Michael Salman · Western Theological Seminary
“I would like everyone to notice the statement of the Assistant Chief Prosecutor for the City. As long as we were using the building as a Gameroom we are O.K. It is when we start using it to host worship with our friends it is wrong. I would like everyone else to notice that the building was built in 2009 and we were told by the city in 2007 that even a Bible Study in a living room is a “Church”. To the city any religious gathering like a Passover Supper, Bible Study or any other religious gathering on a property makes the property a “Church.” I dare someone to ask Mrs. Hill what is the definition of a “Church”? We never hid the fact that we worship at my home and that we do what every other Christian does on Sunday and the inside of the building even looks like Christians gather in it. The fact is the City has no right to prohibit what my wife and I who gather privately with my family and friends unless they can show that our guest have caused a neighborhood nuisance, by traffic, parking or noise. They had no right since 2007 to tell me to stop having bible studies in my home and they had no right by the Fire Department to break up our Passover Supper with my family and friends. Please share!”
Next thing known Christians can’t gather at a private home to celebrate Christmas.
Remember ther catacombs!
He's right, the city has NO right to tell a private home owner what he can or cannot do in his own home. If he held a "family reunion" there and 100 people attended, could the city forbid that? We used to have a Bible study in my 700 sqf. apartment every Thursday and we had 35-75 people there regularly. We sat on the floor and otherwise took up every inch of the living room, but it was not as if people couldn't escape if they needed to. No neighbors complained about it because it was not rambunctious or noisy. This was in the late 70s to early 80s.
The first Christians had to meet secretly in homes, catacombs (underground burial sites) and wherever they could because of the state persecution. If we do nothing to stop it, the state will once again outlaw such assemblies. What's telling about all this is that if the guy had a Sunday and/or Monday football party every week with as many people attending, they wouldn't do anything about it! No one would try to unsafely stuff people in like sardines - they wouldn't come or stay if he did - but it sure looks like the city cares more about what is being done in his home than the number of people that come out.