Posted on 05/28/2009 1:30:17 PM PDT by wagglebee
A San Diego pastor says county officials have told him he needs a permit to host a weekly Bible study in his home.
Pastor David Jones and his wife, Mary, were hosting the weekly study near their church, when they say they were visited by a county code enforcement officer. According to Dean Broyles, an attorney for the Joneses, the county official asked the pastor if they hosted a regular weekly meeting in their home, and if they prayed and said "Amen" and "Praise the Lord" at those meetings.
After replying in the affirmative to those inquiries, a subsequent citation notified the couple they were in violation of county regulations, should stop "religious assembly," and needed to apply for a "major use" permit to continue the gatherings -- a process that could cost several thousands dollars.
Jones, his wife, and their attorney, Dean Broyles, were interviewed on the Fox News Channel. Broyles says the couple's rights have been violated.
"The government may not prohibit the free exercise of religion," says the attorney. "And I believe that our Founding Fathers would roll over in their graves if they saw that here in the year 2009 that a pastor and his wife are being told that they can't have a simple Bible study in their own home."
The American Family Association has launched an online petition drive related to the incident, asking the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to immediately stop interfering with the rights of individuals to hold Bible studies in their homes.
Jones and his wife say they will continue to challenge the county's policy. About 15 people attend the weekly meetings.
The leo and county officials who failed to enforce the constitution should be fired..
SPAR:
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Press
Freedom of Assembly
Freedom of Religion
Freedom from govt dictated religion...
At least she stood up, for God and his witnesses.
I cannot believe those questions were asked. I just can’t believe it.
These are people who are voluntarily studying the bible—it’s a visit, a get together. In the social sense it’s no different than book clubs, garden club, knitting clubs—no fees, no dues, just God fearing, God loving people supplementing their knowledge on their own time. Exchanging thoughts and ideas with each other to grow and learn. It’s no different than tutoring students...
The difference in this case is persecution...for the Gall to study the bible in the privacy of a private home.
djblogista is a noob (joined 29 May 09) - very suspicious! Take everything they say with a grain of salt. They’re just stirring the pot.
You are assuming that the amount of traffic and parking is enough to warrant a study.
I am assuming, based on a number of similar cases across the country in recent years, that there is not enough traffic etc. to justify a study, and that the officer targeted the family because of the religous nature of the meetings.
In a week or two we’ll see whose assumption is correct.
so, call it a kniting and quilting bee.
Oh yes, I noticed, I just don’t stir that easily.
States have the authority to pass laws requiring, e.g., that pornography only be sold to persons over 18. Such laws do somewhat restrict the freedom of the press for pornographers, but because they serve a compelling state interest, they are allowed as an exception to the normal press protections because the First Amendment is not an absolute prohibition against any and all state laws restricting freedom of the press. Unfortunately, the exact scope of the Fourteenth Amendment's freedom-of-the-press guarantees is rather vague. They're not absolute but should be substantial. Of course, when McCain, Feingold, et al. decide to ignore even the "CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW" language which is pretty well absolute, all bets are off.
I didn’t even think to check, thnx!!
It didn’t take a week for the county to back down, it only took a day.
You’re assumption was wrong, mine was right. My assumption that this was really over the fact that this was a religous service is based on the fact that this happens time and again all accross the county, and those incidents that get news exposure get resolved very quickly in favor of the religous household.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.