City of Houston Wants to Bulldoze One Black Church, Condemn Another

In a repulsive demonstration of hostility towards Christians, the City of Houston wants to bulldoze one church and condemn the property of another so they can build affordable housing and a public library.

Attorneys representing the Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church and the Latter Day Deliverance Revival Center were in court Tuesday asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order preventing the city from taking their property.

The Houston Housing Authority has already implemented imminent domain proceedings to take control of an entire city block in what was once called the Lone Star State’s “toughest, proudest, baddest ghetto.”

“The government cannot take a church’s property and give it to some other business in violation of the law,” said Hiram Sasser, the deputy chief counsel for Liberty Institute. “These churches, their congregations, and this neighborhood are not for sale.”

Tory Gunsolley, the president of the Houston Housing Authority told me he could not comment specifically on the merits of the case.

“I respect their right to their day in court,” he said.

Gunsolley said the church buildings basically stand in the way of their plans for developing the community.

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[Editor's note: Annise Parker, the openly lesbian mayor of Houston recently created a national furor by allowing subpoenas to be issued by the city for the sermons of several area Christian pastors, and is now being sued for it. ]