ‘The type of monitoring depends on the nature of their interactions and the potential they were exposed to the virus.’

Zach Thompson, director of Dallas Health and Human Services, speaking on CBS-KTVT, said the latest hospital worker who tested positive for the virus was one of the 76 hospital staffers who cared for Duncan and were being monitored by the CDC. None of the original 48 people who had contact with him prior to hospitalization have shown signs of the virus, he said.” Read more.

Texas Ebola Hospital Cafeteria Becomes Ghost Town – “The cafeteria, where employees and patients at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital normally take a meal break, is looking more like a ghost town since the outbreak of Ebola. A cafeteria worker said their business had taken a major hit in the wake of Nina Pham’s becoming symptomatic after treating Thomas Eric Duncan while he was ill at this hospital. Breitbart Texas visited Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on Monday to check out the mood of workers in the hospital. While visiting the various café’s throughout the hospital, there was a severe shortage of customers. A worker in ‘Café Presby’ said their business is down by 25 percent over the past two weeks. ‘I am concerned for our workers,’ the employee said. ‘I hope we don’t have to lay anyone off or cut their hours because of this.'” Read more.

Yesterday: CDC Now Watching 125 People For Ebola Signs – “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now monitoring 125 people for symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus, including 76 who came into contact with Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national who died of the disease last week in a Dallas hospital. CDC Director Tom Frieden told reporters Tuesday that so far, only one nurse who helped care for Duncan has contracted Ebola and no other people have been diagnosed with the disease. Nina Pham, 26, who Frieden did not identify by name, remains in stable condition, he said, while the CDC continues to monitor her boyfriend and her dog. ‘It’s possible we will see other people become ill,’ Frieden said.” Read more.