Here's an interesting story I know many of you have already read. Sounds like China or Russia. What happened to our liberty? Where did freedom go in America? We are in for some interesting days ahead....
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Couple Ordered to Stop Holding Bible Study at Home Without Permit
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Thursday , May 28, 2009
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Pastor David Jones and his wife Mary have been told that they cannot invite friends to their San Diego, Calif. home for a Bible study — unless they are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to San Diego County.
"On Good Friday we had an employee from San Diego County come to our house, and inform us that the Bible study that we were having was a religious assembly, and in violation of the code in the county." David Jones told FOX News.
"We told them this is not really a religious assembly — this is just a Bible study with friends. We have a meal, we pray, that was all," Jones said.
A few days later, the couple received a written warning that cited "unlawful use of land," ordering them to either "stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit," the couple's attorney Dean Broyles told San Diego news station 10News.
But the major use permit could cost the Jones' thousands of dollars just to have a few friends over.
For David and Mary Jones, it's about more than a question of money.
"The government may not prohibit the free exercise of religion," Broyles told FOX News. "I believe that our Founding Fathers would roll over in their grave if they saw that here in the year 2009, a pastor and his wife are being told that they cannot hold a simple Bible study in their own home."
"The implications are great because it’s not only us that’s involved," Mary Jones said. "There are thousands and thousands of Bible studies that are held all across the country. What we’re interested in is setting a precedent here — before it goes any further — and that we have it settled for the future."
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I just thought you should know.
2 comments:
I can't help but think there was some fact or facts omitted from this story. Has to be! I can understand the county stepping in if the gathering was HUGE and the cars blocked the streets, blocked neighboring driveways, or the noise level was disturbing the peace. But for a religious gathering? In a major county of California? There has to be more to this story. Thank the Lord Texas is not like California!
I have to suspect that there is a nuisance issue at play here. According to http://www.10news.com/news/19585458/detail.html the meetings averaged 15 people. That could mean as many as 15 cars converging on the home each week. According to the news article in the link the pastor said a visitor to a neighbor's house called the County after a Bible study member hit the visitor’s car while leaving. I have neighbors who have caused parking problems on my street with half that many cars. I've come home to find my own driveway partially blocked (once with a car actually *parked* in my driveway). If that was happening every week, and then one of the cars hit my own car or the car of a visitor to my home, that would be the last straw for me and I'd want the city to step in - Bible study or not.
It always troubles me when Christians are quick to assume (and cry out loudly) persecution when there are reasonable (and I think more likely) explanations behind a local government's actions.
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