Banished! City forbids Bible studies in homes.

Worldnet Daily ^ | 3/13/10 | Bob Unruh

[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. . .

[Sacajaweau]

The Town Attorney should have told the Zoning Board that this item is not enforceable and should be taken off the books.

Zoning is "health, safety and welfare". The religious item has nothing to do with zoning.

[Oratam]

Call yerselves a book club and see if they catch on.

[bcsco]

ok ... on the surface this seems outrageous... However.. would you REALLY want your neighbor running a church or anything else very regular out of his house filling up the street with cars ect?

Absolutely! And that was a REALLY dumb question. And, BTW, it's "etc" for Et cetera.

[COBOL2Java]

Pastor Joe Sutherland had been told in a letter from code compliance officer Steve Wallace that the people were not allowed to meet in a home for church activities under the city's Land Development Code.

In case you'd like to offer your feedback to Mr. Wallace:

Steve Wallace
Inspector II
Code Compliance
90 E Civic Center Dr
Gilbert, AZ 85296
(480) 503-6725
steve.wallace@gilbertaz.gov

[RepRivFarm]

It doesn’t have to hold up in court. The punishment is in the form of legal fees the Pastor and his wife will have to pay to fight this. Most elected city officials are protected from out-of-pocket expenses in a legal fight like this because the city will pay their legal fees while they are attempting to uphold city laws.

It’s not right, but that’s the way it is.

[elpadre]

Is the government aware that the same was true in Soviet Russia, Communist China, the old East Germany, Cuba and some other dictatorial countries??

[all the best]

Freedom can be so inconvenient and messy. Really yucky.

[jwparkerjr]

Reminds me of the story about the elementary school teacher who hears suspicious sounds coming from the boys’ bathroom and goes in to investigate. She finds several little boys all down own one knee in a circle. In a loud voice she demands “And just what’ going on here????” There’s a lot of hemming and hawing and finally one of the kids sheepishly admits their shooting craps. The teacher seems quite relieved and says “Oh OK, just so long as you aren’t praying!”

[stephenjohnbanker]

I go to a bible study every weds night at a friends house. They only last 1 1/2 hours. I would sue the city for harrasment.

[bearsgirl90]

Since drinking parties and poker games that attract the same size of group are allowed, just keep some beer bottles and decks of cards around the house for the members to grab as props if the police come a knocking to enforce this.

LOL! That's hilarious! :-)

[alnick]

three-person church leadership meetings

Groups as small as 3 are forbidden to meet? There goes the nuisance argument.

[Gay State Conservative]

That would get shot down so fast in the courts....

[sodpoodle]

You have to believe - had this been a weekly *gay celebration orgy* the ACLU would be all over it.

[RebelTXRose]

Please don’t go there! Private property ownership is sacred! If they aren’t disturbing the peace (parking on street is annoying, but NOT illegal), any gathering on private property is no one else’s business!

[yoe]

"A city letter confirmed, "Given that the church is considered to be religious assembly, and given the LDC provisions prohibiting that use on Local streets without Use Permits and prohibiting it in single family residential structures, it follows that the church meetings cannot be held in the home."

"The assembly activities associated with the church, including Bible studies, church leadership meetings and church fellowship activities are not permitted," wrote Mike Milillo, the city's senior planner.

"This ban is defended based upon traffic, parking, and building safety concerns. However, nothing in its zoning code prevents weekly Cub Scouts meetings, Monday Night Football parties with numerous attendees or large business parties from being held on a regular basis in private homes," the ADF said.

It is not a 'law' that can be obeyed...it is a nuisance and totally unconstitutional.

[sueuprising]

The article states that there has been NO complaints from neighbors about the meeting, so I don’t think running a church from a house is an issue in this town, at least among community members. It sounds to me like it might be an ordinance that another denomination, maybe a mainline Church, might have suggested to lessen the competition,so to speak. Sometimes, these small, non denominational church gatherings draw people away from larger, mainstream denominations. I hope I am just whistling in the wind, but you never know. Hard to think how the law came into being otherwise.

[mountainlion]

Lots of neighborhoods are filled with cars because illegals congregate in 10 or more to a house. Are you saying it is illegal for illegals to park? The true separation of church and state should work here and kick the government out of personal matters.

[beebuster2000]

BS meter pinging

[Ditter]

We were part of a group of about 20 people who started a Presbyterian church. We met in a neighbors garage while gaining sufficent numbers to build a church, We were sued by a neighbor and had to stop meeting there.