Free Republic

Cries of religious persecution rose in the Arizona desert after Phoenix pastor Michael Salman began serving a 60 day jail sentence on July 9 and faces a $12,000 fine after refusing to stop holding a Bible study at his home. But like any news story, it is important to get past the headlines making their way across the media and blogosphere and take a look at the facts. The Bible study, known as the Harvest Christian Fellowship Community Church, is actually held in a building, constructed in 2008, that seats 100 people in what used to be the backyard of...

We’ve told you before about government regulations hampering home Bible studies, but this story is even more pervasive, perplexing and complicated than the others. Michael Salman, who lives in Phoenix, Ariz., has been sentenced to a startling 60 days in jail, given a $12,180 fine and granted three years probation for refusing to stop hosting Bible studies at his home. Why, you ask? He‘s apparently in violation of the city’s building code laws. (Related: Calif. City Changes Zoning Code to Allow Home Bible Study After Couple Was Fined) City officials claim that he’s running an operation that is reminiscent of...

Dr. Greg Dixon Pastor Salman Sets the Record Straight Ever since the Phoenix New Times News broke the story in their June 16th issue of the June 11 raid by the Phoenix Police Department on the Harvest Christian Fellowship Community Church, Pastor Salman and his congregation believe that there has been a continual stream of misconceptions and misrepresentations that needs to be set straight, and they are thankful that Freedom’s Phoenix has allowed them the opportunity to do so. First make no mistake. That was a full blown raid that took place that the Phoenix News reported with these words,...