Posted on 03/13/2010 5:21:54 AM PST by stars & stripes forever
The city of Gilbert, Ariz., has ordered a group of seven adults to stop gathering for Bible studies in a private home because such meetings are forbidden by the city's zoning codes. The issue was brought to a head when city officials wrote a letter to a pastor and his wife informing them they had 10 days to quit having the meetings in their private home. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Or keep on doing what you are doing and let the chips fall where they may.
THIS should take down their server!
The “IN HIDING” that you mention is not entirely impossible. The REAL Catholic Church in China is underground as I type.
What you see about the Catholic Church in China in any news stories is approved by the Communists.
Could, indeed, be coming to America.
It always amazes me when Christians act like they weren't warned what discipleship would cost.
This is seven people getting together at a given house once every 4 weeks. On this surface it's outrageous. Below the surface it's government oppression.
LOL. I attend a large church. Recently a small church in our area had some financial and health problems that pretty much would have wiped them out. The elders of my church offered our facilities to them, opened our children's church to them, and told them to take as long as they needed to get back on their feet.
We also gave away a new building we had purchased to another church that was growing extremely fast but could not purchase a building yet. We simply started our own building fund over again.
Is there something about "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" that you don't understand?
So what if it morphs into a church? Just how big do you think a church would have to get before it outgrew someone's house?
Your scenario is ridiculous.
Are you sure you're on the right website?
Absolutely, he’s on the wrong forum.
DU would suit him better.
The reasoning of worrying about a Bible study becoming a church could also apply to homeschoolers.
What if some homeschoolers got together in someone's home for a craft day every couple weeks? Would someone be pitching a fit about it maybe morphing into a school? It would make as much sense as worrying about a Bible study morphing into a church.
If the city feels that it can regulate Bible studies like that for whatever reason, there's nothing stopping them from regulating homeschools either because they aren't zoned as schools.
Ping to post 149, homeschoolers....
FYI.
I think you are on the right track. As Christians we are focusing on the religious nature of the gathering. We are living in an age where the nanny state thinks they have the right to control everything.
In this case it was some govt type who saw a sign and decided it was his business. I think there is a high probability religious discrimination played a role. However, why in the world does some local govt even think they have right to determine who can and can't gather in a citizen's home.
Private property rights are tenuous at best with the nanny state.
“There is a point (a debatable point) at which a bible study could morph into a church. If that area is not zoned for a church,h then a church shouldn’t be allowed. “
Do you propose the same restrictions for any large gathering or only those that involve Christians?
Yes, the supremes would B!tch slap this city for this. Regardless of the left leanings.
Gasp. Is this still FREE REPUBLIC?
I don't know if you've ever been to Utah, but in Utah, the LDS Church builds its churches right smack dab in the middle of new residential tracts. I don't see a problem with Churches being in the middle of residential areas. What is the harm?
Oh, and BTW the way the Government defines a "church" for purposes of the first amendment, the mere mention of God in a building could qualify the building as being a "church".
FWIW, a church is an assembly of like minded believers in some religious doctrine or dogma and I don't want the government deciding whether or not some assembly of believers in a residential area is going to be designated a "church" for the purposes of shutting down the right of these people to assemble together.
A zoning law which violates the first amendment must be narrowly tailored and must be religiously neutral and content neutral. These zoning laws violate the freedom of speech, religion and assembly (and if they pass out church bulletins, then it also violates freedom of the press).
Based on the number of like-minded thinking trolls I’ve encountered here in the last couple months, sometimes I wonder......
Where’s the ACLU?
Here’s proof that bossy, surveillance-oriented government isn’t limited to Washington, D.C. This should appall people of all faiths.
Then there must be absolutly on Muzzies in your neighborhood. They hate Bahá'ís worse than they hate Jews.
It is interesting from a Constitutional standpoint especially for us as Christians. I remember about a year or two ago about the case of the couple who wanted to have regular Friday night swingers parties out of their home. Everything was behind closed doors and while there was initially a parking situation, that was remedied. I think the case turned on whether it was actually a business since there was a "cover charge" supposedly going for the munchies, but was way to much for that. I don't remember the result.
In any case if we throw all that out and suppose they just wanted to peaceably "swing" (or whatever), what do we say the government SHOULD do, if anything? This might be where Libertarians and Christian Conservatives part company. My answer would be to let community standards rule. So, while I would dislike a gay community banning a church, I would put up with it if I could keep a swingers club out of my neighborhood. I would, though, have a different view if commerce was involved.
I remember a similar story years ago. In that story, neighbors had called to complain about all the cars parking in their neighborhood. The police issued a warning to that family to stop having prayer meetings, too, which led to an uproar.
However, would the police order a family to stop having family get-togethers at their home, or to stop inviting friends to have a party? Probably not.
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