Prolife Christians Appeal Conviction Under Tyrannical City Ordinance

Prolife Christians Appeal Conviction Under Tyrannical City Ordinance

Today, October 27, 2004, three local pastors and 15 saints stood in solidarity before the County Court of Law in Waco, TX. Their presence at the court came as a result of appealing a lower city court's decision that found them guilty of violating a tyrannical city ordinance. To those not familiar with this legal battle, the following is an article Rusty Thomas wrote to explain the previous court trial and what's at stake.

What Kind of City Would Allow This?

by Rusty Thomas

Regrettably, for years now, there has been an unholy alliance between Planned Parenthood and our city government in Waco, TX. Under the color of law, our city government has become a willing dupe of the abortion industry to destroy the substance of our liberty. Time and again, our Constitutional rights and our Christian duty to rescue those unjustly sentenced to death have been infringed by this deceitful duo.

Case in point is our being here at the court today. Three local pastors and fifteen pro-life Christians are on trial for violating a newly concocted tyrannical city ordinance. With a stroke of our city council's pen that which was legal yesterday is now made illegal today. Peaceful, law abiding Christians who hold church services on the public sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood are now made criminals. They are accused of being defiant against the rule of law.

Though there is defiance against the rule of law in Waco, the real question is, who are the ones defying it? As Christians and free men, we declare that one needs to look no further than the city government of Waco and Planned Parenthood to discover the guilty parties. It is they that stand in defiance of the law. In the name of protecting children at school zones, they allow Planned Parenthood to murder children within a school zone.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave this apologetic on law, "...There are two types of law, just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One not only has a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that, ‘an unjust law is no law at all.' Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law Is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, ‘an unjust law Is a human law that Is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.'”

It is our city government that stands in violation of the Constitution of the United States , the supreme law of the land. They seek to deny our Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Peaceably Assemble, and the Redress of Grievance that concerns the murder of the innocent at Planned Parenthood. They refuse to uphold the right to life that is promised to every American according to our Declaration of Independence. Their betrayal of this sacred trust allows Planned Parenthood's reign of terror against the little ones in the womb of their mothers to flourish in the city of Waco . Thus, instead of protecting our first and most fundamental right as Americans, they have decided to further their violations by crushing underfoot our other rights already stated. This is the sad state of affairs when our city government decides to defend the indefensible, Planned Parenthood and their atrocities.

Planned Parenthood, on the other hand, violates the supreme law of the universe, "Thou Shalt Not Murder." So, who really is in defiance against the law? For every freedom loving American, the evidence points in one direction and indicts two parties, our city government who passed this tyrannical ordinance and Planned Parenthood this ordinance seeks to protect. They are the law breakers. We, on the other hand, are the law keepers. God and history will bear this truth out in Jesus' Holy Name!

Though our group was previously found guilty and the ordinance found constitutional, we are confident we will win this case on appeal. The transcript reveals the incompetence of the city lawyer to defend the ordinance as well as the failure of several police officers to agree on one single point of language that concerns this so-called law. It was a city judge who acted in the best interest of the city, instead of the best interest of justice that found righteous Christians guilty. Prayerfully, this next trial will remedy that.

As our brave brethren stood before the court today, it was evident that our Lord was with them. There were hints given of God's favor. Though I cannot reveal all of them, there was one incident that really blessed the folks. As Liz, my wife, received her form for the next trial date, she went to one of the staff of the court to check out. A man that worked for the judge became curious about the 18 people standing before the court. The group consisted of white, black, Hispanic, male and female, young and old, and all looked like fine up-standing citizens. So, he asked Liz, "why were you all arrested?" Liz handed him the form and as he read it he stated, "If there was anything in the world, I would be arrested for, this would be it!" He then declared, "God bless each and every one of you."

After the appearance, we all met out in the hall. I had an opportunity to talk with channel 25. Gratefully, the media is continuing to shine the light on this case. Pastor Ronnie Holmes then addressed the group concerning the future trial. Everyone was in one accord. I had an opportunity afterward to encourage our brothers and sisters. Though this is just a class c misdemeanor, the outcome of these trials carry huge ramifications. Many might be tempted to view this as a light matter, but I assured them this is a weighty matter. Our stand for righteousness, for justice, for freedom, and for the little ones will not only impact us, but future generations as well. Pastor John Collier closed us in prayer and we left.

The pre-trial hearing will be December 22, 2004 and the actual trial will begin on January 18th, 2005 . I find the timing of the trial very interesting. It is nestled between Martin Luther King's birthday and Roe vs. Wade. Both events highlight the critical nature of the legal and spiritual battle we are facing in Waco . America honors a man who stood against the tyranny and injustice of his day based upon Biblical principles and one week later the 32 year anniversary that celebrates the culture of death commences. This year in Waco a group of Christians will make a similar stand against the injustice of abortion and the tyranny of our city government that is vainly trying to protect it. Please keep all this in your prayers. Pray for our attorneys from the American Family Association as well.

After we by God's grace win this case, we will move forward with two federal lawsuits that will prayerfully break once and for all this unholy alliance between Planned Parenthood and our city government. This stronghold must come down in Jesus' Mighty Name!