Pastor To Mayor Parker: ‘There Are Times For Bluffs To Be Called…This Moment Seems Appropriate’
By Brittany Pounders
Clash Daily Guest Contributor
The case of outrageous government intimidation of private citizens, organizations, and local Houston pastors by Mayor Annise Parker is still reverberating in shock through our nation. It is a story that isn’t going away anytime soon, nor should it. Short of having evidence of a crime or conspiracy to a crime the corrupt Mayor Parker and the Houston City Council is having to learn the hard way that they have to deal with the consequences of their actions and the bills that they ram down the throats of their citizens. Throwing a political tantrum and indulging in a massive case of revenge among those whom you disagree with by violating their free speech and freedom of religion will only earn you a backhand from the Constitution.
Liberty minded people all over America have responded in appropriate shock and righteous indignation. And my hope is that this serves to wake The Church. Christians have set on the sidelines too long, apathetically allowing others to pull their weight, while they lazily sit at home and scream at the television during the nightly news. You get the government you deserve and this is the result of a detached, indifferent, disinterest in politics on behalf of Christians.
However, I came across a fantastic letter to Mayor Parker written by the Senior Pastor, Ryan Rush, atKingsland Baptist Church– right outside of Houston- that I felt needed to be shared. I have high hopes that many pastors, just like Pastor Rush who isn’t directly effected by this subpoena because he doesn’t live in Houston, will likewise join hands with those who are under-fire and stand firmly on their principles in defiance of an unjust attack.
October 18, 2014
Dear Mayor Parker,
I do not live in the City of Houston, but serve as the pastor of a wonderful, giving congregation just west of you in Katy. We have a significant number of members who live and work in Houston, so what happens there matters greatly to both our members and me. Even more, the decisions you and your staff have made in the past week have been disturbing for pastors and other leaders throughout our country, and we have taken notice.
To be clear, Christians have no expectations that every elected official will agree with us on all points. To the contrary, God has used leaders who did not follow Him throughout history. However, there is a time in which pastors are called to speak out on abused leadership privileges. In Acts 16, the magistrates of Philippi sought to slither away from some poor leadership decisions with double speak and maneuvering. After Paul was illegally beaten and imprisoned, when the leaders sought to distance themselves, Paul proclaimed boldy, “… Do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.”
There is a time when bluffs should be called – and this moment seems appropriate.
Read more: Liberty Juice
Brittany Pounders is Co-Founder of www.LibertyJuice.com and has been an active proponent for the conservative movement in Fort Bend County and the State of Texas. She was a delegate to the Texas Republican Convention in 2010 and in 2012. More recently, she attended the GOP National Convention and worked with some of the most talented people involved with the Romney/Ryan campaign.
* You can follow Brittany Pounders on Twitter at @LibertyBritt.
