Posted on 05/11/2006 5:00:51 AM PDT by keats5
A county in Virginia has cited a farmer there because he hosts Thursday night worship services in his barn on a 900-acre farm.
According to a statement from Liberty Counsel, which is representing the man, Garland Simmons recently received a Notice of Violation from Bedford County stating that his barn cannot be used for religious services. Simmons' 900-acre piece of property apparently isn't zoned for such meetings.
"Barns in Bedford County can apparently be used for dancing to the tunes of Toby Keith or Reba, but a church service reciting the Psalms of David or praise and worship with Casting Crowns are not allowed," said Liberty Counsel's Mathew Staver. "Bedford County is wrong to prohibit religious services in a barn in the middle of a field. Bedford County should immediately reverse its decision, because it is treading on unconstitutional ground."
The religious-liberties law group has sent a demand letter to county officials on behalf of Raymond Bell, the pastor of the Cowboy Church of Virginia, the organization that has been using the barn for several months. The letter asserts that Bedford County is violating the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and the First Amendment. It requests the county immediately rescind the Notice of Violation or face a possible federal lawsuit.
According to its website, the Cowboy Church's motto is: "Where everybody is somebody and Jesus Christ is Lord."
For God's Sake!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't a guy free in his own barn anymore?!!!!!!!!! This infuriates me so much!! The devil never sleeps.
Tyranny.
They're doing a Riverdance on it!........
IMO, our government is on the verge of doing more damage to this country than any other enemy.
They bureacrats fear the property becoming religious and then their developer buddies will nto be able to force the land owner to turn over the land.
I could understand if it were California or New York, but Virginia?
Zoning laws are another way to gain total government control. Freedom of religion, eh?
Time to call the Rutherford Institute and have a dozen lawyers explain the 1st Ammendment to the county the hard (expensive and embarassing) way.
thanks for the heads up
Isn't a guy free in his own barn anymore
Apparantly not.
I practice zoning and planning law (among other things) in North Carolina, and this is an interesting case. In the county where I practice, churches are allowed in any zoning district. This is the case precisely because of the First Amendment. There was also a fairly recent federal statute passed on the matter, which was intended to deal with efforts to shut down churches operating in defunct shopping centers.
I feel a slap down is a-comin' in Virginia.
Ahh, big guv strikes again.
I thought they were all on the same larger team. I am not aware of a real difference.
;)
I imagine there's more to this story than we're getting. My church put up a new building. We had to meet all kinds of codes. Most were to ensure the safety of worshipers. Building codes can be a good thing...
Well he needs to make it Episcopalian(sp)denomination and call it BROKEBACK CHurch
Curiously, that is exactly what I exclaimed when I was arrested for "Felony Unnatural Sexual Acts with a Domestic Animal".
The spirit of the Roman Emperors has never died. In those days the troops raided homes where Christians were gathered.
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