Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Houston Demands That Pastors Turn Over Sermons

At first I thought a post I saw regarding this matter was a joke but it appears to be true.  The city of Houston is demanding that pastors turn over sermons and other communication related to a city legal matter that is called the “bathroom bill.”  I’ve attached a link to this post which provides additional details regarding this story.

Part of me thinks: I wish people at City Hall wanted to go over my sermons. I’d be mildly excited at such a development.

But another part of me thinks about these questions: Does the city government of Houston believe it has the authority to control what a pastor says at the church?  What leads them to believe they have the authority to control what a pastor says at the church? Is this how governments begin to exercise control over churches?

I know this is fairly obvious to point out and there are many potential situations in which this would be much easier said than done, however, I’ll say it, anyhow:  A pastor is called by God and the first priority of the pastor is to be obedient to God. This involves—among other things—lovingly, honestly, responsibly preaching and teaching the truth of God’s word.

If being obedient to God gets the pastor in trouble with the government—and I do not say this with bravado, I say it with deep concern and seriousness—then the pastor must be willing to deal with those consequences.




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