Could this be why book study groups in homes were stopped?
by Mickey mouse 15 Replies latest social current
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BabaYaga
Wow, Mickey... I think you may be ONTO something here!
FAITH UNDER FIRE
Home: No place for Bible study
County demands pastor spend thousands on 'Major Use' permit to host friendsPosted: May 22, 2009
5:13 pm EasternBy Drew Zahn
© 2009 WorldNetDailyA 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."
Dean Broyles of the Western Center for Law & Policy, which has been retained to represent the couple, told WND the county's action not only violates religious land-use laws but also assaults both the First Amendment's freedom of assembly and freedom of religion.
"The First Amendment, in part, reads, 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,'" Broyles said. "And that's the key part: 'prohibiting the free exercise.' We believe this is a substantial government burden on the free exercise of religion."
He continued, "If one's home is one's castle, certainly you would the think the free exercise of religion, of all places, could occur in the home."
Broyles confirmed the county official followed through on his threat. The pastor and his wife received a written warning ordering the couple to "cease/stop religious assembly on parcel or obtain a major use permit."
"The Western Center for Law and Policy is troubled by this draconian move to suppress home Bible studies," said the law center in a statement. "If the current trends in our nation continue, churches may be forced underground. If that happens, believers will once again be forced to meet in homes. If homes are already closed by the government to assembly and worship, where then will Christians meet?"
On a personal note, Broyles added, "I've been leading Bible studies in my home for 13 years in San Diego County, and I personally believe that home fellowship Bible studies are the past and future of the church. … If you look at China, the church grew from home Bible studies. I'm deeply concerned that if in the U.S. we are not able to meet in our homes and freely practice our religion, then we may be worse off than China."
Broyles also explained to WND that oppressive governments, such as communist China or Nazi Germany, worked to repress home fellowships, labeling them the "underground church" or "subversive groups," legally compelling Christians to meet only in sanctioned, government-controlled "official" churches.
"Therein lies my concern," Broyles said. "If people can't practice their religious beliefs in the privacy of their own homes with a few of their friends, that's an egregious First Amendment violation."
WND contacted a spokeswoman for San Diego County, who acknowledged the description of the incident seemed "bizarre," but who was unable to locate the details of the account. She simply could not provide comment yet, she said, until she could become familiar with the case.
Broyles said the WCLP is nearly ready to file a demand letter with the county to release the pastor and his wife from the requirement to obtain the expensive permit. If the county refuses, Broyles said, the WCLP will consider a lawsuit in federal court.
Broyles also told WND the pastor and his wife are continuing to hold the Bible study in their home.
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JeffT
San Diego (AP) As part of an ongoing effort to increase revenue to fight California's financial problems, officials in San Diego have decided to tax people While it has not yet been determined precisely what number of friends that is as one revenue agent reported "we'll know them when we see them." It is expected that police will patrol residential neighborhoods looking for excess cars indicating a party is in progress. "We tax you if you have too much money," the same official said, "why not tax you if you have too many friends." It should be noted that family members don't count and you can have as many of them in your house as you want.
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purplesofa
Wow,
Sometimes and often the cars parked here would be excess, but the cars are parked on our property.
AND there is not any praying going on! So we are safe on that.
I think this is very wrong, just my opinion, but
yes
I think this might have merit with the WT making their decision to stop BS.
Maybe the neighbors and city would rather have Restrangleds neighbor,
purps
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Homerovah the Almighty
Interesting nevertheless, you would think in a country like the States with a strongly used
Amendment, that they wouldn't have a problem there. It would be totally different of course though lets say if the home was
being solely used for the purpose of religious meetings. What if lets say a family or person was to have a party once a week
at his home, would that then call for a special permit to carry on that activity ?
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mraimondi
im glad the jws stopped the bible studies @ ppls homes, but having to have a permit for it is utterly ridiculous. If this is why JWs discontinued it, it proves they are such pussies
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yknot
That is just wrong, wrong wrong.....
Geez what if you have a football party every week during the season and ask for donations from buddies to cover the beer..... you gonna need a permit to serve alcohol and for the private club?
Desperate and stupid......
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passwordprotected
I can't see laws like this sticking.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
I can't see this sticking either.
Maybe San Diego should have an "excess turd tax". If people have extra friends over to their houses, they must be using the toilet and consequently over-burdening the municipal septic system.
I still think insurance liability in the USA is a major factor in ending the old book studies. Sister elder slips and falls in somebody's home and the insurance company says, "wait, this wasn't some ordinary visitor, this was a scheduled meeting for the Jehovah Witnesses. Claim denied."
B the X
