Posted on 07/10/2012 12:12:26 PM PDT by Sleeping Freeper
A Phoenix man who violated city zoning laws by hosting a Bible study in the privacy of his home has started serving a 60-day jail sentence for his crimes.
Michael Salman was found guilty in the City of Phoenix Court of 67 code violations. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail along with three years of probation and a $12,180 fine. A spokesperson for the city attorney confirmed that Salman reported to a county jail Monday afternoon.
Members of Salman’s Bible study group posted video of their teacher as he self-reported to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. It was an emotional scene.
“We believe that people should not be prohibiting other people from having Bible studies in their homes,” Salman said outside the jail. “We believe what they are doing is wrong. It’s private property. It’s our home.”
Salman embraced some of his Bible study members before offering final remarks.
“At the very end, after all is said and done, God will ultimately have glory in this,” he said. “We do this for the glory of the Lord.”
Someone off camera could be heard remarking, “I love you, pastor.”
Salman’s incarceration is the result of a long-running feud between the ordained pastor and the city of Phoenix over weekly Bible studies that Salman and his wife hosted in their home. City officials determined that the weekly gatherings constituted a church – and therefore violated a number of code regulations.
(Excerpt) Read more at radio.foxnews.com ...
Wondering where is the lie in this. Game Room/fellowship hall, same/same. For the most part it is probably used by his family as a game room throughout the week, as it should, being that he owns it.
I see no problem in his wording it as a game room.
Hear, Hear. 4.6 acres should be enough for 2 churches, parking and all. Apparently this guy’s neighbor(s) have friends in City Hall. the constitution is on his side and it’s apparent he won’t back down. I am glad, and his congregants should be outraged.
1) Teaches damnable heresy.
Watch out here!
You are getting MIGHTY close to a certain wellknown fellow who is running for President of the USofA!
“What we do know is that this guy lives in a state that is friendly to Christians and that he’s been charged with violating 67 city code violations.”
I’m not sure how friendly they are in his Phoenix neighborhood, and if you get enough neighbors pissed at you I’m sure they could find 67 violations in your yard too.
And remember, they were after him even before he built his addition.
That is a job for the church to address; not the government.
That said, allowing the government to impose [its will] upon a church is getting mighty close to state approved religion; which has (and is) abused.
2) Is an “ex”(?) gangbanger” who fired multiple shots into an occupied home, barely missing an innocent woman in 1992.
And St Paul was a self-admitted murderer. To say that God cannot use sinful man is to say that God cannot use any man [not Jesus].
3) Was arrested for impersonating a police officer, AFTER his alleged jailhouse “conversion”.
Meh - IMO, The police should be arrested for impersonating gangsters and the mafia.
4) Has flouted local zoning laws and lied about the purpose of the “game room”. (See Proverbs 12:22)
You assume that his family cannot use it as a game room during the rest of the week when the congregants aren't present.
5) Has deceptively characterized this as a battle over having a few people over to his house for Bible studies, when, in fact, this is about him building and running a house of worship, in his back yard, that does not comply with building codes, creating a nuisance to his neighbors and a potential danger to his congregants.
Codes is, in my experience, little more than a government sanctioned mafia racket.
True story: I was working landscaping and we were checking to see what sprinkler heads were in need of replacement, this was in the middle of March, and the Codes guy saw it and had a little chat about how summertime watering was restricted... March.
Another one: Codes came up to the house and demanded clean-up because of junk visible from the street... this in the middle of a commercially zoned section of the city, this residence being there prior the zoning, and having a literal junkyard kitty-corner from the property.
“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” - Romans 13:1-2
Ah, but are all authorities governing authorities? More specifically, are authorities acting contrary to a Constitution instituting/governing them legitimate? In short, should those enforcing "law" which is not itself lawful, even if it may be "presumed constitutional", or "established law" actually a governing authority here in the USA?
this is against the first amendment in 2 ways: freedom of religion and freedom of assembly.
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