[twntaipan]

Seems like the land grabs made possible by the USSC decision last year is hitting more than just private homes. I imagine secularists will rejoice over this injustice.

[FormerLib]

The only folks who weren't predicting that churches would be be first hit were most likely liars or fools.

[sittnick]

I'd like to see many challenges, I am just not hopeful since both O'Conner AND Rehnquist voted against Kelo.

The real swing vote, Kennedy, is still at large.

[thackney]

BTTT

[PeterFinn]

I imagine secularists will rejoice over this injustice. Yes, they will. Until the Sierra Club or the ACLU-sers lose their non-profit, tax-exempt properties under that same theory.

[TBP]

This is what happens when you give Christophobes and other hatemongers the power to seize people's property to improve the tax base, or for whatever other reason (just because they don't like you.)

That is one of the key tenets of Fascism, BTW.

[Aliska]

Oh oh. Sorry, I can't read through that. Totally unjust and greedy.

[Richard Kimball]

When lawmen break the law, there is no law. -- Billy Jack

[CajunConservative]

Fire up the Baptist Ping list please.

[maine-iac7]

Maybe this was the prime underlying strategy all along...how to close the churches -

P> We need to spread democracy in America - for it is lost. We are indeed a socialist country

[DocRock]

"“In my view, the Supreme Court made a terrible mistake in Kelo, and I think they know that and they’re going to be looking for a way to extricate [themselves] from that case,” Eastman told Baptist Press. “It seems to me that the best challenge to the principle of that case is a church case, where there is no economic output, so any economic development could then be utilized to take out the church under the Kelo theory."

Roger that! Along with any other "nonprofit" organizations, institutions, or properties... like schools, public hospitals and (gasp) even government buildings.

[Fishing-guy]

I wonder what's their strategy to bring this up before the supreme court again?

[Brian Allen]

Anything practical we can do to help?

Love to do some FReeping while I'm in town.

[newzjunkey]

This decision by SCOTUS still outrages me. I'm sorry that guy wasn't able to get Souter's home to prove his point.

[ThomasThomas]

This organization is first class group that can take it all the way to the supreme court. SBC has money to fund the fight.

http://www.claremont.org/projects/jurisprudence/lbchurch.html

[heleny]

the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 last summer in Kelo v. New London, Connecticut that a city’s use of eminent domain to transfer property from one private party to another may qualify as a “public use” protected by the Constitution.
...“That’s preposterous, so I think getting a church case up there in very short order may get them to rethink Kelo,” Eastman said.

Why would they rethink it? All five of the majority are still on the SC. Unless Roberts and Alito are more persuasive than Rehnquist and O'Connor were, why would any one of the five change his mind?

... they’re going to be looking for a way to extricate [themselves] from that case,” Eastman told Baptist Press. “It seems to me that the best challenge to the principle of that case is a church case, where there is no economic output, so any economic development could then be utilized to take out the church under the Kelo theory.

I'm pessimistic about the chances that any of the majority has changed his mind about the Kelo decision and wants to extricate himself from the mess. Surely someone must have suggested the potential consequences of Kelo to churches/nonprofits when the SC considered the case. Still, a church case seems to be the best way to challenge Kelo, and by the time the case gets to the SC, hopefully at least one of the five will have retired.

[DoughtyOne]

I am struck by the fact that eight churches are being affected by this terrible decision as we speak. That almost seems like a concerted effort directed against Churches.

Because of personal matters I can't commit to a FReeping at this moment, but I will keep this in mind Brian. If I can in a week or so I'll come back and address that idea again.

[Rytwyng]

City leaders in Long Beach, Calif., have classified the Filipino Baptist Fellowship’s building as a blighted area and are forcing the congregation out in order to make way for condominiums.

They are going to hell.

[tutstar]

huh!

I posted this but didn't see your posting at the time.
If you see any thing further on this in the future please ping either myself or wkb because we have a Baptist ping list. There were some folks who want to keep up with this story.