Ted Cruz Sees a World Where Conservative Pastors Are Jailed

Ted Cruz, speaking at a Houston church last week

In Houston, it is illegal to discriminate against any person based on sexual orientation. (Yeah, I know, that surprised me too.)  Far-right, social conservatives are attempting to repeal the anti-discrimination law.

In a textbook example of over-stepping, lawyers defending the ordinance subpoenaed sermons from local pastors in an attempt to ascertain if they were preaching against the law. The city criticized the move which is a clear violation of the First Amendment.

Ted Cruz appeared on The Brody File with host David Brody, a political reporter for Pat Robertson's cable network, and cited the already condemned subpoenas, saying  that conservative pastors are in "real risk" of being jailed for speaking out against homosexuality.

"Some in the media ridicule that threat saying there is no danger of the government coming after pastors.  That is the usual response.  The specter of government trying to determine if what pastors preach from the pulpit meets the policy views or political correctness of the governing authorities, that prospect is real and happening now."

Asked if he meant we could "soon go through a period where pastors are hauled off to jail for a hate crime because they are speaking for traditional marriage?"  Mr. Cruz replied, "I think that is a real risk."

what eye thynk:  The misstep by Houston's city lawyers, (and it is a huge misstep), is seen as a rallying cry for the religious right, and politicians like Ted Cruz are only too happy to feed their anti-gay frenzy, calling it proof that supporters of LGBT rights will do anything to silence conservative Christians.

MSNBC writer, Steve Benen, called any scenario where conservative pastors are hauled off to jail "dystopian," a position that "might appeal to Pat Robertson's viewers, but it's certainly not 'happening now,' and under the American system, it never will."

I do not agree in any way with Houston laywers' decision to subpoena church sermons--the First Amendment doesn't stop at the chancel--but the response by Ted Cruz and the Pat Robertson school of Christianity is ridiculous, and not just for its fantasy elements.  

Claiming you are being discriminated against while preaching discrimination is just plain wrong--no matter in which reality you live.