Home: No place for Bible study

[Jedi Knight]

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=98895

 

[Alive in Christ]

From the link in the OP...

"A San Diego pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a county official and warned they will face escalating fines if they continue to hold Bible studies in their home.

The couple, whose names are being withheld until a demand letter can be filed on their behalf, told their attorney a county government employee knocked on their door on Good Friday, asking a litany of questions about their Tuesday night Bible studies, which are attended by approximately 15 people.

"Do you have a regular weekly meeting in your home? Do you sing? Do you say 'amen'?" the official reportedly asked. "Do you say, 'Praise the Lord'?"

The pastor's wife answered yes.

She says she was then told, however, that she must stop holding "religious assemblies" until she and her husband obtain a Major Use Permit from the county, a permit that often involves traffic and environmental studies, compliance with parking and sidewalk regulations and costs that top tens of thousands of dollars.

And if they fail to pay for the MUP, the county official reportedly warned, the couple will be charged escalating fines beginning at $100, then $200, $500, $1000, "and then it will get ugly."

Unbelieveable...but not surprising.

I dont see how the gestapo in San Diego can get away with that.

I'll bet if this couple were to get a lawyer he or she would be LICKING THEIR CHOPS waiting for these blithering incompetants from the government to even TRY to penalise these people.

 

[Mexdeaf]

They need to contact the CLA- Christian Law Association.

 

[CoJoJax]

"Do you say, 'Praise the Lord'?"

:laugh:

That conversation was probably so awkward .. what kind of questions are those?! Do you say "amen"?!

 

[Revmitchell]

The couple, whose names are being withheld until a demand letter can be filed on their behalf, told their attorney a county government employee knocked on their door on Good Friday, asking a litany of questions about their Tuesday night Bible studies, which are attended by approximately 15 people.

"Do you have a regular weekly meeting in your home? Do you sing? Do you say 'amen'?" the official reportedly asked. "Do you say, 'Praise the Lord'?"

The pastor's wife answered yes.

She says she was then told, however, that she must stop holding "religious assemblies" until she and her husband obtain a Major Use Permit from the county, a permit that often involves traffic and environmental studies, compliance with parking and sidewalk regulations and costs that top tens of thousands of dollars.

And if they fail to pay for the MUP, the county official reportedly warned, the couple will be charged escalating fines beginning at $100, then $200, $500, $1000, "and then it will get ugly."

Yea no persecution there.

 

[Michaelt]

I hope the pastor and his wife went that extra step and invited the official who questioned them to their study!! hehehe

 

[Jedi Knight]

Doesn't this sound like China?

 

[billwald]

No names available except a do-gooder lawyer?

 

[tinytim]

No wonder CA is about to fall off the earth!.. .Idiots...

 

[abcgrad94]

Let's put this shoe on another foot for a minute. My ex-neighbors partied every weekend, with lots of friends, booze, pool playing, music, etc. Would the police be interrogating them and asking if they had a business license to run a bar? I think not.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

A lot depends on the size of the attendance. Most residential areas have HOA rules to protect everyone. If hundreds of cars are parked in the neighborhood, blocking streets, and all the traffic creating a hazard to the safety of neighborhood children, then that is a different story than what WingNut Daily is presenting. Given their track record, I doubt they are telling the entire story.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Let's put this shoe on another foot for a minute. My ex-neighbors partied every weekend, with lots of friends, booze, pool playing, music, etc. Would the police be interrogating them and asking if they had a business license to run a bar? I think not.

Depends on if they are creating a public nuisance or not. What if your neighbors were holding a weekly swingers party in the house next door, with lots of people coming and going. Would you defend their right to do so in the confines of their own home? Or would the extra traffic disturb you? Or would you be upset over what is going on inside?

 

[Revmitchell]

A lot depends on the size of the attendance. Most residential areas have HOA rules to protect everyone. If hundreds of cars are parked in the neighborhood, blocking streets, and all the traffic creating a hazard to the safety of neighborhood children, then that is a different story than what WingNut Daily is presenting. Given their track record, I doubt they are telling the entire story.

When they approached the Home owners they did not say anything about parking on the streets or raise any concerns about it at all. They were concerned about the specific activity going on in the house:

"Do you have a regular weekly meeting in your home? Do you sing? Do you say 'amen'?" the official reportedly asked. "Do you say, 'Praise the Lord'?"

The pastor's wife answered yes.

She says she was then told, however, that she must stop holding "religious assemblies" until she and her husband obtain a Major Use Permit from the county, a permit that often involves traffic and environmental studies, compliance with parking and sidewalk regulations and costs that top tens of thousands of dollars.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Yes Mitch. I read it. Which is why I don't think we have all the facts. WND will do their own spin. I would like to see a corroborating source.

 

[targus]

When they approached the Home owners they did not say anything about parking on the streets or raise any concerns about it at all. They were concerned about the specific activity going on in the house:

"Do you have a regular weekly meeting in your home? Do you sing? Do you say 'amen'?" the official reportedly asked. "Do you say, 'Praise the Lord'?"

The pastor's wife answered yes.

She says she was then told, however, that she must stop holding "religious assemblies" until she and her husband obtain a Major Use Permit from the county, a permit that often involves traffic and environmental studies, compliance with parking and sidewalk regulations and costs that top tens of thousands of dollars.

That they were asked about the activities involved makes sense. Where I live it is not permissable to operate a business from the home.

If there were a number of cars outside on a regular basis or a pattern of traffic coming and going from the house it would make sense for the city to ask what is going on so that it could be determined if I am violating the no business from home rule.

I could be operating a business or I could just have a lot of teenaged drivers in my house.

In the case of the OP it appears that the questions asked where to determine whether the pastor was running his church in the home.

It would be my guess that running a church from the home would fall under the no business from the home in my area.

 

[abcgrad94]

Depends on if they are creating a public nuisance or not. What if your neighbors were holding a weekly swingers party in the house next door, with lots of people coming and going. Would you defend their right to do so in the confines of their own home? Or would the extra traffic disturb you? Or would you be upset over what is going on inside?

I would defend their right to do so, as long as their right wasn't infringing on mine. Now, if they were really noisy (disturbing the peace), blocking driveways, parking in my yard, or driving home drunk afterwards, yes, I would object to that, but not their right to assemble in their own home.

 

[Salty]

When we started Faith Baptist Church (in the home of a member) in Copperas Cove, Texas; I checked with the Town and was told we needed to have one parking space for every four attendees.

Seems reasonable to me.

 

[SeekingTruth]

Yes Mitch. I read it. Which is why I don't think we have all the facts. WND will do their own spin. I would like to see a corroborating source.

Corroborating sources?? You ask for corroborating sources after quoting such well known and objective sites as Prisonplanet.com?

Strange---

 

[donnA]

praying, singing praises to God and saying amen is not running a business from home.

 

[Robert Snow]

I see no problem with the city asking what was going on, but if it is determined that a bible study is what is happening, then there is nothing wrong with this activity.