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I am a Christian.

I believe Jesus was sent by God to die on the cross to take the punishment for my sins (and everyone else's).  I believe the only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ who is my Lord and Savior.  I have ZERO doubt that the Bible is TOTAL truth and I try very hard to live each day according to what it teaches and to truly be a disciple of Jesus and not just a fan.  I will defend my beliefs and my Bible and my God and if anyone were to discriminate against me simply because of my faith as a Christian you betcha I'd be all up in arms over it.  I will also be upset over anyone else who shares my faith being unjustly persecuted when standing up for it.  I will defend that right for myself and those who share my beliefs but will also do the same for those who believe differently than I do even when I might disagree with them. Christians aren't the only people who feel/are being persecuted here and across the globe and we aren't the only people who have the right to stand for what we believe.

Houston, we have a problem.

I could not comprehend how the city of Houston could and would openly target Christians simply because of their faith based opposition to an ordinance they do not support as news media began reporting.  Frankly, it was SO shocking to me that I said, "ya know, when it's THAT shocking, there is always more to it so go check this out."  And check this out I did.

I read articles and viewed newscasts from multiple sources - local to the story along with national news outlets.  Conservative and Liberal and middle of the road sources alike and just like many other stories, the reports varied and facts from one side were missing from another and vice versa. I took my research even further by actually speaking to a human being in that city about this issue and what the heck was happening.  After taking the time to look at this from every angle I could find and based on all that information, I have come to believe that despite the headlines and political posturing we are seeing on the news, my Christian brothers and sisters in Houston are not being persecuted for their faith based opposition to an ordinance they do not believe in.

I am guessing many of my Christian friends are shocked at my last sentence and while my explanation might not change your perspective (which isn't my intent for writing today - I'm simply getting something off my chest by sharing my personal view) I do hope what I'm about to write can help folks at least understand why I disagree with them on this issue.

When HERO (Houston Equal Rights Ordinance) was passed, many in the Christian community were very upset about this as it granted equal rights to members of the LGBT community.

Many in the Christian community took action and worked to gather enough signatures on a petition in order to put HERO on a ballot so the people could vote hoping for its repeal.  When submitted, this petition was ultimately rejected.

After the petition was rejected, members of the Christian community filed a lawsuit against the city  claiming the petition met all the requirements under the law and should not have been rejected.

After the lawsuit was filed, attorneys representing the city/mayor (defendants in this lawsuit) issued subpoenas asking for a lot of stuff from the plaintiffs including (and not limited to) sermons and internal communications re: HERO, the mayor, and homosexuality.  The mayor herself did not issue these subpoenas so anything contrary to that isn't entirely accurate.

The public and ultimately national outrage over what these subpoenas were asking for did not go ignored by the mayor (and yes, she's openly gay but frankly, she could be purple with bright green spots and it still really doesn't matter) and she had the subpoena wording/request amended. Then, after meeting with several Christian leaders a week or so later, the mayor had them rescinded (or whatever the appropriate term for taking subpoenas back is).

The first hearing associated with this lawsuit I think is to take place sometime in January.

Much of the reporting on this story does not mention the questionable way signatures on this petition were obtained as methods may have violated the rules under the tax exempt status of religious organizations as it pertains to political matters.  While some reports do mention the fact that the actual signatures and their authenticity has been called into question, many reports have left this out.

Much of the reporting has left out the subpoenas issued were a LEGAL form of discovery.  The documents being requested were directly relevant to the issue of the validity of the rejected petition and how it was promoted in the community and subpoenas were only issued in response to the lawsuit filed by those representing the Christian community.  By exercising their legal rights to bring forth the suit, the plaintiffs opened the door to discovery.  The city does not appear to be persecuting Christian beliefs or the right to them.  The objections are centered around the methods used by the church(es) to exercise those rights.

What if the churches/leaders who actively sought signatures and submitted the petition DID break the law in some way?  After all, every single church is full of imperfect people so it is not impossible that perhaps they did something less than legal - be it intentional or unintentional.  IF the law was broken and now the city is being sued by those who've allegedly violated the law, why shouldn't the defendants have asked for the documentation directly related to their case? Where is the Christian persecution in legally asking for pertinent documents from the Christians who have filed a lawsuit against you?

Christian or not, gay or straight, purple or green, anyone looking to form an opinion on an issue should do so based on the complete facts and leave emotion (as best we can) out of the equation.  You may believe that HERO is an awful, gross thing and stand in support of the desire to want it repealed but please, don't let those feelings be the blinders to ALL of the facts.  Don't let blinders stop you from digging deeper so your opinions are based on just facts and not a couple facts with a few half-truths all rolled into strong emotions topped off with a sensational headline.

When the court case is heard, if the facts prove the plaintiff's position in this case and brothers and sisters in Christ have in fact been persecuted simply because they stand up for Christian principles and followed the letter of the law then I will certainly stand with them. Remember: the very freedoms we have that protect our religious rights as Christians also exist to those who don't have the same beliefs we do and that is why I will stand with them; NOT because it would be a "win" over the LGBT community. 

Christians certainly are being persecuted for our faith both in this country and all over the world.  The Christian community should stand up for our faith and against any form of persecution.  I just don't see that happening in this case and until facts (not opinions) say otherwise, my personal opinion will remain what it is.

WHEW!  Felt good to get that off my chest.  :)

(I certainly welcome comments and if you don't agree with my perspective or think I'm a nut job even, I still welcome your thoughts.  Comments submitted are pending approval by me before they show up so if you're going to rant, show hatred towards Christians or members of the LGBT community or be anything but respectful with your words towards me or anyone else who comments, save yourself the time as I will not publish anything hateful.)