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Open Letter To District Attorney and Local
Pastors in El Paso
District Attorney, Jaime Esparza, Tries to
Intimidate the Church
by Tom Brown
  When I
was in Malta preaching the Gospel, my wife, Sonia, told me the shocking
news: The District Attorney
was investigating me, and looking for a way to indict me and throw me
into prison. I think Mayor Cook wanted the DA to intimidate the churches so
they
would back off from
the recall. I was shocked that this was happening to me. Was I living in
the United States that affords me constitutional rights, or was I living in
China?
Anyone, no matter which side of the
political fence they are on, has to be horrified to think that the
government would use its power to try to imprison political opponents. But
it is happening here in El Paso, Texas. It is time for the Church to arise
and stand for our constitutional rights. It is time to say "no" to bullies
like Mayor Cook and District Attorney, Jaime Esparza.
Pastors need to stand along side their
fellow worker in the Kingdom. Right now, the DA is going after me, but who
is next? When will it stop?
We need to let Jaime Esparza know that if
he attacks ONE he attacks us ALL.
Here's the facts: Jaime Esparza received a
referral from the Attorney General about a complaint they received. At
first, Jaime Esparza gave the impression that the Attorney General wanted
him to investigate me. He let the citizens and the press erroneously think
that he was doing what the Attorney General asked him to do.
But on
further investigation, the Attorney General never ordered or even asked
him to investigate me. Their referral was an ordinary referral brought to
them by a
gay affirming organization, accusing me of breaking the election code.
The group, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, has been
after me for a long time. They complained to the IRS about me; nothing
happened. So now they are using the District Attorney to do their dirty
work. Everyone should have the right to propagate their religious views on
gay marriage, but it's not right to use the strong arm of the law to
intimidate opponents, which is what the group, with the help of the DA, is
doing. In my view this amounts to an abuse of power of the DA to investigate
me.
I am asking the DA to do the right thing:
End the investigation in my life and ministry. Mr. Esparza, quit using your office
to intimidate people of conservative religious views. I know you must do
your duty to investigate possible crimes, but you were not elected by the
people to conduct witch-hunts, and to scare church goers. I can tell you the
way most ministers feel: an attack against one minister is an attack
against us all. We ministers will not stand for this and will work in
any legal way to make sure religious liberties are protected.
To pastors, priests and rabbis we are looking to do a
Summit for
Religious Freedom here in El Paso early next year before the election.
It is clear, we must organize better if we are to successfully protect our
liberties. Click here if you are interested in attending this Summit. This summit will be open to
lay people as well.
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