Posted on 05/29/2009 8:17:05 PM PDT by AngieGal
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This group is located in Bonita near Chula Vista and the border area.
I live in San Diego and a native here. Never heard of a similar situation. There is more to this than what is reported. What is wrong having their meetings at their church.
I keep forwarding similar stories to my highly religious, but reliably Democrat Grandmother hoping one day she will see the light. Running out of time...
There are some questions here that need to be answered.
First, is it really their home or is it owned by the Church and given to them as a parsonage? The heart of that question is the property tax exemption for church property.
I would dearly love to see them convert a home from taxable personal property into non-taxable church property.
The second question is how often do they have to assemble somewhere else to get out of it needing a permit? If they could go to someone else’s house once a month and theirs the other weeks, would that require a permit?
Count me in.
Thanks for the suggestion to follow the links to pics. Having seen the street, it’s hard not to see this story ending up as some over zealous bureaucrats (and perhaps neighbors) getting their rear ends handed to them in court.
“What is wrong having their meetings at their church.”
Nothing.
What is your point? It sounds like your point is that they shouldn’t have them at their house. Is that your point?
We have that pesky little document called the Constitution that clarifies a few things, particularly the right to peaceably assemble, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and a few other things that annoy the control freak types.
Yup, libs pretty much suck the fun out of life......
Fun? Bible study? Really? I’m either rubbing my eyes and yawning or holding back what I’d really like to say.
I think there is a statute the covers a violation of civil rights under color of authority. It's lawyer time.
Screw them! Do it anyway, Pastor.
Fun? Bible study? Really?
(In any Bible study I attend) I’m either rubbing my eyes and yawning or holding back what I’d really like to say. Apologies to Kimmers and any others whom I may have confused with over-brevity.
>Fun? Bible study? Really?
Yeah, it can be.
Another reason to stay out of California and to fight zoning wherever local government is trying to impose it. Zoning gives regulatory/enforcement authority. After that is is just a matter of time.
If people want more info on this issue - Roger Hedgecock on KOGO600 am has been talking about it for days, along with Rick Roberts KFMB760 am.
Roger and Rick are extremely upset over this issue.
They both command large audiences in their local area, and I’m sure their interest will help rectify this miscarriage of justice.
File a federal lawsuit against the county for violating thier 1st amendment right (right to peacefully assemble and freedom of religion).
BTTT.
Best get your warrant and come get me cause I will study MY BIBLE where and when I want.
And if ya don’t have a warrant then ya best get the hell off MY property.
This is the first step to drive religion underground. Welcome to Marxist America.
One more step in the attempt to make Christianity illegal by making it impossible to practice by enforcing over burdensome regulations.
JoMa
Isn't it already settled law that the First Amendment is "incorporated against the States"?
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