‘All people of faith have been granted the right to worship and pray with like-minded people’
A legal fight has been triggered in New Hampshire because of a town’s demand that a group of people meeting for religious services must undergo an extensive – and expensive – permitting process that is not being required for those groups that are secular.
A report from First Liberty Institute explains that a request has been filed for a preliminary injunction against officials in the town of Weare, accusing them of violating the law by requiring an “expensive and onerous site review plan” for the church to meet in the pastor’s home.
“Hundreds of thousands of Americans meet every day in homes for prayer meetings, Bible studies, book clubs, card games, and other gatherings. Why would Weare city officials demand this small church stop meeting in the pastor’s home, but ignore Super Bowl parties and political gatherings?” asked Jeremy Dys, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute. “Since the day the First Amendment became law all people of faith have been granted the right to worship and pray in their home with like-minded people.”
Sean Royall, of King & Spalding which is helping with the case, charged, “In the United States, the tradition of using individual homes for religious gatherings—even formal church services—has garnered special solicitude under the law. The suit is about protecting that legal right for all faiths.”
The legal team members reported, “Pastor Howard Kaloogian founded Grace New England Church in his home as a church plant. He welcomes people in his home and occasionally holds social gatherings for invited guests.”
Then, a few months ago city officials sent him a “Cease and Desist” order, demanding that he “immediately stop any assembly regarding Grace New England Church. This Cease and Desist will remain in effect until a site plan is submitted, reviewed and there is a decision made by the Town Planning Board.”
The city issued other threats, to, regarding penalties and such.
The complaint states that “the First Amendment’s guarantee to ‘free exercise’ is inviolate in one’s home and cannot be dismissed at the request of a town’s zoning officer. The demand to ‘Cease and Desist…any assembly regarding Grace New England Church’ directly implicates the First Amendment’s ‘right of the people peaceably to assemble.’”
The town officials, in fact, are ignoring that “federal and state law protect the church’s religious activities,” the filing charges.
“The town has drawn a distinction between religious and non-religious assemblies without good reason,” the church charged. “The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and the First Amendment do not tolerate such distinctions.” CONT...
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a few months ago city officials sent him a “Cease and Desist” order, demanding that he “immediately stop any assembly regarding Grace New England Church.
Grace New England Church needs to send a Cease and Desist order, to city officials.
...and now New Hampshire.
Anti-semitism is growing and along with it its younger sibling, anti Christian. It reared its head during CoViD even here in Florida: people sat in their cars in the church parking lot to listen on their car radios -- the police arrested them all❗
We Christians must fight for our rights in the courts but also remember our real fight is on our knees. 🛐❤
What is missing from the article is what triggered this cease and desist order by the Town Planning Board?
Did neighbors complain about all the cars clogging up their street?
Was the singing to loud?
What caused this?
Or is it just that the zoning commissioner and Town Planning Board are all atheists?