Liberal pastors lobby for 'gay marriage' (sermon notes not subpoenaed)A pro-traditional values organization in Texas suggests that pastors lobbying lawmakers are ignoring their own message about Christian influence over government.
A group of liberal pastors was at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Thursday, lobbying lawmakers to desert voters and legalize same-sex "marriage."
Jonathan Saenz of Texas Values says the group cries out for "equality," which he explains Texas has experienced by supposed equality ordinances.
"Pastors being persecuted, having their sermons subpoenaed," Saenz cites as examples, referring to the controversial decision by Houston's lesbian mayor to subpoena the sermon notes and personal communication of pastors in that city who objected to the city's LGBT-friendly ordinance.
Saenz, Jonathan (Texas Values)Saenz contends that "redefining marriage and sexuality" means men can use women's restrooms – an allowance under Houston's new ordinance – and he says it also means people of faith are required to decide between living out their beliefs in a business or being forced by government to shut their doors.
"What's equal about that?" he asks.
OneNewsNow reported this week that a Washington state florist, who refused to make flowers for a homosexual "wedding," was told by a judge that she is free to have religous beliefs but is not free to follow her beliefs in her business.
When Christians try to influence the legislature, notes the attorney, apparently liberal pastors object to that.
"This group of people, I've seen around the state a lot, and they are the ones crying out for separation of church and state," says Saenz. "But for some reason I guess it's okay for them to use their faith to advocate when it comes to liberal ideology."
“We believe that laws that protect LGBT people strengthen every Texas family, bring together our communities and protect rights in ways that are important to all of us,” the Eric Folkerth, a United Methodist Church pastor, said at the Capitol, The American-Statesman newspaper reported.
A pastor for a Presbyterian church claimed that the church has been "co-opted" and is being used for "political purposes," apparently referring to traditional religous beliefs, the newspaper story also reported.
Saenz says those liberal pastors ignore the fact that 76 percent of Texans voters defined in the state constitution marriage as one man/one woman, and 54,000 Houston voters signed a petition in an attempt to overturn that city's equal rights ordinance.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/2015/02/20/liberal-pastors-lobby-for-gay-marriage-sermon-notes-not-subpoenaed#.VOc8iy5rWk4
