Christian Fined and Sentenced to 60 Days in Jail Over AZ Home Bible Studies

The Blaze ^ | July 6, 2012 | Billy Hallowell

[stylin19a]

all AA home meetings....better get back in the church basements.

[bubbacluck]

Either we’re not getting the whole story or something is horribly wrong in Arizona.

[IAmNotAnAnimal]

Molon Labe

[Ron C.]

This in what was once a very conservative state - how times have changed!

[tflabo]

SHould have occupied overnight tents in the city square and banged on bongos for Jesus for the cause of illegal immigration. Then everything would have been just dandy.

[doc1019]

If it had been a communist study group, there would be no problem.

[the_Watchman]

I was following until: “his family built a structure in their back hard.” This was not a smart thing to do. Sounds like they built a what a reasonable person would call a “church” in a residential neighborhood.

[Lets Roll NOW]

Since when do building codes override the First Amendment.

It is 1776 again people.

[parisa]

So you’re saying if someone builds a barn and decides to hold weekly get-togethers for friends in that structure instead of letting people trample all over his main home, he should be jailed for code violations.

[factoryrat]

The Arizona governor refused to back down from obama. The top cop of the country (obama unfortunately), is now going to seriously crack down on such disobedience. Hate to tell the residents of Arizona this, but obama has a loyal police force and court system scrutinizing your every move now. Abuse of police powers is a handy way of breaking the will of a population, and this fact is not lost on a person such as obama. Police and public servant unions have their benefits, as long as you do what the thugs at the top tell you to do, therefore, you have a willing and compliant army at your disposal.

[Blue Ink]

Since people have the right to live in a house that isn’t next door to a Starbucks operating out of a garage. Or a church.

[SolidRedState]

I was following until: “his family built a structure in their back hard.” This was not a smart thing to do. Sounds like they built a what a reasonable person would call a “church” in a residential neighborhood.

It is a catch 22. They were told they could not have 20 people in their living room. What else but move to a back yard structure. I agree a lot of nuances here but sounds like some of these zoning/construction. building codes are just an excuse to stop freedom of association.

[tflabo]

Dude pays taxes at his business and also on his home property tax. So one pays extortion fees to government and they get to dictate your lifestyle choices too? Tyrants!

[Blue Ink]

Building codes are hardly an “excuse to stop freedom of association.” They’re in place to protect people from waking up one morning to find that the house next door has been turned into a church/temple/mosque.

It happened in my neighborhood. They got away with violating every zoning law on the books — rolled right over the dozens and dozens of neighbors who didn’t want A BUSINESS ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. AS IS THEIR RIGHT.

The authorities were afraid to go up against them because of “freedom of religion.” Well, everybody on the street had their property effectively STOLEN from them. They can’t enjoy it. They can’t get rid of it. What about their rights?

[wjcsux]

If they were holding a GLBT function in their home, everything would have been fine.

[what's up]

A business which is run 24/7 and has innumerable customers vs. a 20 member Bible Study on 4 acres which might be a once a week gathering are two very different things.

I guess it all depends on how often the guy is running the meeting and how big it gets.

[Irenic]

What if it was a once a week Boy Scout meeting?

[WestwardHo]

Go to the Blaze and watch the video. Doing a home Bible study is not the guys problem.
Stretching zoning laws and failing building codes is his problem.

[Lurking Libertarian]

Since when do building codes override the First Amendment

If your block is zoned for single-family residential, would you object to a Moslem building a 30-story Mosque on the lot next door to you?