County Trying To Stop Home Bible Studies

[rgcraig]

http://www.10news.com/news/19562217/detail.html

Couple: County Trying To Stop Home Bible Studies

POSTED: 5:31 pm PDT May 25, 2009
UPDATED: 7:43 am PDT May 28, 2009

SAN DIEGO -- A local pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a San Diego County official, who then threatened them with escalating fines if they continued to hold bible studies in their home, 10News reported.

Attorney Dean Broyles of The Western Center For Law & Policy was shocked with what happened to the pastor and his wife.

Broyles said, "The county asked, 'Do you have a regular meeting in your home?' She said, 'Yes.' 'Do you say amen?' 'Yes.' 'Do you pray?' 'Yes.' 'Do you say praise the Lord?' 'Yes.'"

[Trouvere]

wow they must be doing it in a residential zone.lol..........
They must just want money.

[Digging4Truth]

Welcome to Amerika people.

I will be interested in seeing how this plays out.

They need to win this case and sue the county into the middle ages. Money is the only language people hear and if you lose enough for doing something then others won't be apt to repeat the ignorance.

[KWSS1976]

California sucks I am sorry but I am glad I do not live in that state..

[KWSS1976]

I am suprised they did not lift the gay ban..One thing going good for them..LOL

[DividedThigh]

not a surprise, christians are free targets, but touch a muslim, oh no, dt

[rgcraig]

Previous story:

BONITA, Calif. -- A local pastor said the County has cited him for hosting a weekly Bible study in his home. The County said visitors who drive to those meetings are affecting traffic in the neighborhood.

Pastor David Jones has been hosting weekly Bible studies at his Bonita home during the past five years. About 15 people attend the meetings, he told 10News.

Jones said a visitor to a neighbor's house called the County after a Bible study member hit the visitor’s car while leaving. Shortly after, a county code enforcement officer gave him a citation that said he needed a permit to host the weekly Bible study meetings, he said.

Jones and his attorneys sid he shouldn't have to get a permit for what he does inside his house. "We think it is clearly permissible. We think this is a violation of our constitutional rights," Jones told 10News.

http://www.10news.com/news/19585458/detail.html

[DividedThigh]

good for bro jones, carry on brother, dt

[James Griffin]

Pasor will win as long as designated a home Bible study as opposed to church.

JAG

[Digging4Truth]

One thought along the lines of this thread.

If no one received an income from a church and that church did not hold funds from the people it would not need a 501c3 status. If people kept their offering in their home and gave it as they were led (as scripture instructs us) then offerings would only be one person giving to another and the church as an entity would not have or handle money that needed protection under 501c3.

If they are having home bible study in their home and it is a house church and the church, as an entity, is holding money or monies are being paid for services (services such as being the pastor) then they might be able to control them for having a business type operation in a residential area.

If the church as an entity is not holding money and no one is receiving pay for services then they should be free of any control.

Of course, they need to be free from any control anyway... but things being the way they are these days... money paid for services gives them an "in" no matter how wrong the pursuit of that "in" might be.