The Pulpit police have been activated.

The city of Houston has issued subpoenas ordering a number of pastors to hand over any recent sermons that might have touched on the issue of homosexuality or the city's lesbian mayor Annise Parker.

Or else.

Those failing to comply with this order could be held in contempt of court. Welcome to America in the 21st century folks.

Christina Holcomb of the Alliance Defending Freedom (which filed a motion against the city on behalf of five pastors) reportedly called it "an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of its actions.”

The history here is that as part of the city's new non-discrimination ordinance would allow men to use ladies rooms and ladies to use men's rooms. Y'know because we're all the same and stuff. Sane people who opposed the ordinance gathered signatures in order to procure a referendum on the ballot but the city simply tossed the petition for vague reasons. Hey, it normally takes a judge to completely overturn the will of the people. Gotta' give Houston credit for mainstreaming the process, I guess.

So a lawsuit was filed against the ordinance and now the city's responded with subpoenas against pastors who aren't even part of the lawsuit. But they're pastors so you just know they're evil.

This is some straight up bullying tactics designed to intimidate the Christians into silence.

Here's my suggestions as to how the pastors should respond to the city of Houston. (The ones than can be put in print anyway.)

Tell them, "Sorry, my sermons are on the same hard drive as those missing IRS emails!"

They should cut and paste all of Joel Osteen's sermons and nobody will never ask again!

Just tell them, "If you want to know what is in my sermons, come to Church on Sunday."

Update: The mayor has revoked the subpoenas and grumbled that it was "unfortunate tht it has been construed as some effort to infringe upon religious liberty."